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CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

No-Hit Bid Carries De Los Santos to CL Award

August 8, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Spurred by his dominant seven-inning, no-hit performance against the Potomac Nationals on Saturday night, Myrtle Beach Pelicans left-hander Miguel De Los Santos has been named the Carolina League's Pitcher of the Week for the period of August 1-7. De Los Santos becomes the seventh Pelicans player overall and fourth pitcher to take home a weekly accolade in the league's 2011 campaign.

In the August 6 middle game of three between the Pelicans and Nationals at BB&T Coastal Field, the evening didn't look like it would be a kind one to De Los Santos or Myrtle Beach early. The lefty from La Romana, Dominican Republic walked the first two men of the night, and a first-pitch ball to the evening's third hitter, Potomac's All-Star outfielder Destin Hood, brought Pelicans pitching coach Brad Holman to the mound. "He told me, 'Hey, pitch with your heart,'" De Los Santos told MiLB.com after his historic start. That he did. The lefty rebounded to strike out Hood, a defining moment of the night that began a methodical procession of 21 up, 21 down from then on. The southpaw stranded the Nats' two runners in the first, both in scoring position after a successful double steal, and retired the side in order in every inning after that with multiple strikeouts in the third, fifth, and sixth contributing to his final line of ten Ks.

De Los Santos, who lowered his ERA to 2.95 through eight Carolina League appearances while picking up the win to even his record at 3-3 on Saturday, is the only Pelican currently with a spot on the Texas Rangers' 40-man roster. Entering this season tabbed as Baseball America's tenth-best Texas prospect, the 23-year-old leapfrogged from Class A Hickory in 2010 to Double-A Frisco to start his 2011 season. Injuries and struggles in the Texas League led to an 8.04 ERA in six starts, however, and a rehab appearance in the Arizona League before his transfer to Myrtle Beach. Since his arrival on the Grand Strand, De Los Santos has worked through an up-and-down stretch over eight times on the hill - seven starts - and rebounded from his worst start on July 20 (1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K) with his best six days later.

Saturday night, De Los Santos departed his no-hit bid after having exceeded his pitch count limit of 90 by throwing 92 pitches, and the Pelicans turned their attempt at history over to the bullpen. Right-handed reliever Zach Osborne kept the night alive by retiring the first four men he faced, but with one out in the ninth, Francisco Soriano broke up the no-no with a single to right field. Osborne got Jose Lozada to line into a double play one batter later, doubling Soriano off of first, to complete the 3-0 shutout win. After the two walks by De Los Santos to start the night, Pelicans pitchers only faced 27 batters the rest of the way.

De Los Santos joins a crowded Pelicans' award mantle this year. Over the course of the 2011 season, third baseman Mike Olt and outfielders Ryan Strausborger and Jared Bolden have received Carolina League Player of the Week honors. On the mound, former Birds Robbie Erlin, Joe Wieland (twice), and Robbie Ross have claimed Pitcher of the Week accolades. De Los Santos is no stranger to awards himself. Last season, the Rangers tabbed him as the organization's July Pitcher of the Month after he went 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA and whiffed 40 batters in 23 innings while holding opponents to a .111 batting average.

Monday night at BB&T Coastal Field, the Pelicans host a possible Mills Cup Championship Series preview. Myrtle Beach, the first half champions in the Southern Division, host the Northern Division title-holding Frederick Keys for the series opener of three at 7:05 p.m. Tickets for all Pelicans home games can be purchased by visiting the BB&T Coastal Field box office, the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, or by calling (843)918-6000 or (877)918-TIXX.




Carolina League Stories from August 8, 2011


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