CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, June 15 vs. Carolina

Published on June 15, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans host the Carolina Mudcats in Friday's 7:05 p.m. game from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. RHP Tyson Miller (6-4, 3.38 ERA) starts for the Birds against Muddies RHP Victor Diaz (2-4, 4.61 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.

MYRTLE BEACH FALLS DESPITE THOMPSON'S GEM

Pelicans starter Keegan Thompson pitched seven perfect innings on Thursday, but a four-run Carolia eighth propelled the Mudcats to a 4-1 win over Myrtle Beach. Thompson struck out eight over his seven flawless innings, but once he was pulled from the game, the Muddies were able to take control of the contest. Ryan Aguilar laced a three-run triple to put Carolina in front in the eighth before Rob Henry followed with an RBI single to make it 4-1. The Pelicans went down in order in the ninth as Luke Barker picked up his fourth save. Myrtle Beach initially opened up the scoring in the second inning, when Luis Ayala registered an RBI single. However, the Birds mustered just one other hit for the remainder of the game in their 4-1 loss - the club's fourth defeat in a row.

MY HEART'S A MONASTERIO...

Myrtle Beach infielder Andruw Monasterio has reached base multiple times in seven straight contests during his eight-game on-base streak. Over these last eight contests, the Caracas, Venezuela native is 12-for-33 (.364) with one home run, five RBIs and four walks. After slashing just .241/.313/.287 (75 wRC+) in a brief stint at the High-A level last year, Monasterio is hitting .263/.356/.333 (102 wRC+) this season. Part of his success is a better approach at the plate; after walking in 5.2 percent of his plate appearances in 2016 and 8.3 percent last season, Monasterio is posting a career-best 11.8 percent walk rate in 2018.

...IT BEATS FOR YOU SO LISTEN CLOSE

Under first-year hitting coach Ty Wright, the Pelicans have emphasized contact in 2018. Myrtle Beach has struck out 515 times this year, the fourth-fewest in the Carolina League. There are several underlying numbers that back that up as well. Four of the circuit's lowest 13 swinging-strike rates have been posted by Pelicans, the most of any team in the league. Andruw Monasterio is third in the league by swinging-and-missing just 5.9 percent of the time. Pelicans catchers P.J. Higgins and Jhonny Pereda place eighth and ninth at 7.4 and 8.0 percent, respectively. Austin Upshaw's 8.9 swinging-strike percentage rounds out the circuit's top 13. Only one Pelican (Wladimir Galindo, 14.8 percent, 15th-highest) ranks near the bottom of the league in swinging-strike rate.

PITCH PERFECT

Pelicans starter Keegan Thompson was literally flawless in his Thursday start against Carolina. The right-hander went seven perfect innings before getting taken out of the game after 84 pitches - just six shy of his limit for a game set by the Chicago Cubs' organization. Following his removal from the game, the Mudcats broke up the perfect game in the eighth inning, marking the second time in three years that the Birds have had a no-hitter or perfect game broken up in the eighth inning (Trevor Clifton, August 3, 2016 at Frederick). Dating back to his start against Carolina on May 26, Thompson has now retired 37 Mudcats in a row. Over his last 10 outings, the right-hander has pitched to a 2.31 ERA in 58.1 innings. (35 H, 17 R, 15 ER, 54 K, 12 BB)

START ME UP

Over the last 21 games, Myrtle Beach has seen their starting pitching catch fire, with the club's rotation ceding just 31 runs, 28 earned, on 110 hits in 119.0 innings for a 2.12 ERA. Pelicans starters have whiffed 108 while walking only 25 during this stretch. Not coincidentally, Myrtle Beach has allowed more than four runs just once in these 21 games. Birds starters are averaging 5.2 innings per start over this stretch, compared to 4.2 prior to this run.

TYSON'S CORNER

Myrtle Beach starter Tyson Miller, who gets the nod in Friday's contest against Carolina, has won each of his last three starts. Over this run, the right-hander has yielded just two runs on 14 hits in 16.0 innings for a 1.13 ERA (14 K, 4 BB). On the season, only two pitchers in the Carolina League have posted a higher fly ball rate than Miller's 49.4 percent. Not coincidentally, only two of the circuit's pitchers have registered a lower ground ball rate than Miller 31.5 percent mark. Opponents of struck out in 23.2 percent of plate appearances against Miller, the eighth-best mark in the league. His 6.9 walk percentage places 17th.

PELICAN POINTS

If the Birds can't win three of their final four games of the first half, the club will record its worst first half record since going 26-44 (.371) in 2010... Myrtle Beach's 191 walks in the Carolina League are the fewest in the circuit by 12. Second-place Down East has issued 203 free passes.

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