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Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Pelicans Game Notes: 6:00 p.m. at Frederick Keys - August 1, 2015

August 1, 2015 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


PELICANS GAME NOTES: AUGUST 1 at Frederick Keys

First pitch from Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick, Maryland is set for 6:00 p.m.

PELICANS: RHP Brad Markey (3-0, 0.76 ERA) | KEYS: LHP Chirs Lee (3-6, 3.38 ERA)

Today's game can be heard on WRNN AM 1450 ESPN Myrtle Beach, online and on mobile devices via TuneIn Radio, or on the MiLB First Pitch App. The broadcast is presented by Courtyard Myrtle Beach at Barefoot Landing. Pregame Show coverage begins at 5:40 p.m. The game is also available with live streaming video on MiLB.tv (subscription required). Yesterday's starting pitcher Paul Blackburn is today's pregame show guest.

LAST TIME OUT: The Pelicans captured their sixth straight win, downing the Frederick Keys 2-1 on Friday night at Nymeo Field...PAUL BLACKBURN completed seven shutout innings for his first win since returning from the DL, as he scattered seven hits and two walks...VICTOR CARATINI drove in CHESNY YOUNG with RBI singles in both the fourth and the sixth innings to provide the Pelicans' offense...JOSH CONWAY's 14 1/3 inning scoreless streak was snapped when he allowed a run to score on a wild pitch in the eighth inning, but he got out of the jam with the lead in-tact, and JASVIR RAKKAR nailed down his team-leading 13th save (second in the league) with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

BUY, BUY, BUY! SELL, SELL, SELL!: The two clubs in this series are going in opposite directions. Less than a week ago, the Keys were riding high with a second-half Northern Division lead. Meanwhile, the Pelicans were fighting for second place spot in the Southern with Carolina. Frederick though has lost it's last six games after riding a four-game win-streak. The Pelicans have won six in a row after dropping four straight and have won 14 of their last 18 games. The Northern Division has been trending down though, and the Southern Division is on fire, as Winston-Salem has also won six straight, keeping the division deficit at 2.5 games.

THE WHAT DAY OF SUMMER?: The Pelicans are playing some of their best ball of the year in the heat of the summer, posting a 20-10 record for July. It was the club's first 20-win month of July in the last decade. The best record during the month in known team history was July of 2008 when the Pelicans went 19-8.

FROM FEAST TO FAMINE: The Pelicans have teed off against Potomac this year, blasting 15 home runs against the Nationals, the most against any Carolina League opponent. With 45 combined home runs this season, the Birds have hit 8 of their last 10 bombs against the P-Nats. The only Pelican on the active roster who has not gone deep is SUTTON WHITING, but he has only played in three games (6 at-bats) with Myrtle Beach and has not gone yard as a pro yet. The Birds have played just eight games against tonight's opponent, the Frederick Keys, and have yet to hit a home run against them. Frederick on the other hand has gone deep six times against Myrtle Beach, including three homers in a double header on June 9.

WHEELING AND DEALING: Eight former Pelicans players were dealt at and just prior to the July 31 MLB non-waiver Trade Deadline. The Rangers traded for left-handed starting pitcher COLE HAMELS in an eight-player trade that sent six men to the Phillies, including five former Pelicans. 2013 Pelicans starters JERAD EICKHOFF and ALEC ASHER along with 2013-2014 Pelicans catcher JORGE ALFARO, and 2014 Pelicans outfielder NICK WILLIAMS were sent along with Rangers starter MATT HARRISON (who pitched for the Pelicans in 2006 in the Braves farm system), and right-handed pitching prospect JAKE THOMPSON were sent to Philly for Hamels, Jake Diekman and cash. According to Baseball America, Asher, Alfaro, and Williams were all among the top 15 prospects in the Rangers system entering the 2015 season. The Rangers also picked up reliever Sam Dyson from the Marlins in exchange for former Pelicans catcher TOMAS TELIS (2012) and LHP CODY EGE (2013-2014). A Pelican from the Braves era (1999-2010), LHP LUIS AVILAN (2010) was in the three-team, 13-player deal between Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles-NL, headlined by Alex Wood. The Pelicans were affiliated with the Texas Rangers for four seasons before joining the Cubs Family this season. The Cubs made two trades. They acquired right-handed veteran starter DAN HAREN, but the trade did not affect the Pelicans roster. Double-A shortstop Elliot Soto and righty Ivan Pineyro are headed to Miami in the deal. They also dealt Junior Lake to Baltimore for former Rangers farmhand Tommy Hunter.

BIRD FOOD: The Pelicans are streaking in the win/loss column with eight straight wins, followed by four consecutive losses, and now six straight wins...Last night spelled the end of JOSH CONWAY's 14 1/3 inning scoreless streak, the longest by a Pelicans reliever this year...JORDAN HANKINS collected a hit for the fifth straight game in which he's played with a double last night, a hit streak spanning over three weeks (began 7/12)...With a win last night, the Birds have a 4-4 record against Frederick and now have a losing record against just one club (Wilmington, 3-4)...The Pelicans have the second-worst record in the CL in games decided by two or fewer runs (24-26) but have won and have dominated lopsided affairs (38-17 when winning by 3 or more runs; 1st in CL)...The Pelicans play a game on 19 straight days before an off day August 3.

PROSPECT 7-PACK: Seven of players on the roster are ranked in the Cubs Top 30 prospects according to MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Watch and six in Baseball America's Top 30. RHPs PAUL BLACKBURN (No. 24 MLB.com/No. 18 Baseball America), JEREMY NULL (29/NR), DAURY TORREZ (28/30), JEN-HO TSENG (17/11), DUANE UNDERWOOD (5/10), catcher VICTOR CARATINI (23/13), and OF MARK ZAGUNIS (10/15). Baseball America also lauded a handful of Pelicans players with "Best Tools" labels. Caratini is the "Best Defensive Catcher" in the system according to the 2015 Prospect Handbook, CARLOS PENALVER as the "Best Defensive Infielder," Tseng has the "Best Control" and "Best Changeup," Underwood possesses the "Best Fastball," and Zagunis has "Best Strike Zone Discipline." Outfielders BILLY MCKINNEY (3/6), JACOB HANNEMANN (27/17, and BA's "Fastest Baserunner"), 3B JEIMER CANDELARIO (20/24), and JUAN PANIAGUA (top "Sleeper" prospect) were on the roster but have since been promoted. ANDREW ELY, named by BA as the "Best Defensive Player" from the Cubs 2014 draft class, was on the club's Opening Day roster but went down to South Bend. 2B DANIEL LOCKHART was at one point ranked #29 by MLB.com but is no longer.

MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS LINEUP

3 Chesny Young DH

20 Pin-Chieh Chen LF

6 Mark Zagunis RF

44 Jason Vosler 3B

17 Victor Caratini C

29 Cael Brockmeyer 1B

15 Trey Martin CF

1 Carlos Penalver SS

7 Daniel Lockhart 2B

13 Brad Markey RHP

FREDERICK KEYS LINEUP

7 Tad Gold RF

28 Tanner Witt 3B

15 Chance Sisco C

12 Jeff Kemp SS

26 Austin Wynns C

30 Yaisel Mederos 1B

27 Conor Bierfeldt LF

14 Anthony Caronia 2B

1 Jay Gonzalez LF

38 Chris Lee LHP

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