CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Pelicans Game Notes - 7:05 at Lynchburg - June 30, 2014

Published on June 30, 2014 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


LAST TIME OUT: The Pelicans suffered their first defeat in Lynchburg this season in a 10-7 back-and-forth affair against the Hillcats at Calvin Falwell Field on Sunday evening...The Pelicans had leads of 3-1 and 7-6 erased to fall to 6-4 in the second half...

Kevin Ahrens took sole possession of the league lead in doubles with a leadoff two-bagger to open the second and moved to third on a single from Justin Bloxom...Ahrens came home on a sacrifice fly from Tyler Tewell to give Lynchburg a 1-0 lead...Jarett Miller faced just one over the minimum over the first three innings, but the Pelicans got to him in the fourth...HANSER ALBERTO opened the frame and scored three batters later on a sacrifice fly from JORGE ALFARO to tie things up. PRESTON BECK then launched his seventh home run, a solo shot to right field, to put the Pelicans up 2-1...It was the first of four lead changes on the night...NICK VICKERSON and CHRIS GRAYSON both doubled to bring across a third run in the inning...Lynchburg brought ten men to the plate in the inning, eight against starter CHAD BELL and two against Pelicans reliever CODY BUCKEL. Blake Brown plated two with a double in his Hillcats debut, and another scored on a bases loaded walk handed out by Bell. A fourth run came across on a bases loaded wild pitch uncorked by Buckel...The Hillcats added another run, unearned, off of JASON KNAPP in the sixth to extend the lead to 6-3...The Birds came storming back with a big rally in the seventh against one of the standout relievers for the Hillcats, Nate Hyatt. Myrtle Beach scored four runs on three hits and four walks. NICK WILLIAMS knocked in one with a single and a double from Alfaro brought around a second.

With the bases loaded, Grayson then landed a soft single in shallow center field, bringing two runs across to give the Pelicans a 7-6 advantage...In the bottom of the inning, with two on and two out, Eric Garcia floated a single down the left field line to score two runs and put Lynchburg ahead 8-7...The Hillcats added two more off of ABEL DE LOS SANTOS in the eighth inning, making the score 10-7...Alex Wilson walked two but pitched a scoreless ninth to end it...Wilson (4-2) picked up the win in relief, while Knapp (1-2) took the loss-his first since April 4.

PERFECTION TARNISHED ON THE HILL: For the first time this season, the Pelicans were beat in Lynchburg. The club had previously been 4-0 against the Hillcats in "The Hill City." Myrtle Beach is now only undefeated in one road ballpark, Salem Memorial Ballpark, where they are 4-0 against the Red Sox, sweeping them in mid-April.

The Birds are perfect at home against one club, the Winston-Salem Dash (3-0) and will host the Dash beginning tomorrow for a three- game series.

FORMER FLAME REIGNITING: Pelicans outfielder CHRIS GRAYSON hit safely in 12 of 13 games before falling into a four- game hitless streak early in the second half. He has come alive the last three games, however. The former Lee University Flame is 5-for-his-last-12, including his first four hits with runners in scoring position, and has filled up the box score with a home run, his first, two doubles, five RBI, and four runs scored over the last three days.

THE HOME RUN RECIPE: Myrtle Beach leads the Carolina League in homers with 71 and have hit multiple home runs in a game 17 times this season, most recently on Saturday. The club is 16-1 in those games with the only loss coming in a 5-4 defeat at Frederick on May 21. DAVID LYON and CHRISTOPHER BOSTICK both homered in that game, and the difference in the game was an uneared run off of ALEXANDER CLAUDIO, now in Double-A, in the seventh inning.

SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL: Counting the announcement of the initial roster as a transaction, the Pelicans had just 23 total transactions through the end of May. The club has had 31 moves this month alone, most recently on Wednesday. Left-handed pitcher ALEXANDER CLAUDIO was promoted to Double-A Frisco, while righty JOSE MONEGRO was transferred down to Class-A Hickory. Right-handed pitcher RYAN BORES returns from Frisco. He spent part of April with the team.

(ONE OF) THE BEST AROUND: The Birds possess the sixth-best record in full-season MiLB, jumping up two spots with their win on Tuesday. They trail the South Atlantic League's Savannah Sand Gnats (51-26) and Hagerstown Suns (52-29), the Midwest League's Kane County Cougars (53-27), the Eastern League's Portland Sea Dogs (54-27), and the Southern League's Hunstville Stars (53-28). All six teams won yesterday.

ALL OF THE LIGHTS: On July 3rd, the Pelicans will host the Winston-Salem Dash in Minor League Baseball's Game of the Week on CBS Sports Network. First pitch is slated for 8:05 p.m. and gates will open at 6:00 p.m. The Pelicans were selected as one of 15 MiLB teams to host a nationally televised game this season...Highlights of the night will include skydivers from the All-Veteran Parachute Team and post-game fireworks courtesy of Kangaroo Express, as well as pre-game autographs with team mascots, Splash and Rally...A total of 28 MiLB teams are being featured on the Game of the Week, as well as eight different leagues and more than 20 Major League Baseball affiliations.

THE BEST CATCHER IN THE WORLD?: Just like 2013, Rangers farmhands JORGE ALFARO and JOEY GALLO were named to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. Neither participated last year due to injury but are both currently on their respective active rosters at the moment. Alfaro and Braves minor leaguer (and former Hillcat) Christian Bethancourt are the two catchers on the World Team. The game will be played before the on Sunday, July 13 at Target Field at 5:00 p.m. and will air on MLB Network.

STRUTTING THEIR FEATHERS: The Pelicans roster currently features four players highlighted in Baseball America's list of the Rangers' Top 30 prospects, including two of the top 5, and two in the overall top 100 in MiLB. Catcher JORGE ALFARO (ranked No.

2 in the Rangers Top 30, No. 54 in the overall Top 100) and NICK WILLIAMS (3, 97) rank in the top 100. The other two players in the Texas Top 30 are RHP JOSE LECLERC (16) and LHP ALEXANDER CLAUDIO (27). Unranked in the top 30, CHRIS GARIA is the "Fastest Baserunner" and PRESTON BECK has the "Best Outfield Arm." CHRISTOPHER BOSTICK, traded from Oakland in December, was ranked No. 18 in the Athletics' top 30 by BA. Third baseman JOEY GALLO (4, 60) and RHPs ALEX "CHI CHI" GONZALEZ (5) and KEONE KELA (18) were all on the Pelicans' Opening Day Roster and are now with the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders.

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Carolina League Stories from June 30, 2014


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