CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Erlin's Effort Wasted In 2-1 Friday Loss

Published on May 6, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


SALEM, VA - Robbie Erlin retired 21 of the 22 batters he faced over seven innings Friday night at Salem Memorial Ballpark, but the one he didn't was enough to send him to a loss.

Salem's Peter Hissey hit a one-out solo home run in the bottom half of the first inning, and despite Erlin retiring the next 20 men he faced in order, the Red Sox added one against Pelicans reliever Chad Bell in the eighth and withstood a Myrtle Beach rally in the ninth for a 2-1 victory and at least a series split of four big early May games in the Carolina League Southern Division race.

The story from Friday night, even in the loss, was Erlin. The Pelicans lefty literally made one mistake on his offering to Hissey, and aside from that, he was unhittable. Erlin retired every single batter he faced following the homer from Dan Butler's 5-3 groundout immediately after Hissey to Rodriguez's same same-styled out to conclude the seventh. Twenty men up, twenty down against Erlin (2-1) who struck out eight over his seven innings and did not issue a walk. The reigning Carolina League Pitcher of the Week lowered his ERA from 2.48 to 2.25 while still absorbing the defeat.

Aside from the homer, the reason for Erlin's one in the loss column is a Pelicans offense that could never break through despite out-hitting the Red Sox 8-3 thanks to Salem starter Chris Hernandez and reliever Mitch Herold. Hernandez allowed four hits and walked a man in his six innings of work but wriggled out of trouble, stranding single Myrtle Beach runners in the third, fourth, and sixth. Hernandez (3-1) struck out four before yielding to the bullpen and Herold for the seventh and eighth. The Pelicans ripped back-to-back singles against the lefty reliever in the eighth but left two aboard and looked to be headed to a frustrating shutout defeat a night after falling 4-3 on a walk-off infield single in the tenth.

Salem picked up an insurance run against Pelicans reliever Chad Bell in the eighth when Shannon Wilkerson doubled to open the inning and scored on a bloop to shallow right field over a drawn-in infield by Michael Almanzar two batters later. That made it 2-0 for the Red Sox with three outs to get and the Carolina League saves leader coming in from the bullpen.

The Pelicans didn't make it easy for Cesar Cabral with three of their first four men reaching in the inning and Jared Prince driving home Mitch Hilligoss to cut the lead to 2-1. With two outs, the tying run at third base, and the go-ahead at first, however, Cabral (S, 7) induced a grounder to shortstop from Santiago Chirino for the game's final out. Salem moved its division lead to three games ahead of the Pelicans in the Carolina League Southern. The Pelicans left seven men on base as a team. Salem left one in its final offensive inning.

With two losses in the first two games of this series, the Pelicans need to take the next two just to remain at the one-game deficit behind the Sox with which they entered this series. Saturday night at 6:05, Myrtle Beach sends righty Barret Loux (2-1, 2.88) against Red Sox left-hander Drake Britton (0-2, 9.00) for the third game of this four-game set.

Following this seven-game road trip, the Birds return home to the Grand Strand for the first of six with the Kinston Indians and Lynchburg Hillcats on May 10. Tickets for all Pelicans home games can be purchased by visiting the BB&T Coastal Field Box office, the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, or by calling (843)918-6000 or (877)918-TIXX.

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Carolina League Stories from May 6, 2011


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