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CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans Game Notes: May 16 vs. Winston-Salem

May 16, 2019 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


day, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans take on the Winston-Salem Dash (a Chicago White Sox affiliate) in the finale of a four-game series with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. This evening, RHP Alex Lange (1-5, 11.17 ERA) makes his seventh start for the Birds against RHP Jorgan Cavanerio (0-0, 9.00 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

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ASSAD BRILLIANT, BIRDS BLANK DASH TO TAKE SERIES

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans won their third-straight game on the back of Javier Assad in a 1-0 victory over the Winston-Salem Dash on Wednesday from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. Assad tied a career high with both seven innings and nine strikeouts, only ceding one hit and walking one. He faced the minimum through his seven frames. The Birds as a whole faced the minimum through 8.2 innings until Ben Hecht allowed two hits in the ninth, but Kevonte Mitchell threw out the potential game-tying run at the plate to end the contest and give Hecht his third save. The Pelicans' only run was scored in the fifth when Cam Balego scored from third on a wild pitch.

LEADING THE WAY TO CLARK AND ADDISON

In the early part of the season, the Pelicans have had a bunch of different players fill the leadoff spot in the order. Zach Davis (12 starts in the leadoff spot), Carlos Sepulveda (4), Yeiler Peguero (3), D.J. Wilson (7), Jimmy Herron (12) and Jhonny Bethencourt (2) have all hit first for the Birds this season. While Herron and Davis has the most starts at the top of the order, Bethencourt has the highest batting average (.286) out of that spot. Overall, the leadoff spot has struggled, hitting just .193 (29-for-150).

TAKE A WALK ON THE BEACH

The Pelicans have drawn their fair share of walks in 2019. Entering Wednesday's contest against the Dash, the Birds are second in the Carolina League with 162 free passes. Jimmy Herron is fourth in the league with 22 walks while Miguel Amaya is fifth in the league with 21 walks. Aramis Ademan is tied for 10th with 19. On the pitching side, the Birds have walked 22 batters over the last 10 games.

NOT GOING TO SETTLE THIS SEASON

Over the first 40 games of the season, the Birds have allowed 33 runs in the opening frame. On the offensive side, Myrtle Beach has scored 30 runs in the first inning themselves. Out of the total runs that have been scored in the games the Pelicans have played, 19.9 percent (73-of-367) have been scored in the first inning. There has been at least one first-inning run by either team in 13 of the last 19 games the Pelicans have played. The Birds and their opponents have gone scoreless in the first three innings only three times in the last 24 games and only seven times in their first 40 games.

BETTER TO SEE YOU LATE THAN NEVER

Over the last 12 contests for the Birds, in which they are 8-4, the starting pitching has been the key. Javier Assad, Alex Lange, Luis Lugo, Erling Moreno and Paul Richan all threw well in their starts. Their starters' ERA of 2.07 (16 ER in 69.2 IP) has lowered the overall starters' ERA on the season substantially. Entering the Salem series on May 3, the starters' ERA was 7.02. Entering Wednesday's game against Winston-Salem, that ERA has dropped to 5.18. As a whole, the Birds only allowed 10 earned runs over their last eight wins while surrendering a total of 24 earned runs over their last four losses.

WE'RE NOT GRUMPY TODAY

Pelicans starter Javier Assad was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week on Monday and followed it up with an even better performance on Wednesday. Assad made one start in the week, earning a no-decision at Down East with six shutout, one-hit innings. After allowing a base hit to lead off the game from Yonny Hernandez, he only walked two batters the rest of the way. On Wednesday against Winston-Salem, he tied a career high with seven innings, facing the minimum while striking out nine, walking one and only allowing an infield single. Assad leads all Pelicans starters and is fourth in the league with a 2.19 ERA. He has thrown 21.1 consecutive scoreless innings spanning over his last four starts.

SWEET, SWEET VICTORY

The Pelicans have now won six-straight home games after wins in the first three games of the series against Winston-Salem. The Birds are now 10-14 at home on the season and own a 3.79 ERA, as opposed to a 6.04 ERA on the road. Over the streak, the Pelicans own a 1.17 ERA (7 ER in 54 IP) as a whole.

A VERY FITTING NAME TO BAIT

Tyler Payne has been on fire at the plate for Myrtle Beach. The 26-year-old has reached safely in 20 of his last 22 games (.318/.383/.435) and he had a five-game hitting streak snapped on Wednesday. Over that stretch, he was hitting .417/.481/.542 with 3 2B, 2 RBIs, 3 BB and 4 RS. Payne is tied for the team high with eight multi-hit games this season. A season ago for the South Bend Cubs, Payne played in just 13 games before having right hip labrum surgery.

PELICAN POINTS

Were the Birds' pitchers better than the arms have usually been? Yes. They tied a year low, ceding three hits on Wednesday against the Dash...The Birds' one run on the board was their lowest output since May 10 when Carolina held them to just one run...After just four wins against Winston-Salem in 2018, the Pelicans can equal precisely that win total with a victory... Friday, the Birds exit the state to Lynchburg to start an 11-game road trip.

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