CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, August 17 vs. Buies Creek

Published on August 17, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans host the Bueis Creek Astros at 7:05 p.m. to kick off a three-game series. RHP Cory Abbott (3-5, 3.31 ERA) starts for the Birds against Astros RHP Carson LaRue (6-6, 4.53). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

MYRTLE BEACH LOSES ON WALK-OFF AT POTOMAC Michael Cruz smashed a two-run home run to tie the game in the seventh inning Thursday, but Luis Garcia's walk-off single won the contest for the Potomac Nationals 3-2 over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. The P-Nats struck immediately when Bryan Mejia led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run. Potomac added another run when Garcia scored on a double play ground ball to make it 2-0 in the first. The score remained that way until the seventh, when Cruz pounded his two-run shot out to right field. In the ninth, the P-Nats loaded the bases against reliever Tyler Peyton. Garcia then poked a ball in between third and short for an infield single to win the game for the Nationals. The Birds' bullpen yielded that lone run in 8.0 frames.

FRIENDS CLOSE, ENEMIES CLOSER Over the Pelicans' last 22 contests, 20 have been decided by three runs or less, including a remarkable 16 by just one tally. On the season, Myrtle Beach has played 79 games decided by no more than three runs, the second-highest total in the Carolina League. The Pelicans are 39-40 (.494) in those engagements. The Birds have participated in nine consecutive games determined by no more than three runs, with seven of the last eight contests decided by precisely one score.

START SPREADING THE NEWS Over the last 13 games, Myrtle Beach starting pitchers have ceded three earned runs or less 12 times. During that span, the club's starters have pitched a total of 61.2 innings, yielding 24 earned runs on 48 hits for a 3.50 ERA. The Birds' bullpen has started to heat up recently as well; After posting a 6.38 ERA due to 13 runs, all earned, on 27 hits in 18.1 frames in the seven games from August 2-11, Pelicans relievers have allowed just three runs, two earned, on 15 hits in 25.0 innings (0.72 ERA) over the last five contests.

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL The Birds are 8-19 (.296) over their last 27 contests. During this span, the Pelicans have been outscored 105-68, yielding at least four runs in 15 of those 27 games. In comparison, the Birds had surrendered at least four runs in just four of their previous 17 contests. Myrtle Beach has also scored at least four runs in just eight of these last 27 games.

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD Myrtle Beach won their final three games of a 14-14 July, but the Pelicans have really struggled in the month of August. The Birds are just 4-10 in August so far, and part of the reason might just be the schedule. The club's first full series in August started at Potomac, and Myrtle Beach has also played at Winston-Salem, home against Wilmington and at Potomac again. The Pelicans will also start a three-game set on Friday with Buies Creek before heading back to Winston-Salem on Tuesday. Those four opponents are a combined 117-83 (.585) in the second half of the season.

THE DOG DAYS ARE HERE In addition to a tough schedule, the Pelicans have struggled through August because of an unproductive offense. The Birds are batting just .215/.285/.279 during the month to post a .564, far below their league-worst mark of .637. Over the first 14 games of August, Myrtle Beach has mustered just 16 extra-base hits. The Pelicans are also a woeful 18-for-98 (.184) during the month with runners in scoring position, plating a total of 33 runs (2.4 per game) in August.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO After posting a 6.23 ERA in his first three starts with Myrtle Beach, Cory Abbott has surrendered more than two earned runs in just one of his last seven starts. During that span, the San Diego native has posted a 2.33 ERA thanks to 13 runs, 10 earned, on 31 hits in 38.2 frames. A second-round pick in 2017 out of Loyola Marymount, Abbott has whiffed 37 against 12 walks over this run. Out of the 87 Carolina League pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched, Abbott ranks in the top 25 in both strikeout percentage (17th, 25.0 percent) and FIP (18th, 3.20). When opponents do put the ball in play, Abbott has suppressed hard contact by posting a 14.4 percent line drive percentage, the 10th-lowest in the circuit.

PELICAN POINTS By taking two out of three from Wilmington before splitting a series with Potomac, Myrtle Beach has avoided consecutive series losses for the first time since taking two straight sets from July 9-16 against Carolina and Down East... With 18 games remaining, the Birds trail Buies Creek by 12.5 games for the final Southern Division playoff spot.

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Carolina League Stories from August 17, 2018


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