CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, June 3 vs. Down East

Published on June 3, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans go for the sweep of the Down East Wood Ducks in Sunday's 6:05 p.m. contest from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. RHP Tyson Miller (4-4, 3.97 ERA) starts for the Birds against Wood Ducks RHP Emerson Martinez (3-4, 4.44 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.

THOMPSON PITCHES BIRDS TO 6-2 VICTORY

Keegan Thompson surrendered just one run in a career-high 6.1 innings Saturday in Myrtle Beach's 6-2 victory over Down East. Thompson yielded just two hits and struck out four to earn the win. P.J. Higgins socked a two-run home run to open up the scoring in the third inning. The Wood Ducks plated a run in the seventh to halve the Birds' lead. However, the Pelicans responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh. Luis Ayala snapped an 0-for-21 skid with RBI single before a Down East error brought in two runs. Higgins then lofted a sacrifice fly to center to make it 6-1. The Wood Ducks scored a run in the eighth, but that was as close as Down East could get.

WE'RE SETTING FIRE TO THE RAIN...

Myrtle Beach's 6-2 victory Saturday was their eighth win in the previous 10 games, and the Pelicans are on the precipice of their first sweep of the season. Should the Birds beat the Wood Ducks in Sunday's series finale, it would mark the the latest in a campaign Myrtle Beach has broomed an opponent since 2012, when the Pelicans went all the way until July 1-3 (vs. Salem) for their first sweep of the year. The Birds' hot streak has seen the club win four consecutive series after just three set victories prior to this stretch. In addition, Myrtle Beach has whittled their Southern Division deficit down to 5.0 games for the first time since April 14. Should the Pelicans win Sunday and Carolina lose, the Birds would move out of the division's cellar for the first time since May 2.

...WATCHING IT POUR AS WE PITCH AWAY

On April 19, Myrtle Beach entered play with a woeful 5.85 ERA that ranked dead last in the Carolina League. The Birds had surrendered 93 runs (6.6 per game) through the first 14 contests of the season to that point. Since then, the Pelicans, who were 3-11 (.214) to start 2018, have gone 23-18 (.561) mainly behind their pitching. In their last 41 games, Myrtle Beach has yielded just 157 runs (3.8 per game). The Pelicans' 3.21 ERA during this stretch leads the Carolina League while placing second in High-A and 12th throughout Minor League Baseball. Meanwhile, the Birds have allowed just 282 hits (T-13th in MiLB) and walked 107 batters (T-23rd in MiLB) since April 19, helping Myrtle Beach to a WHIP of 1.175, the sixth-best in the minor leagues.

LET'S JUST NOT ALLOW RUNS

Over the last 10 games, Myrtle Beach has seen their starting pitching catch fire, with the club's rotation ceding just nine runs, seven earned, on 37 hits in 58.1 innings for a 1.08 ERA. Pelicans starters have whiffed 55 while walking only 12 during this stretch. Meanwhile the Birds' bullpen has been thriving for even longer. Over the past 33 contests dating back to April 28, Pelicans relievers have posted 2.07 ERA thanks to 38 runs, 26 earned, on 88 hits (7.0 H/9) in 113.0 innings. Myrtle Beach's relief pitchers have also whiffed 114 (9.1 K/9) over this span. The Birds' bullpen has yielded just one run over their last 21.2 innings (0.42) dating back to May 27.

P.J.'S PANCAKE HOUSE

Myrtle Beach catcher P.J. Higgins popped a homer Saturday, his first long ball since April 12, a span of 120 at-bats. The former Old Dominion Monarch has now reached base in 18 of his past 20 games, hitting 21-for-69 (.304/.400/.391) over that stretch with three doubles, a homer, nine RBIs and 11 walks. After posting a .237/.327/.298 line (83 wRC+) in 2017, the Wallingford, Conn., native is slashing .261/.364/.362 (109 wRC+) this season. Higgins has hit more line drives in 2018 (24.6 percent to 19.1 percent) while also walking more (13.1 percent to 10.6 percent).

YOUR FRIEND AND MINE

Pelicans outfielder Connor Myers struggled offensively in 2017, batting .188/.234/.245 (34 wRC+). In comparison, the Middletown, Md., native has raised his offensive game significantly this season, slashing .277/.335/.393 (103 wRC+). Myers has registered two or more hits in five of his last nine games, and his 16 multi-hit games on the season are three more than the next closest Myrtle Beach position player. Over these past nine contests, Myers is 12-for-34 (.353) with five doubles, four RBIs and one walk. Myers, who is riding a .373 BABIP, has increased his line drive rate from 17.9 percent in 2017 to 25.2 percent this year. He has also show a more discernible eye at the plate, cutting down his strikeout rate from 29.2 percent to 25.9 percent and raising his walk rate from 4.8 percent to 7.1 percent.

PELICAN POINT

The Birds start a three-game set at Buies Creek on Tuesday.

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