CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Game Notes, September 1 at Frederick

Published on September 1, 2018 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Myrtle Beach Pelicans play a 6 p.m. Saturday doubleheader at the Frederick Keys. LHP Bryan Hudson (6-11, 4.92 ERA) starts against Frederick LHP Zac Lowther (5-3, 2.67 ERA) in the opener. The finale pits RHP Erich Uelmen (3-3, 4.50 ERA) against RHP Cody Sedlock (0-2, 10.05 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

BUIES CREEK SLIPS BY BIRDS FOR SERIES WIN

The Buies Creek Astros edged the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 2-1 in Thursday's home finale from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. Birds starter Cory Abbott fired five shutout innings, scattering four hits and three walks. He struck out three. Buies Creek found the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. Carlos Canelon knocked in the game's first run with an RBI single. Myrtle Beach tied the contest in the seventh when Jared Young scampered home on a wild pitch. However, in the top of the eighth inning, Cody Bohanek notched an RBI single to put the Astros ahead 2-1. The Pelicans were turned away by Carlos Sanabria, who pitched 1.1 perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts for his first save of the season.

PITCH PERFECT

Over the last 27 games, Myrtle Beach starting pitchers have ceded three earned runs or less 25 times. During that span, the club's starters have pitched a total of 129.0 innings, yielding 47 earned runs on 103 hits for a 3.28 ERA. The Birds' bullpen has started to heat up recently as well; After posting a 6.38 ERA due to 13 runs, all earned, on 27 hits in 18.1 frames in the seven games from August 2-11, Pelicans relievers have allowed 36 runs, 18 earned, on 66 hits in 76.2 innings (2.11 ERA) over the last 18 contests.

FRIENDS CLOSE, ENEMIES CLOSER

Over the Pelicans' last 36 contests, 30 have been decided by three runs or less, including a remarkable 24 by just one tally. In the 100 battles prior to this run, the Birds had played in just 20 one-run games. On the season, Myrtle Beach has played 89 games decided by no more than three runs, the highest total in the Carolina League. The Pelicans began the year 10-3 (.769) in one-run contests, but have gone 9-22 (.290) in those engagements ever since.

WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS

During the month of August, the Birds batted just .208/.287/.278 to post a .565 OPS, far below their league-worst mark on the season of .630. The Pelicans went just 10-18 (.357) in August, their worst record in the dog days since going 9-20 (.310) in 2009. During this August, Myrtle Beach was a woeful 41-for-213 (.192) with runners in scoring position, plating a total of 71 runs (2.5 per game).

HAVIN' A RECORD YEAR

While Myrtle Beach's pitching staff has held its own, ranking in the top half of the league in nearly every category this season, the club has been undone by a porous offense. With just four games to go in the regular season, the Pelicans are closing in on several club records offensively. The Birds have scored only 461 runs this season, 69 fewer than ninth-place Carolina, and also below the 506 the 2003 Pelicans mustered, a mark that currently ranks as the worst in team history. Myrtle Beach's current .233 batting average is also lower than their team-low .237 in 2000. The club has also registered only 54 home runs, 994 hits and 171 doubles this season, which would shatter the previous lows of 64 long balls (2013), 1,069 knocks (2000) and 191 two-baggers (2017).

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Myrtle Beach lost their 2018 home finale 2-1 to Buies Creek on Thursday, sealing the club's first losing home record since 2010. The Pelicans now play at Frederick on Saturday to start their final set of the 2018 campaign. The Birds have struggled away from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark this season, going 26-41 (.388), the third-worst such mark in the Carolina League. That is also the club's first losing away mark since going 32-38 (.457) in 2013, as well as their worst since a 25-45 (.357) record outside the Grand Strand in 2010.

YOU DIPPED THE CHIP... AND YOU DIPPED AGAIN

The Pelicans will play their 14th doubleheader of the year on Saturday at Frederick. The Birds are just 9-15 (.375) in twin bill contests this season, the second-worst such mark in the Carolina League. The 14 doubleheaders Myrtle Beach will have recorded by the end of Saturday are the club's most in a single campaign in their recorded history, which dates back through the 2005 season.

PELICAN POINTS

Myrtle Beach has lost seven of their last 10 games, dropping their overall record to a season-worst 16 games below .500 at 60-76... Buies Creek's 2-1 win on Thursday was the Astros' 18th over Myrtle Beach in 2018. That figure represents the most the Pelicans have ever lost to one opponent in a single season.

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Carolina League Stories from September 1, 2018


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