CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Game Notes: August 4 at Fayetteville

Published on August 4, 2019 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


Today, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans finish a three-game set against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (a Houston Astros affiliate) with the final game beginning at 6:00 p.m. This evening, RHP Alexander Vargas (2-3, 4.58 ERA) starts for the Birds against RHP Cody Deason (1-2, 4.32 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

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SEPULVEDA PLAYS HERO, BIRDS DROP WOODPECKERS

Carlos Sepulveda slashed a go-ahead, ninth inning RBI single for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to beat the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 4-3 on Saturday from Segra Stadium. After Luke Reynolds singled in the ninth inning and moved to second on a wild pitch, he was pinch run for by Jose Gutierrez. Gutierrez scored on the Sepulveda single, giving the Birds the 4-3 advantage. Ethan Roberts then struck out the side to save his second game for the Pelicans. Reynolds had a monster game for the Birds, going 2-for-3 with a solo homer and a walk.

THE ARTIS FORMERLY KNOW AS DARRYL

In just his fourth game with the Pelicans, D.J. Artis tied a franchise record with a five-hit game on Friday. He became the 10th player in franchise history to collect five hits in a single game and the second this season, joining Zach Davis, who accomplished the feat on June 27 in Fayetteville as well. Interestingly enough, both players' fifth hit was an infield single. It was the first time in his baseball career, including high school and college, that Artis had a five-hit game. Making the night even more special, the Greensboro native had his mother and two siblings in attendance. It was the first time they had seen him play since he was drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 draft by the Cubs.

WELCOME BACK TO THE BEACH

Luke Reynolds has hit well in his first two games back in Myrtle Beach after playing in 22 games with Low-A South Bend. In his first 55 games of the season with the Pelicans, Reynolds hit just .190/.296/.288 and was sent down to South Bend. There, he slashed .260/.360/.390 and finished off his last six games by hitting .391 (9-for-23). He carried that success into his first two games with the Pelicans since his return, going 4-for-8 with a double, a home run, two RBIs, two runs and a walk. The infielder is in his first full season in professional baseball after being drafted in the 10th round by the Cubs in 2018.

DON'T CRY BECAUSE IT IS OVER, SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED

The Chicago Cubs were busy at the trade deadline on Wednesday and there were two moves that directly impacted the Pelicans. Right-handed pitchers Alex Lange and Paul Richan were sent to Detroit in exchange for right fielder Nick Castellanos. Lange pitched with the Pelicans in 2018 and started this season in Myrtle Beach, but had been brilliant in Double-A Tennessee with a 3.92 ERA over seven starts with the Smokies. Richan was a Mid-Season All-Star in the Carolina League and went 10-5 with a 3.97 ERA over 17 starts with the Birds. The other deal that took from Myrtle Beach was outfielder Jimmy Herron, who was traded to the Colorado Rockies for International Signing Bonus Pool Allotment. Herron hit .220/.320/.336 over 92 games with the Birds.

GALINDO THE GREAT

Infielder Wladimir Galindo has been productive offensively for the Pelicans recently. After going 1-for-5 with a single and a run scored on Friday, Galindo is now hitting .291 over his last 16 games with a .757 OPS. Last season, Galindo hit just .216 with a .589 OPS in 114 games. In 2017 with Low-A South Bend, the Venezuelan hit .290 with a .782 OPS before a broken leg cut his season short.

SEPULVEDA AMONG THE ELITE

Pelicans second baseman Carlos Sepulveda has been one of the best defensive players in the Carolina League this season. Over 296 total chances, Sepulveda has just committed one error. Among Carolina Leaguers in any position who have played at least 60 games, Sepulveda's .997 fielding percentage leads the league. He is the only everyday second basemen in Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball to have committed just one error and he leads all Carolina League second basemen with 49 double plays turned. The 22-year-old missed part of 2017 and all of the 2018 season with a shoulder injury before returning to the diamond in 2019.

WOULD YOU PLEASE LEGGO MY BALEGO

Cam Balego has been a hot hitter for the Pelicans in the second half of the season. Since the break, he is hitting .274 with an .838 OPS in 41 games. On Saturday, the third baseman snapped a 15-game on-base streak with an 0-for-4 day. During that stretch, he was hitting .295/.500/.364 (.864 OPS). He has walked 16 times in the 15 games while striking out just seven times. The 15-game on-base streak was the longest such streak on the season for the Birds.

PELICAN POINTS

The Birds lead the Carolina League with 405 walks on the season. Cam Balego leads the team and is seventh in the league with 47 walks this season. Since July 9, Balego's 25 walks in 23 games is nine more than the next-closest player (Brice Turang of Carolina, 16) in the Carolina League and he leads MiLB over that span in walks. His .484 OBP during that stretch is also tops in the league by .055 (Sam Huff of Down East, .429)...The Birds are tied with Fayetteville for second place in the Southern Division. Because Fayetteville owns the head-to-head lead over the Birds, they are one game out of a playoff spot.

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