Carolina League Postseason Starts Wednesday
September 6, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Myrtle Beach Pelicans have been waiting since June 17, but the Carolina League postseason is finally here. The Birds begin their push for the franchise's third Mills Cup in Game One of the best-of-five Southern Division Championship Series against the Kinston Indians at BB&T Coastal Field on Wednesday, September 7 at 7:05 p.m.
Tickets for Wednesday's opener and Thursday's game two in Myrtle Beach are on sale now! Game One is the last Wiener Wednesday at BB&T Coastal Field this season, with one dollar Hebrew National hot dogs all game long! Game Two is another Thirsty Thursday featuring one dollar domestic draft beers from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
With a 40-29 record, the Pelicans edged the K-Tribe by two games to win the first-half division title and an automatic playoff berth. The Indians went 38-31 in both halves and earned the second-half crown by beating out the Winston-Salem Dash during the final week of the regular season. The Indians, who will move to Zebulon, NC for the 2012 season, are making a push to leave on a high note and will host game three of the series on Friday, September 9 and if necessary, the remaining two games on Saturday and Sunday.
The final year of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans-Kinston Indians rivalry has seen many tight games between the two clubs. They split the 20-game season set 10-10 with the home team winning six of ten at both BB&T Coastal Field and Grainger Stadium. 13 games were decided by one or two runs, including 11 straight meetings from May 12-August 4.
The Birds and K-Tribe made history on June 12 in Kinston when they played the longest game in the history of the Carolina League, a 23-inning 3-2 Indians victory. In the record-breaking affair, 15 players logged eight or more at bats and both catchers, Zach Zaneski of Myrtle Beach and Kinston's Roberto Perez caught every inning.
The Indians and Pelicans have met twice before in the CL postseason, with the second-half champ beating the first-half winner both times. Myrtle Beach took out Kinston 2-1 in the 1999 SDCS on their way to a split-championship and the K-Tribe swept the Birds 2-0 in the 2002 SDCS before falling to Lynchburg 3-1 in the Mills Cup Championship Series.
Several Pelicans have had success against the Indians this season. Catcher Vinny DiFazio has crushed Kinston pitching in 12 games, batting .342 with four of his eight 2011 home runs. In 18 games against the K-Tribe, outfielder Jared Prince has hit .329 with 13 RBIs and 13 runs scored while shortstop Leury Garcia has hit an even .300 in 15 games in the season series. Myrtle Beach's Game Two starter Chad Bell has a 0.89 ERA in five games, two starts, against the Indians.
Game One features a matchup of solid right-handers when Justin Grimm goes for the Pelicans against Clayton Cook of Kinston. A 2010 fifth-round pick out of the University of Georgia, Grimm has excelled in his first professional season, which began at low-A Hickory before he earned a call-up to Myrtle Beach in late May. Since his Carolina League debut on May 29, Grimm's 3.39 ERA is the fifth-best in the circuit. Cook was a mainstay in the K-Tribe rotation in 2011, tallying nine wins to tie for the seventh in the league while his 25 starts were tied for the fifth-most in the league.
First pitch at BB&T Coastal Field in the playoff opener is set for 7:05 p.m. Tickets for all postseason games, as well as 2012 season tickets, are available at the BB&T Coastal Field box office, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, and by phone at 843-918-6000 or 877-918-TIXX.
SOUTHERN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SCHEDULE
Game One - Wednesday, Sept. 7: Kinston (RHP Clayton Cook 9-9, 4.56) at Myrtle Beach (RHP Justin Grimm 5-2, 3.39) 7:05 p.m.
Game Two - Thursday, Sept. 8: Kinston (LHP Francisco Jimenez 4-3, 3.23) at Myrtle Beach (LHP Chad Bell 3-2, 2.98) 7:05 p.m.
Game Three - Friday, Sept. 9: Myrtle Beach (LHP Miguel De Los Santos(6-3, 3.82) at Kinston (Pitcher TBA) 6:30 p.m.
Game Four - Saturday, Sept. 10: Myrtle Beach (Pitcher TBA) at Kinston (Pitcher TBA) 6:30 p.m. if necessary
Game Five - Sunday, Sept. 11: Myrtle Beach (Pitcher TBA) at Kinston (Pitcher TBA) 1:30 p.m. if necessary
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