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CarL1 Down East Wood Ducks

July 11 Game Information

July 11, 2019 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Down East Wood Ducks News Release


The Wood Ducks (12-9, 62-29) and Hillcats (11-10, 43-45) play the middle game of the three-game series, Thursday, when Down East sends lefty Sal Mendez (5-0, 2.22) to the mound to face off with fellow lefty Kirk McCarty (2-2, 4.74) for Lynchburg. It's Thirsty Thursday at Grainger Stadium, featuring $1 Busch Light and Natural Light, sponsored by Budweiser. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. and the broadcast will begin at 6:50 p.m. on 960AM The Bull, and online on 960thebull.com as well as on the MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Radio Apps. For tickets and more information visit woodducksbaseball.com or call (252) 686-5172. Complete game notes are attached.

LAST TIME OUT: Tim Brennan gave up just one earned run in five innings, while getting 10 ground ball outs to earn a win in his Carolina League Debut, 5-2 over Lynchburg. Offensively Curtis Terry tallied three hits and drove in two, while JP Martinez reached base three times and scored three runs. Franklin Rollin and Yohel Pozo also had multi-hit games. Josh Advocate retired nine of the ten men he faced out of the bullpen, and Joe Kuzia nailed down his 11th save of the season.

TERRY ON A TEAR: Curtis Terry saw his 16-game on base streak come to a close on Tuesday, but continues to hit the ball hard, sporting a 1.056 OPS since joining Down East, June 21. Within that stretch was a 12-game hit streak (19-44, .432) which came to an end on Saturday, Terry now has 19 home runs on the season combined with his time in Hickory.

MONEY IN THE BANK: Alex Eubanks was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week, Monday, becoming the seventh Wood Duck this season to garner a weekly award. In two starts on the week Eubanks combined to work 11 scoreless innings, giving up just four hits, and collecting a pair of victories. Since joining the starting rotation, Eubanks has worked to 4-1 record with just a 0.87 ERA. He has not allowed an earned run in five of his six starts.

GOING STREAKING: DIOSBEL ARIAS saw his 30-game on base streak come to a close Tuesday, going 0-1 in a pinch hitting appearance. Throughout the streak (5/27-7/1) Arias batted .340 and reached base at a .466 clip. He also worked 23 walks over the 30 games. The streak is the longest for a Wood Duck this year, and third longest on the year in the Carolina league. Only Nolan Jones (LYN, 34) and Zach Remillard (WS, 31) have had longer on-base streaks this year.

MARTINEZ MASHING: JP Martinez has picked it up at the plate since the start of June, raising his batting average from .163 to .230, and his OPS from .536 to .715, hitting six home runs over his last 33 games. The out-fielder has now hit safely in 18 of his last 25 games, including his ninth home run with the Woodies (10th overall), Monday against the Pelicans.

A HALF FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS: The Down East Wood Ducks became just the sixth team in Carolina League history to finish a half with a winning percentage of .700 or better, while their 50 wins are the second most in any half in league history:

1. 1980 Peninsula (1st) 51-19 .729

2. 2019 DOWN EAST (1st) 50-20 .714

T3. 1982 Peninsula (2nd) 49-20 .710

T3. 1983 Lynchburg (1st) 49-20 .710

5. 1994 Wilmington (1st) 48-20 .706

6. 1980 Peninsula (2nd) 49-21 .700

LEFT STRANDED: Since the calendar flipped to July, the Wood Ducks have had difficulty plating runners in scoring plating runners in scoring position, going just 18-84 (.214) and stranding 69 runners on base in their last ten games. Overall this season the Wood Ducks are batting just .241 with runners in scoring position, and that number slips to .232 in two-out situations.

NO RUNS FOR YOU!: The Wood Ducks 2-0 shutout win over the Pelicans, Sunday was their 15th on the season, which is tied for the most in all of minor league baseball with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League. Down East's team ERA of 2.66 is also the best in MiLB with only five teams sporting a mark below 3.00.

CUP OF JOE: Joe Kuzia has been tremendous out of the bullpen for the Wood Ducks since joining the club May 9. He has converted all 11 save opportunities in addition to picking up a trio of wins in relief. Kuzia put together a 19-inning scoreless streak from 5/19-6/26. Overall this season he boasts an ERA of 0.59 and a WHIP of 0.96.

FANTASTIC FIRSTS: The Wood Ducks have jumped out in front early and often this year, outscoring opponents 53-21 in the first inning of play. The Wood Ducks have scored first in 59 of their 91 game this season, go-ing 48-11 (.814). Down East has scored first in 28 of their last 40 games.

THE FUTURE IS HERE: Sam Huff clubbed a game-tying home run in the seventh inning of the SiriusXM Futures Game on Sunday to take home MVP honors. Huff becomes the second Ranger all-time to take home the award, joining Joey Gallo (2014).

ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTH: It hasn't just been the Wood Ducks who have performed well this season, the Rangers organization as a whole has been among the best

1. Tampa Bay Rays 273-196 .582

2. Pittsburgh Pirates 263-200 .568

3. TEXAS RANGERS 257-197 .566

SHOWTIME: Former Wood Duck Pedro Payano made his Major League debut for the Rangers, June 6, becoming the eighth Wood Ducks to make it to The Show. Payano delivered a scoreless sixth inning against the Twins. He joins Ricardo Rodriguez, Jeffrey Springs, C.D. Pelham, and Brett Martin, Joe Palumbo, Pete Fairbanks, and Locke St. John. Down East has also had a player go from Adv.-A to the majors in one year in each of the three seasons (Rodriguez-'17, Pelham-'18, Fairbanks-'19).

RAGS AT THE HELM: Corey Ragsdale takes over as skipper for the Wood Ducks in 2019. Ragsdale will remain the Rangers Minor League Field Coordinator, while assuming a managerial seat for the first time since 2015, when he led the Hickory Crawdads to a South Atlantic League Championship, the second of his career.




Carolina League Stories from July 11, 2019


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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