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CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, May 10 vs. Buies Creek

May 10, 2018 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans open up a four-game series with the Buies Creek Astros at 7:05 p.m. from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. RHP Alex Lange (1-1, 4.15 ERA) goes for the Birds against Astros RHP Abdiel Saldana (3-0, 1.91 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.

BIRDS FALL ON LEBLANC WALK-OFF

Chuck LeBlanc blasted a walk-off three-run home run in the 10th inning Wednesday to push the Down East Wood Ducks to a 4-2 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. After LeBlanc socked a solo homer in the second inning, the score remained 1-0 Wood Ducks until the eighth. With two outs, a Wladimir Galindo double plated P.J. Higgins from first to knot the score at one. In the top of the 10th inning, an Andruw Monasterio safety squeeze brought home Connor Myers to put Myrtle Beach ahead 2-1. However, LeBlanc's walk-off dinger in the bottom of the frame sealed the win and the series for Down East.

RENAISSANCE MEN

Part of Myrtle Beach's pitching resurgence has to be

credited to the bullpen, which hasn't allowed an earned run in seven of their last 11 games, including four of the last five contests. Over these past 11 games, Birds relievers have pitched 34.2 innings, yielding 12 runs, six earned, on 29 hits (7.5 H/9) for a 1.56 ERA. The Pelicans' bullpen has recorded 46 strikeouts (11.9 K/9) and 10 walks (2.6 BB/9) during that span.

WALK THE LINE

On the pitching side, Myrtle Beach's 98 walks surrendered are the fewest in the Carolina League by a considerable margin. Even here, though, the Pelicans have improved throughout the season; In the 18 contests since April 20, the Birds have yielded only 39 free passes, a rate of 2.2 per game, which places the club at the fifth-fewest total in Minor League Baseball over that span. Myrtle Beach has issued three or fewer walks in 15 of those 18 games.

BROKEN BATS

The Pelicans' offense has fallen on tough times lately. The Birds have been shut out seven times already this season, already surpassed their total blankings from all of last year while equaling their mark from 2016. In the 12 games since April 27, the Pelicans have mustered just 34 runs (2.8 per game), tied for the seventh-fewest in all of MiLB during that span. In fact, Myrtle Beach has scored less than three runs in nine of those 12 games, including eight in a row. The Birds' .324 slugging percentage since April 27 is the 14th-lowest in the minors.

THE CHICKS DON'T DIG THIS...

After ranking in the top half of the Carolina League in home runs each of the past four seasons, the Pelicans have seen several fly balls come up just a short of home run territory in 2018. The club's 17 dingers this season place just eighth in the circuit, and the Birds have mustered just two home runs thus far in their nine games played in May. In fact, outside of Tyler Alamo homers on April 28, May 1 and May 8, the last Pelican to launch a long ball was Connor Myers, who also hit a roundtripper on April 28.

WE COME BACK EVERY TIME...

The Myrtle Beach offense has developed a distinct style of hitting. Of the highest nine opposite field percentages on batted balls in the Carolina League, four belong to Pelicans hitters. Jhonny Pereda ranks second in the circuit with 41.0 percent of his batted balls being hit the other way. Vimael Machin's 40.5 percent rate is the fifth-highest in the league, with Wladimir Galindo (eighth, 39.2 percent) and Chris Pieters (ninth, 38.9 percent) round out the top nine. Just two Pelicans (Aramis Ademan, eighth, 51.6 percent & Connor Myers, 20th, 47.0 percent) place in the league's top 20 in pulled ball rate.

...'CAUSE WE NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE

In addition to Myrtle Beach's penchant to hit the ball the other way, the Pelicans have stressed a contact-oriented approach in 2018. The club has whiffed 280 times, tied for the third-fewest in the Carolina League. Meanwhile, the Birds have six of the top 15 hitters in terms of contact rate in the circuit. Andruw Monasterio and Vimael Machin have swung and missed on 6.0 and 6.5 percent of their hacks, respectively, placing fourth and sixth in the league. Jhonny Pereda (10th, 7.7 percent), Austin Upshaw (12th, 7.8 percent) and P.J. Higgins (15th, 8.8 percent) also place in the league's top 15, with Tyler Alamo (24th, 10.3 percent) in the circuit's top 25. Myrtle Beach has just one player (Wladimir Galindo, 10th-most, 17.0 percent) who is in the Carolina League's top 25 for highest percentage of swinging strikes.

PELICAN POINT

In the 19 games since April 18, Myrtle Beach has seen its ERA drop from 5.85 to 4.27, with the club's defensive BABIP tumble from .363 to .325.

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