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Myrtle Beach Pelicans Game Notes: August 27 at Potomac

August 27, 2019 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


Today, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans continue their final road trip of the season and a four-game set against the Potomac Nationals (a Washington Nationals affiliate) with the second game of the series beginning at 7:05 p.m. This evening, RHP Jeffrey Passantino (2-1, 2.10 ERA) starts for Myrtle Beach against LHP Nick Raquet (10-8, 4.13 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

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BIRDS FALL IN FOURTH STRAIGHT, DROP SERIES OPENER

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were defeated 4-1 by the Potomac Nationals on Monday from Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium. In his start, Brailyn Marquez (L, 3-1) allowed a season-high eight hits over his five innings, ceding four runs, three earned. It was his worst start in a Pelicans uniform and his first loss with the Birds. The Nationals jumped on him early in the first with three runs, highlighted by a two-run homer from Jakson Reetz. The Pelicans did not find the board until Carlos Sepulveda's RBI single in the eighth inning. Out of the bullpen, Tyler Peyton threw two shutout innings and Erling Moreno added a runless frame as well.

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 .258/.363/.448 with six home runs in the second half of the season (47 games). His second half OPS (.811) is 97 points higher than his first-half OPS (.714). Since July 4, Amaya is hitting .289/.400/.496 with 10 doubles, five home runs, 24 RBIs and 20 BB compared to 19 strikeouts in a span of 35 games. The Pelicans catcher is within one long ball 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).

LEAVING 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 (3.42), while they are last (10th) in road ERA (4.67) in the Carolina League. Their road slashline of .235/.322/.351 is also much better than home games: .220/.314/.323. The Birds hit 33 home runs at home and allowed 41 while they have hit 38 homers on the road in 10 fewer games and allowed a league-worst 49 road blasts.

THE WRONG KIND OF RECORDS

The Pelicans are on pace to set a few franchise lows in 2019. The worst record in franchise history was in 2009, when the Pelicans went 53-84. If the Birds lost their last seven games, they would tie that record. In the first half, the Pelicans set the franchise record for fewest first half wins (21), most first half losses (46) and lowest first-half winning percentage (.313). The record for fewest road wins is 25 (2010) and the Pelicans currently have 23 road wins. Offensively, the Pelicans .228 batting average is one pace to set a new franchise low (.232, 2018). The Birds are also on pace for franchise lows in hits (979), runs (522), at bats (4,301) and total bases (1,447).

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

The bullpen has been a huge key in the Birds success, having just walked 12 batters over their last 16 games. When the bullpen is on, so are the Pelicans, as they are 33-17 when the bullpen does not allow any runs. The bullpen has been dominant in general, allowing six earned runs over their last 40.1 innings (spanning their last 11 games) and over their last 15 games, the 'pen has a 1.32 ERA (7 ER over 47.2 IP).

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER?

The Pelicans are 3.5 games 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. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is four, meaning that they can go 4-4 over the next seven games and make the playoff even if the Pelicans win their next seven games. In the Pelicans miss out on the playoffs, it will be the first time the Pelicans failed to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 2009 and 2010. Fayetteville, which was Buies Creek last season, won the Mills Cup title in 2018 in a one-game, hurricane-shortened series.

THE RETURN OF THE JEDI

Luke Reynolds has been an offensive force since returning to the Pelicans. Reynolds played the first 55 games of the season with Myrtle Beach, hitting just .190/.296/.288 before being sent down to Low-A South Bend for 22 games. Since coming back to the Grand Strand, Reynolds is hitting .306/.390/.528 with five doubles, three home runs and 15 RBIs in 20 games. He has raised his average with the Birds all the way up to .223 and his OPS from .584 to .678 in those 20 games. Additionally, he has played errorless baseball at first base.

PELICAN POINTS

The Pelicans finish the season with an 11-game road trip, featuring three games against Salem (in which the Pelicans were just swept), four at Potomac and a season-finishing series at Wilmington...This is the Birds final trip to Pfitzner Stadium. In their first meeting on the road with Potomac, the Pelicans took two-of-three. The closest game in the series was a seven-run margin, with the Pelicans taking the opener 8-0, losing the second game 7-0 and beating the Nationals 11-2 in the finale.


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