CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, August 25 at Down East

August 25, 2018 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans play a 6 p.m. contest at the Down East Wood Ducks. LHP Bryan Hudson (6-10, 4.43 ERA) takes on Down East RHP Jason Bahr (1-3, 5.61 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

WOODIES WIN ON WALK-OFF OVER PELICANS

An error brought in the winning run in the 10th inning for the Down East Wood Ducks Friday in a 2-1 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans from Grainger Stadium. Both clubs were scoreless until the eighth inning, when Anderson Tejeda smashed a solo home run. In the ninth, Christian Donahue blasted a solo shot of his own to tie the game. However, Myrtle Beach could not score in their half of the 10th. In the bottom of the frame, Alex Kowalczyk started on second base. Leody Taveras laid down a bunt, but a Birds error scored Kowalczyk for the walk-off win. Cory Abbott struck out eight over five shutout innings in his start. The right-hander yielded only four hits. The Pelicans went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

START SPREADING THE NEWS

Over the last 21 games, Myrtle Beach starting pitchers have ceded three earned runs or less 20 times. During that span, the club's starters have pitched a total of 101.0 innings, yielding 35 earned runs on 77 hits for a 3.12 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 13 runs, 10 earned, on 39 hits in 50.2 innings (1.78 ERA) over the last 12 contests.

BATS OF WET NEWSPAPER

During the month of August, the Birds are batting just .209/.289/.279 to post a .568 OPS, far below their league-worst mark on the season of .635. Over the first 22 games of August, Myrtle Beach has mustered just 27 extra-base hits. The Pelicans are also a woeful 32-for-166 (.193) during the month with runners in scoring position, plating a total of 59 runs (2.7 per game) in August.

KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSE

Over the Pelicans' last 30 contests, 26 have been decided by three runs or less, including a remarkable 21 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 85 games decided by no more than three runs, tied for highest total in the Carolina League. The Pelicans began the year 10-3 (.769) in one-run contests, but have gone 8-20 (.286) in those engagements ever since.

HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL

Myrtle Beach left-hander Bryan Hudson entered his start on July 1 with a rough 5.83 ERA. In the seven starts since that point, the Godfrey, Ill., native has surrendered just 19 runs, 13 earned, on 31 hits in 45.0 innings for a 2.60 ERA, dropping his season mark to 4.43. Among Carolina League pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched this season, Hudson has the highest ground ball rate at 55.5 percent. In fact, no one else in the circuit is even above 50.0 percent. The southpaw's fly ball rate of 26.6 percent is the second-lowest in the league, while his line drive rate of 17.9 percent places the seventh-best.

YOU HAD ME AT ALOHA

A native of Mililani, Hawaii, Christian Donahue collected just a pair of home runs in 83 games this season between Low-A South Bend (80 contests) and Triple-A Iowa (three contests). After a game-tying blast in the ninth inning on Friday, the former Oregon State Beaver has now crushed two in his first three starts with Myrtle Beach. Thanks to four walks through these three games, Donahue has reached base in seven of his 11 plate appearances (.636 OBP) thus far with the Pelicans.

SOME SERIES OF FORTUNATE EVENTS

Myrtle Beach entered their series on August 10 against Wilmington on a seven-game losing streak for the first time since 2013. The club had suffered consecutive sweeps, but the Pelicans were able to take two out of three games from Wilmington. The Birds have followed that up with a series split at Potomac, a set win against Buies Creek and another split, this time at Winston-Salem. Thus, Myrtle Beach has stretched their run without a series loss to four, their longest roll without a set defeat since a season-best six straight from May 21-June 10. The Pelicans will have to win their final two games at Down East to extend their current run to five.

PELICAN POINTS

The Birds have hit just 53 home runs this season, and the club is on pace for just 57 long balls this year. That mark would be the lowest in club history (64 homers, 2013)... Myrtle Beach has made an error in eight of their last 10 games, including four straight.

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Carolina League Stories from August 25, 2018


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