CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, June 7 at Buies Creek

Published on June 7, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans vie for a sweep of the Buies Creek Astros in Thursday's 6 p.m. contest. RHP Cory Abbott (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his High-A debut against Buies Creek RHP Tyler Ivey (0-0, 6.00 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.

GALINDO, LANGE LEAD BIRDS TO 4-3 WIN

Wladimir Galindo blasted a three-run home run Wednesday to back six shutout innings from Alex Lange and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans edged the Buies Creek Astros 4-3. The contest was scoreless until the fourth inning, when Galindo doubled with two outs. Kevonte Mitchell followed with an RBI single for the game's first run. The score remained 1-0 until Galindo launched an opposite field, three-run homer in the ninth. Buies Creek scored three times in the bottom of the ninth and put the tying run on second and winning run on first, but Casey Bloomquist got Chuckie Robinson to ground out to end the ballgame. Lange's six shutout frames extended his scoreless innings streak to 19.

PEREDA EARNS CUBS PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Pelicans catcher Jhonny Pereda has been named the Chicago Cubs' Minor League Player of the Month for May, the organization announced Thursday. Pereda batted .287/.386/.460 (.846 OPS) in 23 games in May, smashing six doubles and three home runs while posting 16 RBIs. The 22-year-old also registered 14 walks against only 18 strikeouts, reaching safely in 20 of the month's 23 games. Behind a contact-oriented approach, Pereda's 122 wRC+ is the best of any Carolina League catcher and ranks 17th overall in the circuit. His 15.0 percent strikeout rate is the 10th-lowest in the league, and of Pereda's batted balls, 27.7 percent have been line drives, the fifth-best mark in the circuit. Only two players in the Carolina League have hit to the opposite field more than Pereda (40.6 percent).

WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE

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 26-18 (.591) mainly behind their pitching. In their last 44 games, Myrtle Beach has yielded just 164 runs (3.7 per game). The Pelicans' 3.14 ERA during this stretch leads the Carolina League while placing 10th throughout Minor League Baseball. Meanwhile, the Birds have allowed just 302 hits (T-eighth in MiLB) and walked 109 batters (T-20th in MiLB) since April 19, helping Myrtle Beach to a WHIP of 1.168, the fifth-best in the minor leagues.

SOME SERIES' OF FORTUNATE EVENTS

Myrtle Beach sealed their fifth consecutive series win thanks to a 4-3 victory on Wednesday at Buies Creek. The Pelicans, who had won three sets all season before this run, last took five straight sets from May 31-June 18 of last season. Meanwhile, with a win in Thursday's series finale at Buies Creek, the Birds would sweep back-to-back opponents for the first time since brooming both Carolina and Wilmington on the road from August 23-28, 2016.

#WEAREGOOD

The Pelicans have rattled off 11 wins in their last 13 games as they enter their Thursday contest at Buies Creek. The Birds have outscored their opponents 54-25 over this 13-game stretch, posting three shutouts. Since this run began on May 23, the 25 runs the Birds have 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 35 tallies. The Pelicans' 1.52 ERA during this stretch is nearly a full run better than that of the Hot Rods (2.02). The 80 hits Myrtle Beach has yielded over this run is also the fewest of any full-season MiLB club.

LET'S JUST NOT ALLOW RUNS

Over the last 13 games, Myrtle Beach has seen their starting pitching catch fire, with the club's rotation ceding just 12 runs, 10 earned, on 74 hits in 76.0 innings for a 1.18 ERA. Pelicans starters have whiffed 65 while walking only 17 during this stretch. Meanwhile the Birds' bullpen has been thriving for even longer. Over the past 36 contests dating back to April 28, Pelicans relievers have posted 2.21 ERA thanks to 42 runs, 30 earned, on 98 hits (7.2 H/9) in 122.1 innings. Myrtle Beach's relief pitchers have also whiffed 123 (9.0 K/9) over this span.

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, since then, the club has turned their defense around significantly. Over the Pelicans' last 30 games, the club has posted a defensive efficiency of 73.1 percent (951 AB, 233 K, 208 H, 18 HR, 6 SF). To put that in perspective, the Cubs lead Major League Baseball this season in defensive efficiency at 73.8 percent.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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