CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, June 28 vs. Buies Creek

Published on June 28, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans host the Buies Creek Astros in Thursday's 7:05 p.m. contest from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. RHP Erick Leal (0-0, 0.47 ERA) starts for the Birds against Buies Creek RHP Carson LaRue (3-4, 4.98 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.

PELICANS FALL 7-3 TO BUIES CREEK

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans saw their late comeback bid come up short in Wednesday's 7-3 loss to the Buies Creek Astros from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. Buies Creek jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the second inning. The Astros extended their advantage with four more runs in the fifth, three of which came on Abraham Toro's home run. Corey Julks' RBI double plated another run in the eighth to make it 7-0. In the bottom of the ninth inning, an Astros error plated the first run of the game for Myrtle Beach. Andruw Monasterio and Austin Upshaw later drew bases-loaded walks to pull the Birds to within 7-3, but the Pelicans could get no closer. Jhon Romero struck out six over two innings.

MY HEART'S A MONASTERIO

Myrtle Beach infielder Andruw Monasterio has reached base multiple times in 12 contests during his 19-game on-base streak, which is the longest active run in the Carolina League. If he can reach base in his next game, Monasterio would have the Pelicans' first 20-game on-base streak since Jesse Hodges did so from May 5-June 1 of last season. Over these last 19 contests, the native of Caracas in Venezuela is 25-for-67 (.373/.447/.478) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, seven RBIs and nine walks. After slashing just .241/.313/.287 (75 wRC+) in a brief stint at the High-A level last year, Monasterio is hitting .282/.373/.359 (113 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 12.0 percent walk rate in 2018, the second-best mark on the team.

EVERY STORM RUNS OUT OF RAIN

Myrtle Beach has followed up 13 wins in 15 games with 13 losses in 15 contests despite consistently excellent pitching. The club has really struggled offensively during this stretch, scoring a grand total of 29 runs over this 15-game time frame (1.9 per game). In fact, the Pelicans have tallied three runs or fewer in 13 of their last 15 contests, and the club has also been shut out four times over this 15-game stretch. As a team over the last 15 games, Myrtle Beach is posting a batting line of .185/.272/.247 (421 AB, 78 H, 16 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 47 BB, 3 HBP).

POWER OUTAGE

From the 2014 through 2017 seasons, Myrtle Beach finished every campaign in the top half of the Carolina League in home runs. In fact, the Pelicans clubbed a total of 368 long balls, an average of 92 per year. However, the Birds are on pace for just 62 bombs in 2018, which would be the fewest in a single season in Pelicans history. Entering play on Thursday, Myrtle Beach has gone eight games in a row without hitting a dinger, their longest drought of the season. D.J. Wilson's leadoff homer in the bottom of the first inning in game two of a doubleheader on June 16 was the Birds' last roundtripper, meaning the club's homerless drought extends 67 innings.

WALKING DEAD

Under third-year Pelicans pitching coach Anderson Tavarez, Myrtle Beach has emphasized making opponents earn their way on base. After issuing the fewest walks in the Carolina League in 2016 and the second-fewest last season, Myrtle Beach's 212 free passes this year are the lowest total in the circuit. Pelicans pitchers have issued no more than three walks in 16 of their last 18 games, pushing the club's walk percentage down to 7.7 percent - the best mark in the league.

BIRDS ON THE POND

During Wednesday's contest, Myrtle Beach stranded six men on base by going 0-for-4 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 .246/.324/.346 (.670 OPS) in 722 plate appearances. However, in all other situations, Myrtle Beach is posting a batting line of .232/.305/.332 (.637 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's loss Wednesday sealed the Birds' fourth consecutive series loss, the club's worst run since dropping four straight sets from July 20-August 2 of last year... Erick Leal starts Thursday's game on three days' rest.

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Carolina League Stories from June 28, 2018


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