CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, June 10 vs. Salem

Published on June 10, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans vie for a sweep of the Salem Red Sox in Sunday's 6:05 p.m. contest from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. RHP Erick Leal (0-0, 0.00 ERA) pitches for the Birds against Salem LHP Darwinzon Hernandez (3-2, 4.68 ERA). Television coverage begins at 6 p.m. on The CW21 and MiLB.tv. A radio broadcast starts at 5:50 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.

MITCHELL HELPS BIRDS ROLL BY SALEM 10-3

Kevonte Mitchell lashed three extra-base hits Saturday, including a home run, and the Pelicans crushed the Salem Red Sox 10-3. Salem scored the game's first run in their first at-bats, but the Birds knotted to score on Luis Ayala's RBI single in the second. After the Pelicans took the lead in the third, Mitchell clubbed a two-run home run to make it 4-1 in the fourth. Myrtle Beach then plated four in the sixth inning, courtesy of RBI singles from Andruw Monasterio and Wladimir Galindo, as well as a two-run double by P.J. Higgins. After the Red Sox scored two in the seventh, Galindo's two-run single put the Birds up 10-3.

EIGHT DAYS A WEEK

Myrtle Beach dropped Salem 10-3 on Saturday, sealing the club's first eight-game winning streak since August 21-30, 2016. The Pelicans also clinched their sixth consecutive series win, something the club hadn't accomplished since taking six straight sets from August 4-23, 2015. In the process of this hot streak, the Birds, who have won 14 of 16 overall, have whittled their Southern Division deficit to just 2.5 games, the closest the club has been to first place since they were 2.0 games out on April 8, the fourth day of the season. A win in Sunday's series finale would net Myrtle Beach its first nine-game winning streak since taking 10 in a row from July 30-August 9, 2016, and also mark the first time in recorded club history (through the 2005 season) that the Birds have swept three consecutive series.

AIR BUD

Pelicans outfielder Kevonte Mitchell missed eight games from May 25-June 3 on the disabled list with a left knee injury. Since coming back, the Kennett, Mo., native has crushed six extra-base hits (five doubles, one home run) in five games, batting 8-for-19 (.421). After hitting .245/.316/.397 (101 wRC+) with Low-A South Bend last season, Mitchell has raised his batting line to .274/.325/.415 (104 wRC+) with Myrtle Beach. Trying to tap into his large frame, the 22-year-old has also made a concentrated effort to hit the ball in the air more in 2018. Mitchell has dropped his ground ball rate from 45.2 percent last season to 39.4 percent this year. Both his line drive (17.0 percent to 20.2 percent) and fly ball (37.8 percent to 40.4 percent) rates have risen this season.

CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN'T LOSE

The Pelicans have rattled off eight straight wins and 14 of 16 entering play on Sunday. The Birds have outscored their opponents 73-34 over this 16-game stretch, an average of 4.6-2.1 per game. Since this run began on May 23, the 34 runs Myrtle Beach has allowed are the fewest in all of full-season Minor League Baseball. In fact, the next closest team is Bowling Green (Low-A, Rays), which has surrendered 41 tallies. The Pelicans' 1.70 ERA during this stretch is nearly a half-run better than that of the second-place Hot Rods (2.15). The Birds have not given up more than four runs in a game since May 22.

DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS

Over the first 28 games of the season, Myrtle Beach's defense struggled, turning just 63.9 percent of balls put into play by opponents into outs. However, in the Pelicans' last 33 games, the club has posted a defensive efficiency of 73.2 percent (1,050 AB, 261 K, 228 H, 20 HR, 8 SF). To put that in perspective, the Cubs lead Major League Baseball this season in defensive efficiency at 73.9 percent.

NOTHING BUT THE BEST

Over the last 16 games, Myrtle Beach has seen their starting pitching catch fire, with the club's rotation ceding just 19 runs, 17 earned, on 88 hits in 94.0 innings for a 1.63 ERA. Pelicans starters have whiffed 82 while walking only 19 during this stretch. Meanwhile the Birds' bullpen has been thriving for even longer. Over the past 39 contests dating back to April 28, Pelicans relievers have posted 2.04 ERA thanks to 44 runs, 30 earned, on 104 hits (7.1 H/9) in 132.1 innings. Myrtle Beach's relief pitchers have also whiffed 134 (9.1 K/9) over this span.

PELICAN POINTS

Over his last 11 games, Wladimir Galindo is batting 15-for-41 (.366/.480/.561) with five doubles, one homer, 13 RBIs, eight walks and one HBP. Galindo's line drive rate has increased from 16.9 percent last season to 24.1 percent this year... Thanks to their win and Down East loss on Saturday, Myrtle Beach owns sole possession of third place for the first time in 2018. The 10 runs the Birds plated Saturday was their most since plating 10 in game two of a doubleheader on May 16 at Wilmington, a span of 22 contests.

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