CarL1 Carolina Mudcats

August 31 - Carolina Mudcats Game Information

Published on August 31, 2019 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Carolina Mudcats News Release


Following last night's series opening loss, the Mudcats continue their final road trip of the 2019 season tonight with the second game of a four game series in Salem, VA versus the Salem Red Sox... Tonight's game is the second of four in the series and the 12th of 15 total games between the two teams this season. The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the current series with a walk-off victory last night, but the Mudcats own a 6-5 advantage in the overall season series between the two teams (3-3 at home, 3-2 in Salem).

Tonight's game will begin at 6:05 p.m. at Haley Toyota Field in Salem, VA and will air live on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio. The game will also stream live in full HD video on MiLB.tv via paid subscription.

CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at SALEM RED SOX (BOSTON RED SOX)

Saturday, August 31, 2019 | 6:05 PM | Game 137, Away Game 67 | Haley Toyota Field (6,300) | Salem, VA

RADIO: WDWG, 98.5 FM

STREAMING AUDIO: carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio

STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv

Overall Record: CAR: 65-71; SAL: 63-70

Streaks: CAR: L2; SAL: W2

Last 10 Games: CAR: 3-7, SAL: 8-2

Home Record: CAR: 37-33; SAL: 34-32

Road Record: CAR: 28-38; SAL: 30-38

Division Record: CAR: 25-44; SAL: 29-31

Current Series: SAL leads 1-0 (of 4)

Season Series: CAR leads 6-5 (of 15)

CAR v. OPP: 3-3 @CAR (7), 3-2 @OPP (8)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...

SAT, 8/31 at SAL, 6:05 PM: Carolina RHP Matt Smith (4-12, 3.75) at Salem LHP Jonathan Diaz (8-8, 4.08)

SUN, 9/1 at SAL, 2:05 PM: Carolina RHP Wuilder Rodriguez (0-2, 9.95) at Salem RHP Thaddeus Ward (3-3, 2.33)

MON, 9/2 at SAL, 1:05 PM: Carolina LHP Scotty Sunitsch (2-0, 1.26) at Salem RHP Daniel Gonzalez (5-10, 4.45)

TONIGHT: Following last night's series opening loss, the Mudcats continue their final road trip of the 2019 season tonight with the second game of a four game series in Salem, VA versus the Salem Red Sox... Tonight's game is the second of four in the series and the 12th of 15 total games between the two teams this season. The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the current series with a walk-off victory last night, but the Mudcats own a 6-5 advantage in the overall season series between the two teams (3-3 at home, 3-2 in Salem).

ICYMI: Pat McInerney launched a two-run home run to right in the first and starter Aaron Ashby struck out four over four one hit innings, but the Red Sox rallied back to tie the game with help of an error in the eighth before winning it 3-2 on a squeeze bunt in the ninth on Friday night at Haley Toyota Field in Salem, VA.

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Carolina suffered its sixth walk-off/last at bat loss of the season last night after falling 3-2 on a game winning suicide squeeze by Salem's Grant Williams in the ninth inning. It was also the second time in the last two seasons that Carolina lost on a walk-off suicide squeeze as Joel Booker of the Dash defeated the Mudcats 6-5 with a suicide squeeze in the tenth on April 14, 2018 at BB&T Ballpark in Winston-Salem.

CAROLINA'S STARTING PITCHER(S)...

Matt Smith: 4-12, 3.75 ERA, 27/21 G/GS, 110.1 IP, 32 BB, 88 SO, 1.38 WHIP

Last start, 8/26 vs. FAY: L, 0-1, 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO, 80 pit.

CL Ranks: 5th in ERA (3.75), 4th in xFIP (3.76), 6th in WHIP (1.31), 6th in K/BB (2.75) and tied for 4th in BB% (6.8%).

Has allowed 17 HR; tied for 2nd most homers allowed in CL.

WHERE THEY RANK: Payton Henry is tied for 4th in the CL in home runs (14), 3rd in RBI (75) and 10th in extra-base hits (37)... Rob Henry is currently 7th in the CL in OBP (.365)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 9th in the CL in wins (7) and 9th in games (38)... J.T. Hintzen is tied for 3rd in the CL in games (41)... Cody Beckman and Michael Petersen are tied for 6th in the CL in games (40)... Noah Zavolas is currently 2nd in the CL in ERA (2.98), 4th in innings pitched (133.0) and 2nd in WHIP (1.14), 1st in BB/9 (1.56) and 1st in K/BB (4.43)... Matt Smith is currently 5th in the CL in ERA (3.75), 6th in WHIP (1.31) and 6th in K/BB (2.75).

