CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, May 21 vs. Lynchburg

Published on May 21, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans begin a four-game series with the Lynchburg Hillcats with Monday's 7:05 p.m. contest from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. RHP Tyson Miller (3-4, 3.58 ERA) pitches for the Birds against Hillcats RHP Eli Morgan (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.

MYRTLE BEACH SWEPT IN DOUBLEHEADER

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were broomed by the Frederick Keys in Sunday's doubleheader, 6-1 and 10-1. In game one, Jhonny Pereda socked a solo home run in the first inning. However, that was Myrtle Beach's only offense against Keys starter Michael Baumann, who pitched a seven-inning complete game, yielding just that one run on four hits with a pair of strikeouts. Wilson Garcia homered twice for Frederick, and Stuart Levy also launched a two-run shot. In the finale, the Keys exploded for six runs in the second inning. Wladimir Galindo smoked a solo home run in the fourth, but Frederick responded with four more tallies in the bottom of the fourth to make it 10-1. The two Pelicans losses marked a series defeat for Myrtle Beach.

YOU USED TO CALL ME ON THE BULLPEN PHONE...

Myrtle Beach's seven games, which include a pair of

doubleheaders, have totaled 51 innings for the club's pitching staff. The Pelicans' bullpen has combined to throw just 14.0 of those frames, making up 2.0 innings per game and 27.5 percent of the club's total during this span. In comparison, prior to this stretch, Myrtle Beach relievers had made up 127.0 of the club's 305.1 frames, or 41.6 percent. Unfortunately for the Birds, fewer innings from their bullpen might not be a good thing; Over the past 21 games dating back to April 28, Pelicans relievers have posted 2.54 ERA thanks to 27 runs, 18 earned, on 58 hits (8.2 H/9) in 63.2 innings. Myrtle Beach's relief pitchings have also whiffed 66 (9.3 K/9) over this span.

...LATE GAME, WHEN YOU NEED MY ARM

Part of the reason Myrtle Beach has relied on its bullpen less is that the club's starting pitching has gotten stronger and stronger as the year has gone on. While southpaws Jose Paulino and Bryan Hudson have struggled at times, the club's other four starters, all right-handers in Keegan Thompson, Tyson Miller, Alex Lange and Matt Swarmer, have pitched fairly well throughout the year. The quartet of righties have collectively gone 9-11 with a 3.70 ERA in 153.1 innings, yielding 71 runs, 63 earned, on 151 hits (8.9 H/9). Thompson, Miller, Lange and Swarmer have combined for 147 strikeouts (8.6 K/9) against 35 free passes (2.1 BB/9). Myrtle Beach's right-handers are averaging 5.1 innings per start.

REMEMBER THE ALAMO

Over 13 games from April 16 through May 7, Pelicans first baseman Tyler Alamo went just 8-for-46 (.174), drawing just three walks with one hit-by-pitch for a .240 on-base percentage. However, the Cypress, Calif., native has notched a hit in eight of his 10 games since, a season-high that also includes three multi-hit efforts. Over these last 10 contests, Alamo is 13-for-34 (.382), lashing three doubles and two home runs to drive in seven runs. He has also drawn five walks. Perhaps the biggest change for Alamo in 2018 has been his ability to get the ball in the air. After lifting 31.5 percent of his batted balls in the air in 2017, his fly ball rate of 41.5 percent in 2018 ranks as the 15th-highest in the Carolina League.

PEREDA, PEREDA, PEREDADISE

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the season offensively for Myrtle Beach, Jhonny Pereda leads the Pelicans in average (.303) and on-base percentage (.370). Over his last 30 starts, the native of San Sebastian, Venezuela is hitting .325/.384/.447 with three doubles, one triple, three home runs and 25 RBIs. Pereda ranks fourth in the Carolina League in average due to a contact-oriented approach that has seen him whiff at just 8.7 percent of pitches, the 14th-lowest in the circuit. Pereda's frequent contact is often strong, as his 26.0 percent line drive rate places 10th in the league. He has sprayed his batted balls to the opposite field (41.4 percent, fourth-most in the league) and up the middle (25.3 percent) a combined 67.7 percent of the time.

ERROR 503: SERVICE UNAVAILABLE

Myrtle Beach made five errors in Sunday's doubleheader, continuing an ugly defensive trend in 2018. The Pelicans' 63 errors on the season are 13 more than Winston-Salem and Lynchburg, the next-closest Carolina League teams, which are as close to the Birds as they are to second-place Salem (37). Myrtle Beach has made 38 errors in the 23 games since April 26, the most in MiLB by four miscues over that span.

PELICAN POINTS

Myrtle Beach has not won a series since taking two of three in Salem from April 27-29. The Pelicans have lost four sets and split another since then... The Birds' deficit of 8.0 games in the Southern Division matches their largest of the season.

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Carolina League Stories from May 21, 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.

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