Sports stats

CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, May 12 vs. Buies Creek

May 12, 2018 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans play the third game of a four-game set with Saturday's 6:05 p.m. contest from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. LHP Jose Paulino (0-4, 9.39 ERA) pitches for the Pelicans against Buies Creek RHP Carson LaRue (1-1, 3.12 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.

PELICANS PREVAIL IN BACK-AND-FORTH AFFAIR

After their four-run lead disintegrated Friday, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans used a late rally to prevail 9-6 over Buies Creek. Myrtle Beach got on the board in the first at-bats when Austin Upshaw tripled in three runs. The Birds led 4-0 after two innings, but a three-run Astros third cut the advantage to one. Myrtle Beach plated a run in the fourth only for Buies Creek to tie the game with two in the fifth. Andruw Monasterio ripped a two-run double and Jhonny Pereda singled him in to put the Pelicans ahead 8-5 in the sixth. Myrtle Beach added another run in the seventh, and held off the Astros, who scored in the ninth to make it 9-6.

'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 13 games, including four of the last seven contests. Over these past 13 games, Birds relievers have pitched 42.2 innings, yielding 16 runs, nine earned, on 38 hits (8.0 H/9) for a 1.90 ERA. The Pelicans' bullpen has recorded 51 strikeouts (10.8 K/9) and 15 walks (3.2 BB/9) during that span.

WALK THE LINE

On the pitching side, Myrtle Beach's 105 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 20 contests since April 20, the Birds have yielded only 46 free passes, a rate of 2.3 per game, which places the club in a tie for the eighth-fewest total in Minor League Baseball over that span. Myrtle Beach has issued three or fewer walks in 16 of those 20 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 14 games since April 27, the Pelicans have mustered just 48 runs (3.4 per game), tied for the 10th-fewest in all of MiLB during that span. In fact, Myrtle Beach has scored less than three runs in nine of those 14 games, including eight of the last 10 contests. The Birds' .333 slugging percentage since April 27 is the 17th-lowest in the minors.

THIS COULD BE PEREDADISE

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the season offensively for Myrtle Beach, Jhonny Pereda leads the Pelicans in average (.304) and on-base percentage (.366). Over his last 24 starts, the native of San Sebastian, Venezuela is hitting .330/.376/.394 with a double, triple, home run and 20 RBIs. The fifth-toughest player in the Carolina League to punch out by averaging one strikeout for every 7.47 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 11 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 15 opposite field percentages on batted balls in the Carolina League, four belong to Pelicans hitters. Jhonny Pereda ranks fourth 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 eighth-highest in the league, with Chris Pieters (ninth, 38.9 percent) and Wladimir Galindo (15th, 36.4 percent) round out the top 15. Just two Pelicans (Aramis Ademan, 10th, 50.8 percent & Connor Myers, 22nd, 47.1 percent) place in the league's top 25 in pulled ball rate.

PELICAN POINTS

One more victory in their series against Buies Creek would stop a two-set losing streak for the Birds... Vimael Machin's 25 walks are tied for the most in the Carolina League.

Check out the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Statistics



Carolina League Stories from May 12, 2018


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.

Other Recent Myrtle Beach Pelicans Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central