CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, June 27 vs. Buies Creek

Published on June 27, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans play a 7:05 p.m. game on Wednesday against the Buies Creek Astros from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. RHP Alex Lange (4-4, 3.11 ERA) takes the ball for the Birds against Bueis Creek RHP Cristian Javier (2-0, 0.82 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

MYRTLE BEACH BROOMED IN DOUBLEHEADER

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were swept in Tuesday's doubleheader by the Buies Creek Astros 4-2 and 6-0 from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. In the opener, the Astros plated four runs in the fourth inning to break open the scoring. In the bottom of the fourth, D.J. Wilson earned a bases-loaded walk to get the Birds on the board. Austin Upshaw's RBI double in the fifth inning drew Myrtle Beach to within 4-2, but the Pelicans could not get any closer. Buies Creek scored three runs in the first inning of Tuesday's finale before bringing in three more runs in the fourth to go up 6-0. That was more than enough for Astros starter Hector Perez, who struck out eight in seven innings for his first career complete game.

MY HEART'S A MONASTERIO

Myrtle Beach infielder Andruw Monasterio has reached base multiple times in 12 contests during his 18-game on-base streak, which is both the longest such streak by a Pelican this season and the longest active run in the Carolina League. Monasterio also has registered a hit in 10 consecutive contests, the best hitting streak for any Myrtle Beach masher this season. Over these last 18 contests, the native of Caracas in Venezuela is 25-for-64 (.391/.458/.500) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, six RBIs and eight walks. After slashing just .241/.313/.287 (75 wRC+) in a brief stint at the High-A level last year, Monasterio is hitting .286/.375/.364 (115 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 year, Monasterio is posting a career-best 11.8 percent walk rate in 2018, the second-best mark on the team.

BROKEN BATS

Myrtle Beach has followed up 12 wins in 14 games with 12 losses in 14 contests despite consistently excellent pitching. The club has really struggled offensively during this stretch, scoring a grand total of 26 runs over this 14-game time frame (1.9 per game). In fact, the Pelicans have tallied two runs or fewer in 12 of their last 13 contests, and the club has also been shut out four times over this 14-game stretch. As a team over the last 14 games, Myrtle Beach is posting a batting line of .187/.264/.253 (391 AB, 73 H, 16 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 42 BB, 2 HBP).

EYE OF THE TIGER

Over his last six outings, Myrtle Beach starter Alex Lange has surrendered just six runs on 26 hits in 32.2 innings for a 1.65 ERA (32 K, 5 BB). Lange's hot streak has helped push his FIP, an ERA estimator based on factors most within a pitcher's control like strikeouts, walks and home runs, to 2.98, the third-best mark in the Carolina League. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native owns a 3.11 ERA on the year, which places eighth in the league, behind a 1.08 WHIP, which comes in third. Lange has walked only 4.8 percent of batters this season, the third-lowest in the circuit. Interestingly, when opponents put the ball in play, 19.9 percent of batted balls have been line drives, the 17th-highest mark in the league. However, Lange's ground ball rate is 42.0 percent, the 19th-highest mark in the circuit.

START SPREADING THE NEWS

Over the last 31 games, Myrtle Beach has seen their starting pitching catch fire, with the club's rotation ceding just 59 runs, 52 earned, on 159 hits in 167.1 innings for a 2.80 ERA. Pelicans starters have whiffed 145 while walking only 41 during this stretch. Not coincidentally, Myrtle Beach has allowed more than four runs just four times in these 31 games. Birds starters are averaging 5.2 innings per start over this stretch, compared to 4.2 prior to this run.

BIRDS ON THE POND

During Tuesday's doubleheader, Myrtle Beach stranded 19 men on base in 14 innings by going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. That said, the Pelicans have actually hit better with runners in scoring position this season than in any other batting situation. With men on second and/or third, the Birds are slashing .248/.323/.348 (.671 OPS) in 715 plate appearances. However, in all other situations, Myrtle Beach is posting a batting line of .232/.306/.334 (.640 OPS). Due to sample sizes, luck and timing, nearly every single team across every single level in the history of baseball winds up with similar numbers in just about every batting situation by the end of the season.

PELICAN POINTS

Myrtle Beach pitchers have issued three walks or fewer in 16 of their last 17 games... Jose Paulino has now pitched 11.2 scoreless innings as a reliever this season.

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