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Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Pelicans Game Notes: 7:05 vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks - August 4, 2015

August 4, 2015 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


PELICANS GAME NOTES: AUGUST 4 vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks

First pitch from TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is set for 7:05 p.m.

PELICANS: RHP Jonathan Martinez (7-2, 3.10 ERA) | BLUE ROCKS: LHP Luis Rico (5-6, 3.72 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 6:45 p.m. The game is also available with live streaming video on MiLB.tv (subscription required). Today's pregame interview is LHP Tyler Ihrig.

LAST TIME OUT: The Pelicans were shut out by David Hess and the Frederick Keys in the road trip finale on Sunday...In a spot start, LHP TYLER IHRIG fired six shutout frames, but DAVID GARNER allowed a run in each of his two innings of work to allow the Keys to pull ahead...Austin Wynn's solo home run in the seventh broke the tie; it was his second home run in as many days...DANIEL LOCKHART collected two hits and four Pelicans reached base twice, but the Birds failed to score, leaving 11 men on base and going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE: The Pelicans take on the Wilmington Blue Rocks tonight for the first time since April 30, spanning 96 days and 88 games since the two clubs squared off. In that time, each club has clinched a postseason berth by winning its respective first half division titles, each team has had three or more players win Player of the Week awards, and the first high-resolution surface photos of Pluto were taken. While the Pelicans still hold on to the best overall record in the Carolina League, the Blue Rocks' spot as the next-best club in the circuit has slipped away due to a current eight-game losing skid. In that time, Wilmington has been shutout three times and has lost 12 of its last 14 games. Also during the losing streak, opponents have outscored the Blue Rocks 37-to-14. The Pelicans on the other hand have won 6 of their last 8 games, edging opposing team by the slim margin of 27-to-22. Yet the Pelicans and Blue Rocks are still a solid one-two-punch in the league: the Birds are the top defensive team while Wilmington is the second-best, and Myrtle Beach carries the best team ERA (3.11), as the Blue Rocks check in with the second-lowest (3.31).

OH NO! NO RUNS!: The Pelicans were shut out for the twelfth time this season in the 2-0 loss on Sunday. Myrtle Beach has been shut out the second-most times in the Carolina League this season; the most? Wilmington, this series' opponent who has been shut out 13 times. Six of the 12 shutout losses for the Birds have come in the second half. Of the 13 shutout losses for Wilmington, ten of them came in the first half. There has been only one shutout in the season-series, April 12 here at home when the Pelicans lost 5-0 to ERIC SKOGLAND and the Blue Rocks.

SHAKE AND BAKE: The Pelicans made a pair of moves on Sunday, sending RHP FERNANDO CRUZ up to Double-A and receiving LHP TYLER IHRIG from Class-A South Bend. Cruz returns to the Smokies, with whom he began the year, while Ihrig takes his 9th different assignment this year and begins his second stint with the Pelicans. Ihrig made five appearances, including a start, with the Pelicans in June and July with no record and an ERA of 6.00. He joined Myrtle Beach in Frederick last time he was assigned to the club as well. Cruz is the 14th Pelicans player to earn a promotion from the Carolina League to a higher level. The Pelicans have made 76 moves this season, 14 short of last season's 90. Myrtle Beach has had 49 different players on the roster (including MLB rehabber CHRIS DENORFIA), the same number as last season's total.

BIRD FOOD: Just back to the roster, LHP TYLER IHRIG tossed six scoreless innings in the series finale at Frederick...The Pelicans have won six of eight and 14 of 20...JORDAN HANKINS collected a hit for the sixth straight game in which he's played with a double on Sunday, a hit streak spanning over three weeks (began 7/12)...The Pelicans have a winning record against five of the seven other Carolina League teams (4-6 vs. Frederick, 3-4 vs. Wilmington, 3-4)...The Pelicans have the second-worst record in the CL in games decided by two or fewer runs (24-28) but have won and have dominated lopsided affairs (38-17 when winning by 3 or more runs; 1st in CL).

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.

FUN AT THE YARD: Tonight is a $2sday Brewsday featuring $2.00 draft craft beers...Pregame Player Autograph Session (open to all fans)...Postgame Kids 12 & Under Run the Bases courtesy of Sweet Frog.

MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS LINEUP

3 Chesny Young 1B

20 Pin-Chieh Chen LF

6 Mark Zagunis RF

44 Jason Vosler 3B

29 Cael Brockmeyer DH

17 Victor Caratini C

15 Trey Martin CF

1 Carlos Penalver SS

7 Daniel Lockhart 2B

34 Jonathan Martinez RHP

WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS

7 Carlos Garcia DH

4 Humberto Arteaga 2B

29 Mauricio Ramos 3B

32 Ryan O'Hearn 1B

16 Alfredo Escalera CF

13 Elier Hernandez RF

11 Jack Lopez SS

41 Santiago Nessy C

12 Logan Moon LF

28 Luis Rico LHP

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Carolina League Stories from August 4, 2015


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