CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Pelicans Game Notes: 7:00 p.m. ET at Winston-Salem Dash - June 17, 2015

Published on June 17, 2015 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


First pitch from BB&T Ballpark in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is set for 7:00 p.m.

PELICANS: RHP Fernando Cruz (0-1, 1.64 ERA) | DASH: RHP James Dysktra (3-4, 4.00 ERA)

The Pelicans' Magic Number is 3 with five games left (Salem, in second place, plays six more games)

Today's game can be heard on WRNN AM 1450 ESPN Myrtle Beach, online and on mobile devices via TuneIn Radio, or on the MiLB First Pitch App. The broadcast is presented by Courtyard Myrtle Beach at Barefoot Landing. Pregame Show coverage begins at 6:40 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: Behind seven scoreless frames from starter DUANE UNDERWOOD JR., the Pelicans shutout the Winston-Salem Dash 6-0 on Tuesday night...Myrtle Beach scored a run in the second on a double from CARLOS PENALVER and never looked back...first baseman JACOB ROGERS finished a triple shy of the cycle...MICHAEL HEESCH finished the shutout with two scoreless innings.

3 IS A MAGICAL NUMBER: The Pelicans franchise has won its first-half title four times in the last seven years, and twice the team has won both the first and second-half titles (2014 and 2008). With its magic number down to 3, the club is very close to winning another First Half Southern Division Championship. Salem's elimination number is three, while Carolina's is two. For the Pelicans to eliminate each of them and win the title, they would have to combine wins and opposing losses that amount to three for Salem and two for Carolina. In 16 seasons prior to this year, the Pelicans have won two Mills Cup Championships (one co-championship in '99, outright in '00), have made eight postseason appearances, including four straight, behind ten half-season Southern Division championships, including both halves in 2014, as well as four Southern Division titles, most recently this past season.

HEY NOW YOU TOO ARE AN ALL-STAR: Pelicans third baseman Jeimer Candelario was added to the All-Star Roster today for the Carolina League for the upcoming 2015 California League vs. Carolina League All-Star Game. He joins starting pitchers JONATHAN MARTINEZ and DUANE UNDERWOOD JR. as well as outfielder MARK ZAGUNIS from the Pelicans. Pitching coach DAVID ROSARIO and assistant coach CHRIS GUTIERREZ will also serve on Potomac manager Tripp Keister's staff. The game will be played in Rancho Cucamonga, California at LoanMart Field, home of the Quakes (Class A-Advanced, Los Angeles Dodgers), on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at 7:35 p.m. PT / 10:35 p.m. ET.

YOU CAN BET ON A WIN: The Pelicans have been tremendously successful on the road this season, with the best road record in the league at 23-11. The Birds are facing a series loss, something they have done only once on the road this year and not since the end of April when they lost two of three at Wilmington April 28-30. The Pelicans have won six, lost one, and split two road series this season.

OH TO BE YOUNG: For the third time this season and fourth time in his career, CHESNY YOUNG is in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak, the longest of his career. During the nine-game stretch, Young is hitting .389 (14-for-36) with two doubles and three RBI and has four multi-hit games during the run. He's been a spark for the offense, scoring in six of those contests as well, including a two-run game on June 10 at Frederick. The second-year pro leads the Cubs organization in hitting at .343 across two levels, a mark that is tenth in Minor League Baseball. With the Pelicans, Young is currently batting .369 in 32 games. If he were to complete the season with that average, it would be the second-highest average in the league since 1981: Jim Negrych hit .370 for Lynchburg in 2008. Only two Pelicans have led the league in batting in the 16 years of the team: MARCUS GILES batted .326 in 1999, while CARL LODENTHAL hit .323 in 2006.

UNDERWOOD EYES THE TOP: While CHESNY YOUNG is on-pace for a record-breaking offensive season, DUANE UNDERWOOD JR. is closing in on the club's ERA record. In a minimum of 112 innings (0.8/game over a 140 game season), KENNY "BUBBA" NELSON has the lowest ERA in franchise history, and it's not close. He 1.72 mark is over a half-run lower than second place ROBBIE ROSS (2.26, 2011). With his seven scoreless innings last night, Underwood is now at 1.85, which is second-best in the league and third best in the Cubs system. He is also now on-pace for 12 wins, which would be the most by a Pelicans pitcher since SCOTT DIAMOND went 12-2 in 2008.

A HIT IS A HIT (UNLESS IT'S A WALK OR A HBP): MARK ZAGUNIS has excelled in many offensive areas this year but his best skill has been his ability to get on base. His .426 on-base percentage is best on the team, tops in Class-A Advanced baseball, second in the Cubs organization (Kyle Schwarber .438), and eighth in all of MiLB. Zagunis is currently in the midst of a 31-game road on-base streak, tied with Kevin Heller of Salem last year for the longest such streak in the league since 2009.

PROSPECT 8-PACK: Eight of the 25 active players on the roster are ranked in the Cubs Top 30 prospects according to MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Watch and seven in Baseball America's Top 30. The balanced roster has four position players and four pitchers ranked: RHPs PAUL BLACKBURN (No. 24 MLB.com/No. 18 Baseball America), DAURY TORREZ (22/30), JEN-HO TSENG (8/11), DUANE UNDERWOOD (6/10), C VICTOR CARATINI (16/13), 3B JEIMER CANDELARIO (12/24), 2B DANIEL LOCKHART (No. 29/NR), and OF MARK ZAGUNIS (15/15). Baseball America also lauded a handful of Pelicans players with "Best Tools" labels. Caratini is the "Best Defensive Catcher" in the system according to the 2015 Prospect Handbook, CARLOS PENALVER as the "Best Defensive Infielder," Tseng has the "Best Control" and "Best Changeup," Underwood possesses the "Best Fastball," and Zagunis has "Best Strike Zone Discipline." They also list JUAN PANIAGUA as the top "Sleeper" prospect. Outfielders BILLY MCKINNEY (9/6) and JACOB HANNEMANN (21/17, and BA's "Fastest Baserunner,") were on the roster but have since been promoted. ANDREW ELY, named by BA as the "Best Defensive Player" from the Cubs 2014 draft class, was on the club's Opening Day roster but went down to South Bend.

MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS LINEUP

6 Mark Zagunis RF

20 Pin-Chieh Chen LF

3 Chesny Young DH

24 Jeimer Candelario 3B

27 Jacob Rogers 1B

17 Victor Caratini C

1 Carlos Penalver SS

7 Daniel Lockhart 2B

15 Trey Martin CF

9 Fernando Cruz RHP

WINSTON-SALEM DASH LINEUP

7 Adam Engel CF

3 Jake Peter 2B

20 Keon Barnum 1B

22 Omar Narvaez C

15 Nolan Earley RF

17 Toby Thomas 3B

5 Cleuluis Rondon SS

4 T.J. Williams DH

1 Michael Suiter LF

18 James Dysktra RHP

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