CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, May 23 vs. Lynchburg

Published on May 23, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans play host to the Lynchburg Hillcats in Wednesday's 7:05 p.m. contest. RHP Alex Lange (1-2, 4.25 ERA) pitches for the Pelicans against Hillcats LHP Sam Hentges (3-2, 3.23 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.

HILLCATS TOP BIRDS IN BULLPEN BATTLE

A five-run second inning Tuesday propelled the Lynchburg Hillcats by the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Hillcats starter Justin Garza pitched just two-thirds of an inning before departing from the game. However, the Birds mustered just one run in their first at-bats, coming on a Tyler Alamo sacrifice fly. Lynchburg responded by plating five runs in the second inning, knocking Pelicans starter Bryan Hudson from the game in the process. The Hillcats added another run in the sixth and two more in the eighth to go up 8-1 before Wladimir Galindo scored on a passed ball in the eighth to make it 8-2. The Birds' bullpen yielded just three runs, two earned, on five hits in eight innings with 10 strikeouts.

RALLY, RALLY, THE PITCHER'S NAME IS(N'T) SALLY

For a club that has suffered through the Carolina League's worst record and a circuit-worst eight-game divisional hole, the Pelicans have shown a lot of fight. Myrtle Beach has already mustered two five-run comeback victories this year for the first time since 2013. The club had just one such rally from 2014-17 combined. Meanwhile, the Birds own the league's most wins when trailing after the sixth inning (five), after the seventh inning (four) and after the eighth inning (two), respectively.

CALL ME MAYBE

Myrtle Beach's bullpen worked eight innings in Tuesday's loss to Lynchburg, striking out 10 and allowing just three runs, two earned, on five hits. Thus, over the past 23 games dating back to April 28, Pelicans relievers have posted 2.38 ERA thanks to 30 runs, 20 earned, on 65 hits (7.7 H/9) in 75.2 innings. Myrtle Beach's relief pitchers have also whiffed 84 (10.0 K/9) over this span.

YOU MAY BE RIGHT, I MAY BE CRAZY

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 3.87 ERA in 158.1 innings, yielding 76 runs, 68 earned, on 159 hits (9.0 H/9). Thompson, Miller, Lange and Swarmer have combined for 153 strikeouts (8.7 K/9) against 36 free passes (2.0 BB/9).

P.J.'S PANCAKE HOUSE

The Pelicans have a lethal catching duo thanks to the work of Jhonny Pereda and P.J. Higgins. Pereda has had an outstanding season, and Higgins is currently on a hot streak. A native of Wallingford, Conn., Higgins has reached in 10 of his last 11 games, going 12-for-39 with a double, four RBIs and six walks at the plate over the span to hit .308 with a .400 on-base percentage. The former Old Dominion star is posting a 26.5 percent line drive in 2018 compared to the 19.1 percent mark he registered last season.

PEREDA, PEREDA, PEREDADISE

Jhonny Pereda leads the Pelicans in average (.295) and on-base percentage (.372), and he has popped two home runs in the last three games. Over his last 32 starts, the native of San Sebastian, Venezuela is hitting .314/.381/.455 with three doubles, one triple, four home runs and 26 RBIs. Pereda ranks ninth in the Carolina League in average due to a contact-oriented approach that has seen him whiff at just 8.5 percent of pitches, the 11th-lowest in the circuit. Pereda has sprayed his batted balls to the opposite field (39.8 percent, sixth-most in the league) and up the middle (26.9 percent) a combined 66.7 percent of the time.

REMEMBER THE ALAMO

Over 13 games from April 16 through May 7, Pelicans first baseman Tyler Alamo went just 8-for-46 (.174), drawing only three walks with one hit-by-pitch for a .240 on-base percentage. However, over the past 12 contests, the Cypress, Calif., native is 14-for-40 (.350/.422/.650), lashing three doubles and three home runs to drive in eight runs. He has also drawn six 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 44.0 percent in 2018 ranks as the 10th-highest in the Carolina League.

PELICAN POINTS

Of Myrtle Beach's last 22 games, 14 have been decided by three runs or less. The Birds are 9-5 in those contests during that span and 11-13 in these close games throughout the season... A defeat to Lynchburg last night prevented the Pelicans from winning back-to-back games for the first time since May 1-2.

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Carolina League Stories from May 23, 2018


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