CAROLINA LEAGUE LEADERS - TWO-OUT RBI

PLAYER TEAM RBI HR AVG OPS

Henry, P CAR 38 7 .250 .780

Feliciano, M CAR 32 10 .299 1.005

Corredor, A POT 32 4 .262 .682

Henry, R CAR 30 3 .228 .777

Reetz, J POT 30 7 .271 .923

PAT THE BAT: Pat McInerney is batting .310/.333/.548 with a .881 OPS and four doubles and two home runs over his last 11 games (13-for-42, 5 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI). McInerney went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in the first inning of last night's 3-2 loss to the Red Sox. McInerney has totaled 10 home runs this season; matching a career high for homers in a season.

OF LATE: The Mudcats have gone just 14-33 since 7/10 and since starting the second half at 12-8 over their first 20 games (6/20-7/9) following the All-Star break... They have also gone just 10-25 since 7/24... The Carolina offense has combined to hit just .205 with 3.11 R/G and a run differential of -46 runs since 7/10 and have hit .206 with 3.14 R/G and a -33 run differential since 7/24.

EARLY FAREWELLS: C Payton Henry suffered a season ending leg injury on 8/27... OF Tristen Lutz has not played since 8/17 and is not expected to return... CL MVP and C Mario Feliciano was promoted to Double-A Biloxi on 8/25... CL Pitcher of the Year and starter RHP Noah Zavolas reached his season long innings limit in early August (8/14) and will not return... Manager Joe Ayrault and Hitting Coach Bobby Bell have returned to their homes in Floria due to Hurricane Dorian.

BICKFORD'S RUN: Phil Bickford has pitched through 24.2 consecutive scoreless innings (6 BB, 38 SO, 13.9 SO/9) dating back to 6/30. He has not allowed a run since giving up a three-run home run that scored two inherited runners on 6/30 vs. the Nationals at Five County Stadium. That homer came off the bat of Bickford's first batter faced after he had taken over in the ninth in relief of Clayton Andrews; Bickford went on to record two outs after the homer and has not allowed a run since... Bickford has additionally pitched through 13 straight scoreless appearances from 7/9 through 8/28 (24.0 IP, 6 BB, 38 SO, .143 AVG)... Among Carolina League pitchers with at least 30.0 IP, Bickford is currently 2nd in K/9 (15.26), 1st in K% (42.3%), 1st in xFIP (1.93) and tied for 5th in SwStr% (16.4%) per fangraphs.com.

RECORD SETTING: Payton Henry (currently on the IL) totaled a Mudcats franchise record 22 hit by pitches this season. Henry also tied the all-time team record for double plays hit into (18) this season... The Carolina offense has combined to total a CL high and franchise record 106 hit by pitches this season; previous high was 73 HBP in 2010 and 2013.. The Carolina offense has combined to total a Carolina League and franchise record 1,390 strikeouts this season (currently the most in the CL and 4th most in MiLB). Carolina batters combined to total a CL and franchise record 1,311 strikeouts last season; breaking the previous CL and franchise record of 1,245 SO set by Carolina in 2017.

MVP: Mario Feliciano was named the 2019 Carolina League Most Valuable Player on 8/22. Feliciano is the first Mudcats player to win the MVP award since the Mudcats joined the Carolina League for the 2012 season. Feliciano, however, is the fifth player overall in team history to be named league MVP as Mark Johnson (1994), Jason Kendall (1995), Gaby Sanchez (2008) and Dave Sappelt (2010) were all named Southern League MVP during Carolina's Double-A and Southern League era (1991-2011). Feliciano also earned post-season All-Star honors at catcher... Feliciano was recently promoted to Double-A Biloxi by the Brewers (8/25).

P.O.Y.: Noah Zavolas was named the 2019 Carolina League Pitcher of the Year on 8/22. Zavolas is the second Mudcats pitcher in team history to earn the Carolina League's Pitcher of the Year award, joining Cody Anderson who won the same award following the 2013 season. Former Mudcats pitcher Travis Wood was additionally named the Southern League's Most Outstanding Pitcher during his 2009 season with Carolina. Zavolas also earned post-season All-Star honors at starting pitcher.

EXCLUSIVE COMPANY: Recently promoted Carolina League MVP Mario Feliciano currently leads the CL in home runs (19) and is second in RBI (81) this season. The last Mudcats player to finish a season as the league leader (tied with Mobile's Paul Goldschmidt) in homers was Neftali Soto who homered 30 times for the then-Southern League affiliated Mudcats in 2011.

THE TOP 30: The Carolina roster currently features five of Milwaukee's Top 30 prospects per MLBPipeline.com... No. 1 INF Brice Turang, No. 8 LHP Aaron Ashby, and No. 16 C Payton Henry.

THE MUDCATS HAVE...

... played in Zebulon, NC since 1991 (29th season).

... played in the Carolina League since 2012 (8th season).

... been an affiliate of the Brewers since 2017 (3rd season).

... not made the playoffs since the 2008 season.

... not made the playoffs during their Carolina League era.

... operated under the ownership of the Brewers since Oct. 2017.

Check out the Carolina Mudcats Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from August 31, 2019


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