CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, August 19 vs. Buies Creek

Published on August 19, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans host the Buies Creek Astros in Sunday 6:05 p.m. rubber game. LHP Justin Steele (1-1, 2.03 ERA) goes for the Birds against Buies Creek RHP Jose Hernandez (1-0, 2.77 ERA). Television coverage begins at 6 p.m. on The CW21 and MiLB.tv. A radio broadcast starts at 5:50 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

FIVE-RUN FOURTH LEADS ASTROS TO VICTORY

The Buies Creek Astros plated five runs in the fourth inning Saturday en route to a 6-1 victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. Seth Beer and Chuckie Robinson broke a scoreless tie with RBI singles to put Buies Creek ahead 2-0. Cody Bohanek chipped in an RBI single of his own before a Birds error brought in two more runs to get the margin to 5-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Jhonny Pereda's RBI ground out scored D.J. Wilson. In the eighth, Chuckie Robinson popped a solo home run to make the score 6-1. Myrtle Beach registered just two hits all night, and the Pelicans only left one runner stranded. Jose Paulino pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

START SPREADING THE NEWS

Over the last 15 games, Myrtle Beach starting pitchers have ceded three earned runs or less 14 times. During that span, the club's starters have pitched a total of 73.1 innings, yielding 27 earned runs on 55 hits for a 3.31 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 four runs, three earned, on 23 hits in 31.1 innings (0.86 ERA) over the last seven contests.

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL

The Birds are 9-20 (.310) over their last 29 contests. During this span, the Pelicans have been outscored 111-70, yielding at least four runs in 16 of those 29 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 29 games.

FRIENDS CLOSE, ENEMIES CLOSER

Over the Pelicans' last 24 contests, 21 have been decided by three runs or less, including a remarkable 17 by just one tally. In the 100 battles prior to this run, the Birds had played in just 20 one-run games. On the season, Myrtle Beach has played 80 games decided by no more than three runs, the second-highest total in the Carolina League. The Pelicans are 40-40 (.500) in those engagements. Eight of Myrtle Beach's last 10 contests have been decided by precisely one score, including five of their last six games.

SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY

Myrtle Beach bids for a series win in Sunday's rubber match with Buies Creek. If the Pelicans are able to come away victorious, the club would stretch their streak without a series loss to three. The last time the Birds played three sets without a loss was when they swept all nine games with Down East, Buies Creek and Potomac from June 1-10. Should Myrtle Beach lose, their overall record would plunge to 55-70, which would match the farthest the club has been below .500 this season. It would also seal the Pelicans' first non-winning season since they went 58-82 (.414) during the 2010 campaign.

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 5-11 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 continue a three-game set on Sunday with Buies Creek before heading back to Winston-Salem on Tuesday. Those four opponents are a combined 120-88 (.577) 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 .203/.272/.266 during the month to post a .538 OPS, far below their league-worst mark of .633. Over the first 16 games of August, Myrtle Beach has mustered just 18 extra-base hits. The Pelicans are also a woeful 18-for-106 (.170) during the month with runners in scoring position, plating a total of 35 runs (2.2 per game) in August.

PELICAN POINTS

Trailing Buies Creek by 12.5 games with 16 games to play, Myrtle Beach's elimination number is just three, meaning any combination of Astros wins and Birds losses adding up to three will end the Birds' playoff hopes... Pelicans starter Justin Steele took a perfect game into the fifth inning in his last outing on August 12 against Wilmington. The southpaw yielded just one hit in 5.1 innings.

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