CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Game Notes: August 21 vs. Carolina

Published on August 21, 2019 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


Today, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans continue their final home series of the season, a three-game set against the Carolina Mudcats (a Milwaukee Brewers affiliate) with the middle game of the series beginning at 7:05 p.m. This evening, RHP Jeffrey Passantino (1-1, 2.16 ERA) starts for Myrtle Beach against RHP Matt Smith (4-10, 3.51 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

--

PELICANS USE SIX-RUN FIRST TO DOWN MUDDIES

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans plated six runs in the first inning on Tuesday on their way to a 6-2 win over the Carolina Mudcats from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. In the first, Grant Fennell started the scoring with an RBI single before Luke Reynolds hit a two-run single up the middle to make it 3-0. Aramis Ademan then cashed in with a two-run double and Kevonte Mitchell capped the frame with an RBI single of his own to give the Birds a 6-0 lead. The Mudcats put up a run in the fourth and another in the seventh, but it was not enough in a 6-2 win for Myrtle Beach. Brailyn Marquez (W, 3-0) was brilliant again in his third start for the Pelicans, tossing 5.1 innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts and just one walk. Out of the bullpen, Manny Rodriguez fired a pair of scoreless innings in the victory.

MY OH AMAYA

Miguel Amaya has been a hot hitter for the Pelicans over the last couple months. After hitting just .217/.353/.361 with five homers in the first half of the season (49 games), he is hitting a strong .268/.384/.465 with five home runs in the second half of the season (42 games). His second half OPS (.849) is 135 points higher than his first-half OPS (.714). Since July 4, Amaya is hitting .310/.435/.530 with 10 doubles, four home runs, 23 RBIs and 20 BB compared to 16 strikeouts in a span of 30 games. The Pelicans catcher is within two long balls of his career-best 12 he hit with Low-A South Bend in 2018. In 2018, his second-half OPS (.634) was much lower than his first half mark (.865). Defensively, Amaya also has the MiLB lead with caught-stealings (45).

BACK IN THE FRIENDLY CONFINES

Inside the pitcher-friendly TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark, the Birds have been an entirely different team than when they are on the road. At home, the Pelicans own the third-best ERA in the league (3.48), while they are last (10th) in road ERA (4.78) in the Carolina League. Their road slashline of .238/.326/.356 is also much better than home games: .220/.313/.322. The Birds have hit 32 home runs at home and allowed 41 while they have hit 36 homers on the road in 12 fewer games and allowed a league-worst 47 road blasts.

WHEN THE RED SIGN IS FLASHING, DO NOT WALK

The Pelicans pitching staff has not given up many free passes over the last few games. As a team, Myrtle Beach arms have just walked 15 batters over their last 10 games (1.5 per game) and have not walked a single batter four times in that span. On the year, when walking three or fewer, the Birds are 41-41, much better than their overall record of 51-73.

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

Another key has been the bullpen, which has just walked eight batters over their last 10 games. When the bullpen is on, so are the Pelicans, as they are 31-16 when the bullpen does not allow any runs. The bullpen has been dominant in general, allowing one run over their last 16.2 innings (spanning their last five games) and over their last nine games, the 'pen has a 0.75 ERA (2 ER over 24 IP). Ethan Roberts has thrown 17.2 consecutive-scoreless innings out of the backend of the bullpen. Over that stretch, he has whiffed 18 batters and only walked one. Opponents are just hitting .197 against him while he owns a 0.78 WHIP in those games.

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER?

The Pelicans are one game back of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers for second place in the Southern Division as of Tuesday. If the season were to end today, the Woodpeckers would be in the playoffs and they also hold the head-to-head lead over the Pelicans. Winston-Salem is 1.5 games back of the Pelicans and 2.5 back of the Woodpeckers. The Pelicans have captured the season series against the Dash while Winston-Salem lost the season series with Fayetteville. Fayetteville, which was Buies Creek last season, won the Mills Cup title in 2018 in a one-game, hurricane-shortened series.

HEAD-TO-HEAD AGAINST CAROLINA

The Pelicans have taken seven of the 13 meetings against the Mudcats this season. The Pelicans have hit just three home runs over the 13 games while Carolina has bashed 11 long balls. Mario Feliciano alone has hit five home runs against Pelicans pitching while hitting .432/.457/.864 over 11 games with 13 RBIs. On the Pelicans side, Aramis Ademan is hitting .500 (13-for-26) against the Mudcats and Grant Fennell has hit .385 (10-for-26) in his seven games.

PELICAN POINTS

The Pelicans only have two home games left on the season. They will finish the season with an 11-game road trip, featuring three games against Salem, four at Potomac and a season-finishing series at Wilmington...The Pelicans are second in the league in walks draw (459) and Cam Balego is fourth in the circuit with 55 on the season while he leads the league with 36 second-half free passes drawn. Among those who have played at least 51 games in the second half, he leads the CL with a .416 OBP.

Check out the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Carolina League Stories from August 21, 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.

OurSports Central