Carolina Mudcats Game Information
August 30, 2016 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Carolina Mudcats News Release
Tuesday, August 30, 2016 | 5:00 PM | Game 133/134, Home Game 64/65 | at Five County Stadium
Overall Record: CAR: 47-85; WIL: 49-82
Streaks: CAR: L1; WIL: L6
Last 10 Games: CAR: 2-8, WIL: 4-6
Wilmington RHP Corey Ray (7-6, 4.58) at Carolina RHP Wes Parsons (0-1, 4.01)
Wilmington LHP Kyle Kubat (4-1, 4.11) at Carolina RHP Carlos Portuondo (1-0, 4.29)
Today's doubleheader begins at 5:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, NC and will air on the Mudcats Radio Network with the pregame show beginning at 4:45 p.m.
Carolina Mudcats games air over the radio on The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and are streamed online at www.carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio and the TuneIn Radio app. TuneIn Radio is the official digital audio partner of MiLB.com. All home games are additionally streamed live in high definition video and live game audio via MiLB.tv.
ICYMI: Carolina was off yesterday and last played in Winston-Salem where Toby Thomas, Daniel Gonzalez and Cleuluis Rondon combined for 10 runs, 11 hits and seven RBI as the Dash ran away with Sunday's series finale 15-2 against the Mudcats at BB&T Ballpark. Carolina fell a win shy of a series sweep after losing their final road game on Sunday.
ON TO THE NEXT ONE: The Mudcats begin their final home stand of the 2016 season tonight with a doubleheader and games one and two of a four game series versus the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats are 7-9 against the Blue Rocks this season, including a 4-4 record at home and a 3-5 record in Wilmington. Wilmington is 2.5 games ahead of the Mudcats for the worst overall record in the Carolina League this season.
TWIN BILLS: The Mudcats are 8-16 in doubleheaders this season and currently lead the CL in doubleheaders (12) played this year. Carolina has been swept in a doubleheader five times this season, split six and swept one doubleheader so far in 2016. The Mudcats were 6-8 in doubleheaders last season, 6-8 in 2014, 7-10 in 2013 and 5-9 in 2012.
STRONG FINISH: Erison Mendez is batting .370/.382/.481 over 17 games in August and .313/.352/.409 over 38 games in the 2nd half... Keith Curcio hit .372/.455/.547 over 24 games in August and is batting .281/.378/.396 in the 2nd half. Curcio is currently 8th in the Carolina League in OBP (.378) in the 2nd half... Matt Withrow is 2-1 and has pitched to a 1.33 ERA over five starts in the August (27.0 IP, 14 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HB, 16 BB, 33 SO).
AUGUST LOWS: Only the Florida State League's Brevard County Manatees (4-23, .148, MIL) and Southern League's Birmingham Barons (5-22, .185, CWS) have lower winning percentages in August than the Mudcats (5-20, .200, ATL) in Minor League Baseball. The Mudcats started August 2-0 and are 3-20 since with losing streaks of 10 and nine this month (separated by one game).
STARTING OFF: Wes Parsons and Carlos Portuondo get the games one and two starts for the Mudcats tonight against the visiting Blue Rocks. Parsons is 0-1 with 4.01 ERA over 14 games and five starts this season for the Mudcats. Parsons last pitched on 8/24 vs. Myrtle Beach and worked through seven full innings with a season high strikeouts. He retired each of the first nine he faced before issuing a walk to start the fourth his last time out. He also gave up one hit and one run in that same fourth inning, but finished with just two hits allowed, one walk and one run allowed while working through the seventh for the first time this season. Portuondo is 1-0 with a 4.29 ERA over 11 games this season for the Mudcats and tonight's game two start is the first of his professional career. Portuondo last pitched on 8/26 in Winston-Salem and worked through an inning and 1/3 scoreless with one strikeout.
RECORDS TO AVOID: The Mudcats have won a league low 47 games this season and are a league worst 47-85 (.356). Carolina's franchise record for fewest wins in a season is 52 and was set in 1992 when the Mudcats finished at just 52-92 (.361). The Mudcats also finished a season with fewer than 60 wins in 2011 (53-86, .381), 1997 (55-82, .401), 2013 (57-83, .407), 2010 (58-79, .423) and 1998 (59-80, .424)... Ryan Clark is currently 2nd in the Carolina League in most losses with 13 this season. The Mudcats franchise record for losses in a season is 15 and was set by Mike Zimmerman in 1992... Braxton Davidson has set a new Carolina Mudcats franchise record for strikeouts in a season with 177 so far in 2016. Davidson passed Lee Mitchell's Mudcats record of 139 Ks (2006) in a season on 8/4. The Carolina League record for strikeouts in a season is 211 and was set by Kinston's Glenallen Hill in 1985.
SECOND HALF ROTATION: Carolina's starting rotation is just 4-25 and has combined to pitch to a 5.59 ERA since July 1. The starters have also combined to go 2-22 with a 5.83 ERA over 47 games since Ryan Clark earned his first win of the season on 7/7 vs. Salem. Matt Withrow snapped a streak of 34 straight games where the Mudcats' starters failed to earn a victory after picking up a win on 8/14 vs. Myrtle Beach. The Carolina starting rotation combined to go 16-27 with a 4.59 ERA in the first half and is 6-27 with a 5.42 ERA in the 2nd half.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH:
- Carolina is last in the league when batting with runners in scoring position (.232, 267-for-1150) this season.
- Carolina is 7th in the league when batting with RISP/2-outs in an inning (.207, 111-for-535) this season.
- The Mudcats have lost a league high 30 one-run games this season and are 14-30 in one-run games.
- This is the 26th season of Mudcats baseball at Five County Stadium and 5th for Carolina in the Carolina League.
- The Mudcats last reached the playoffs in 2008 while a member of the Southern League (Double-A, Florida Marlins).
- By affiliates: Pirates '91-'98. Rockies '99-'02. Marlins '03-'08. Reds '09-'11. Indians '12-'14. Braves '15-Present.
Carolina League Stories from August 30, 2016
- Eight-Run Eighth Dooms P-Nats in 17-10 Loss - Potomac Nationals
- Edgerton Hits Birthday Blast in 9-1 Loss to Wilmington - Carolina Mudcats
- Offensive Showcase Yields Seven-Run Win - Frederick Keys
- Stephens Continues Strikeout Barrage in 4-1 Win - Winston-Salem Dash
- Rocks Sweep Doubleheader to End Six-Game Skid - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Winston-Salem Holds Down Salem, 4-1 - Salem Red Sox
- WINSTON-SALEM DASH: Game Notes (August 30 at Salem) - Winston-Salem Dash
- Carolina Mudcats Game Information - Carolina Mudcats
- Potomac Nationals 2016 Game Notes at Frederick Keys - Potomac Nationals
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