CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Game Notes: July 28 at Salem

Published on July 28, 2019 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


Today, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans conclude a three-game set against the Salem Red Sox (a Boston Red Sox affiliate) with the finale beginning at 2:05 p.m. This evening, RHP Erich Uelmen (3-2, 3.11 ERA) starts for the Birds against RHP Dylan Thompson (3-7, 6.08 ERA). Coverage begins at 1:50 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

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SALEM FIGHTS BACK TO TAKE CONTEST FROM BIRDS

Pedro Castellanos bashed a pair of home runs for the Salem Red Sox in their 7-5 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Saturday from Haley Toyota Field. The Pelicans struck first with RBI singles from Miguel Amaya and Grant Fennell combined with Tyler Durna scoring on an error as well to make it 3-0 in the first inning. Castellanos blasted a two-run home in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-2, but the Pelicans added on with another run in the top of the second to take a 4-2 lead. A pair of Pelicans errors that plated runs made it 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth and Castellanos hit a three-run home run in the fourth to stake the Red Sox to a 7-4 advantage. Cam Balego scored Delvin Zinn in the eighth with an RBI double, but it was not enough. Enrique De Los Rios and Ryan Lawlor combined for four shutout innings out of the bullpen for the Pelicans in the loss.

ERICH THE GREAT

Today's starter, Erich Uelmen, has been brilliant in the second half of the season for the Pelicans. In his six second-half starts, Uelmen is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA. In 33.1 innings, he has whiffed 33 while just walking 12. Over his last five starts, Uelmen is 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA, holding opponents to a .212 batting average. The new MLB.com Top-30 prospect rankings were released last week and Uelmen entered the Cubs Top 30, placing at No. 26.

BECKY, LOOK AT THAT OFFENSE

The Pelicans and Red Sox have had a lot of offense in their head-to-head meetings this season. In the 11 games, in which the Birds are 4-7, Myrtle Beach is hitting .276/.347/.398 against the Sox. Grant Fennell leads the way with a .405 (17-for-42) average in all 11 games and the Pelicans have seven players who have hit over .300 on the season against Salem. On the other side, Salem is hitting .286/.361/.371 against the Pelicans. After not hitting a single home run over the first nine games, they have bashed three home runs in the last two contests. Victor Acosta (.400), Ryan Fitzgerald (.350) and Pedro Castellanos (.341) have all played 11 games against the Pelicans have dominated offensively. Eight Red Sox are hitting over .300 against Myrtle Beach.

LET'S CHECK IN ON THAT IMPROVEMENT

After a tough first half in which the Pelicans finished a franchise-worst 21-46, the Pelicans have turned things around in the second half of the season. In the first half offensively, the Pelicans were ninth out of 10 teams in the Carolina League in batting average (.220), runs per game (3.6), and OPS (.635) while placing eighth in home runs (33). In the second half, the Birds are seventh in average (.239), third in runs per game (4.1), sixth in OPS (.683) and third in home runs (23). From the mound, in the first half, Myrtle Beach was eighth in ERA (4.49) and WHIP (1.42) while, in the second half, they are fifth in ERA (3.48) and third in WHIP (1.20).

I CAN GRANT YOU THREE WISHES...

Grant Fennell became the first Pelican this season to collect multiple hits in four-straight games, doing so from July 17-21. In addition to that, has been hot, batting .429 (15-for-35)/.474/.543 with four doubles, seven RBIs, three walks and five runs scored over his last 10 games. Over that span, he raised his average from .215 to .249 and his OPS from .622 to .684. The former undrafted free agent is hitting .319/.388/.444 after the All-Star Break and has crushed the ball away from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark to the tune of a .855 OPS as opposed to a .503 OPS at home. That home OPS includes going 5-for-11 on the most recent homestand.

SEPULVEDA AMONG THE ELITE

Pelicans second baseman Carlos Sepulveda has been one of the best defensive players in the Carolina League this season. Over 287 total chances, Sepulveda has just committed one error. Among Carolina Leaguers in any position who have played at least 60 games, Sepulveda's .996 fielding percentage leads the league. He is one of two everyday second basemen in Minor League Baseball to have committed just one error and he leads all Carolina League second basemen with 47 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 .284 with an .865 OPS in 34 games, but his most impressive stats have come over his last 17 games. During that stretch, he is hitting .306/.514/.469 with a double, two home runs, seven RBIs and 10 runs scored. The third baseman has walked 19 times and struck out just six times in those 17 contests. He only has four strikeouts over his last 15 games as well and has walked multiple times in six different games.

PELICAN POINTS

Myrtle Beach ends a stretch of 12 games in a row without a day off today. This starts a stretch of four-straight Mondays that the Birds will have as off days.

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Carolina League Stories from July 28, 2019


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