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Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, July 19 vs. Potomac

July 19, 2018 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans host the Potomac Nationals in Thursday's 7:05 p.m. contest from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. RHP Rollie Lacy (1-0, 1.69 ERA) starts for the Birds against P-Nats RHP Joan Baez (4-8, 4.87 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

SIX-GAME WINNING STREAK ENDS WITH 5-1 LOSS

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans' six-game winning streak came to an end with Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Potomac Nationals. Three batters into the game, the P-Nats took a 2-0 lead when Bryan Mejia scored on a wild pitch and Ian Sagdal notched an RBI ground out. Potomac added a run in the fourth inning when Jakson Reetz scored on a double play ground ball. Meanwhile, the Birds finally got on the board in the fifth inning thanks to Aramis Ademan's two-out RBI single. However, the Nationals responded immediately when Jack Sundberg homered in the sixth inning to make it a three-run game. Luis Garcia registered an RBI single in the eighth inning to get the tally to 5-1 in favor of Potomac. The P-Nats compiled 15 hits in their series-opening win.

DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS

Heading into play on May 24, Myrtle Beach ranked seventh in the Carolina League in team ERA at 4.50. However, the Birds' FIP, an ERA estimator based on factors most within a pitcher's control like strikeouts, walks and home runs, was more than a run better at 3.44. That, along with the club's .322 batting average on balls in play, which was far above .300 baseball-wide average, indicated some positive future regression towards the mean. Sure enough, in the 51 games since that point, the Pelicans' ERA has come plunging down towards its FIP, with the figures currently at 3.61 and 3.24, respectively. The Birds' defense has played a huge factor in this, along with simply larger sample sizes and better luck. Over these last 51 games, Myrtle Beach is yielded just a .281 BABIP (1,592 AB, 359 H, 21 HR, 385 K, 15 SF). To put that in perspective, Tampa Bay leads Major League Baseball this season in BABIP allowed at .272.

CONNECT FOUR

Thanks to a staff that ranks at or near the top of the Carolina League in nearly every single pitching category, the Pelicans do not necessarily need to score a plethora of runs to win games. Sure enough, when Myrtle Beach plates at least four tallies in a game, the Birds have a 35-9 (.795) record. This success has been exemplified of late; In the 71 games since May 11, the Pelicans have pitched well, posting a collective 3.24 ERA (527.1 IP, 441 H, 7.5 H/9, 223 R, 190 ER). Myrtle Beach has scored at least four runs in 27 of those contests, and the Birds are 25-2 (.926) in those games.

BATS UNBROKEN

Myrtle Beach has rattled off wins in six of their last seven games, outscoring their opponents 36-16 over this span. The club's recent success can partially be attributed to a resurgent offense. As a team over the last seven games, the Pelicans are hitting .276/.366/.372 (239 AB, 66 H, 8 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 28 BB, 6 HBP). Before this six-game run, the Birds were batting just .234/.311/.327 for the season.

START SPREADING THE NEWS

Though Erich Uelmen surrendered four runs in 5.2 innings on Wednesday, Myrtle Beach has still received extremely strong starting pitching of late. Over the last 18 games, Pelicans starters have worked 91.1 innings, yielding only 25 runs, 24 earned, on 71 hits (7.0 H/9) for a 2.36 ERA (81 K, 36 BB). In the seven games prior to this run, Myrtle Beach starters had posted an ugly 7.62 ERA thanks to 27 runs, 24 earned, on 39 hits (12.4 H/9) in 28.1 innings (30 K, 13 BB).

BETTER TO BE LUCKY THAN GOOD?

The Pelicans have posted an 11-6 record since June 30, with all but two of their losses coming against Buies Creek. However, it appears the Birds have been fortunate with the way the schedule has panned out over these last 17 games. Myrtle Beach's three most recent opponents, Potomac, Carolina and Down East, have combined to go 33-45 (.423) in the second half of the season, posting a combined run differential of -36. Following their three-game set with the P-Nats, Myrtle Beach's schedule strengthens considerably; Winston-Salem, Carolina and Lynchburg, the Birds' next three opponents after Potomac, are a combined 46-31 (.597) in the second half. The Dash, Mudcats and Hillcats have collectively posted a second-half run differential of +73.

PELICAN POINTS

Over the last eight games, Myrtle Beach's bullpen has yielded five runs, three earned, on 22 hits in 30.0 innings for a 0.90 ERA. Pelicans relievers have struck out 25 against eight walks during that span... Jared Young has collected hits in six consecutive games, a streak in which he is 8-for-23 (.348) with a home run and three RBIs... Roberto Caro has notched at least one hit in eight of his last nine contests, slashing .433/.485/.500 over this run.

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Carolina League Stories from July 19, 2018


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