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CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, May 11 vs. Buies Creek

May 11, 2018 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans play host to the Buies Creek Astros with Friday's 7:05 p.m. contest from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. The Birds send RHP Matt Swarmer (3-2, 1.32 ERA) to the mound against Buies Creek RHP Hector Perez (0-1, 5.91 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn.

SIX-RUN ASTROS SIXTH SINKS MYRTLE BEACH

Myrtle Beach jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning Thursday, but a six-run Buies Creek sixth inning propelled the Astros to an 8-5 win over the Pelicans. P.J. Higgins cashed in an RBI single in the first, and Wladimir Galindo made it 2-0 with an RBI double. Tyler Alamo's two-run two-bagger increased the margin to 4-0. However, the Astros chipped away, plating two in the second to halve the Birds' advantage. The first eight men to bat in the sixth inning all reached for Buies Creek, which tacked on six runs for the lead. Myrtle Beach got one back on a Higgins RBI single in the seventh, but could not get any closer.

'PEN PALS

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 12 games, including four of the last six contests. Over these past 12 games, Birds relievers have pitched 38.2 innings, yielding 15 runs, eight earned, on 35 hits (8.1 H/9) for a 1.86 ERA. The Pelicans' bullpen has recorded 48 strikeouts (11.2 K/9) and 13 walks (3.0 BB/9) during that span.

WALK THE LINE

On the pitching side, Myrtle Beach's 102 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 19 contests since April 20, the Birds have yielded only 43 free passes, a rate of 2.3 per game, which places the club in a tie for the fifth-fewest total in Minor League Baseball over that span. Myrtle Beach has issued three or fewer walks in 15 of those 19 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 13 games since April 27, the Pelicans have mustered just 39 runs (3.0 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 13 games, including eight of the last nine contests. The Birds' .323 slugging percentage since April 27 is the 14th-lowest in the minors.

SWARM AND STING

Myrtle Beach starter Matt Swarmer, who starts Friday's contest at Buies Creek, has also enjoyed an extraordinary start to the season. Named the Chicago Cubs' Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April, Swarmer currently ranks third in the Carolina League in both ERA (1.32) and WHIP (1.02). Among the circuit's starters, Swarmer has posted the best walk rate (1.0 BB/9) and second-best strikeout rate (10.9). On a similar note, Swarmer's 16.9 swinging strike percentage tops the league. Interestingly, when opponents do put the ball in play against him, Swarmer's ground ball rate of 31.9 percent is the sixth-lowest in the circuit, with his 47.8 percent fly ball mark placing as the fourth-highest.

THIS COULD BE PEREDADISE

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the season offensively for Myrtle Beach, Jhonny Pereda leads the Pelicans in average (.299) and on-base percentage (.364). Over his last 23 starts, the native of San Sebastian, Venezuela is hitting .326/.381/.393 with a double, triple, home run and 19 RBIs. The fourth-toughest player in the Carolina League to punch out by averaging one strikeout for every 7.64 plate appearances, Pereda's has whiffed at just 7.7 percent of pitches, the 10th-lowest in the circuit. Pereda's frequent contact is often strong, as his 31.3 percent line drive rate placing fourth in the league. He has sprayed his batted balls to the opposite field (41.0 percent, fourth-most in the league) and up the middle (27.7 percent) a combined 68.7 percent of the time.

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 are tied for eighth in the circuit, and the Birds have mustered just two home runs thus far in their 10 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.

PELICAN POINT

Myrtle Beach had gone eight games in a row with three runs scored or less until their five-run output last night.

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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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