CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, May 9 at Down East

Published on May 9, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans face off with the Down East Wood Ducks in Wednesday's 11 a.m. contest from Grainger Stadium. LHP Bryan Hudson (2-3, 7.06 ERA) takes on Wood Ducks RHP Jonathan Hernandez (3-2, 2.45 ERA). Coverage begins at 10:45 a.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.

PELICANS RALLY FALLS SHORT IN 5-3 LOSS

Buoyed by Tyler Alamo's home run, the Pelicans scored three runs in the eighth inning Tuesday, but Myrtle Beach's comeback attempt came up short in a 5-3 loss at Down East. The Wood Ducks jumped out to a big lead thanks to five runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to grab a 5-0 lead. Alamo smashed a solo shot with one out in the eighth inning to get the Birds on the board. Later in the frame, Aramis Ademan and Connor Myers each notched back-to-back RBI singles to pull the Pelicans to within 5-3. However, Myrtle Beach could get no closer in their loss, setting up a rubber match on Wednesday.

MY HEART'S A MONASTERIO

Pelicans infielder Andruw Monasterio has heated up of late, and the native of Caracas in Venezuela has particularly taken a liking to the leadoff spot. Monasterio has reached in seven of his last nine games, hitting 9-for-28 for a .321/.457/.464 with four doubles and six walks over that span. In 11 games as the Pelicans' leadoff hitter, he is batting .293/.420/.390 with four doubles, three RBIs and eight walks. Monasterio is pulling the ball more in 2018 (45.5 percent to 36.5 percent in 2017), while also hitting more fly balls (40.0 percent to 26.8 percent).

IT BEATS FOR YOU, SO LISTEN CLOSE

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 10 games, including four in a row heading into play on Wednesday. Over these past 10 contests, Birds relievers have pitched 31.2 innings, yielding nine runs, four earned, on 26 hits (7.4 H/9) for a 1.14 ERA. The Pelicans' bullpen has recorded 42 strikeouts (11.9 K/9) and 10 walks (2.8 BB/9) during that span.

HEAR MY THOUGHTS IN EVERY NOTE

On the pitching side, Myrtle Beach's 98 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 17 contests since April 20, the Birds have yielded only 39 free passes, a rate of 2.3 per game, which places the club at the ninth-fewest total in Minor League Baseball over that span. Myrtle Beach has issued three or fewer walks in 14 of those 17 games.

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 place just eighth in the circuit, and the Birds have mustered just two home runs thus far in their eight 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.

...BUT THEY DO DIG THIS

While Myrtle Beach has struggled to hit for a lot of power, the Pelicans' pitching staff has done a nice job limiting opponents' pop at the plate. The 13 home runs the Birds have yielded this season are tied for the 18th-fewest in all of Minor League Baseball. Meanwhile, Myrtle Beach has ceded just three dingers in the 17 games since April 20, the fewest of any the 120 clubs in the minor leagues. Prior to Leody Taveras' roundtripper in fourth inning on Tuesday, the Birds had gone 62 innings in a row without yielding a long ball, their longest streak of the season.

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 11 games since April 27, the Pelicans have mustered just 32 runs (2.9 per game), tied for the 11th-fewest in all of MiLB during that span. The Birds' .324 slugging percentage is the 16th-lowest in the minors since April 27.

PELICAN POINTS

In the 18 games since April 18, Myrtle Beach has seen its ERA drop from 5.85 to 4.31, with the club's defensive BABIP tumble from .363 to .329... The Birds' 45 errors lead the Carolina League, and the club has registered at least one miscue in 10 of their last 13 games. The Pelicans' defensive efficiency is just 67.1 percent in 2018. The club posted marks of 68.9 and 69.1, respectively, over the last two seasons... Myrtle Beach has three of the top six hitters in the Carolina League in Jhonny Pereda (3rd, 41.3%), Vimael Machin (5th, 40.0%) and Chris Pieters (6th, 40.0%).

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