CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Pelicans Game Notes: 7:05 at Potomac - May 9, 2014

Published on May 9, 2014 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


LAST TIME OUT: The Pelicans scored seven runs in the first two innings on their way to a 10-4 win over the Potomac Nationals at Thursday. CHI CHI GONZALEZ surrendered two runs in seven frames en route to his third win in three starts, and JORGE ALFARO finished a double shy of the cycle and netted four RBI...The Pelicans stand alone with the best record in the Carolina League and are the first team to 20 wins.

THE BATTLE OF THE BESTS: Myrtle Beach won game one of the four game series between the divisions two first place squads. The Pelicans have been in first place in the Southern for most of the year, including the last 23 days. Potomac started off just so-so, but has maintained at least a share of first place since April 19. APPROACHING A MILESTONE: With the win on Thursday, Pelicans manager Joe Mikulik is one shy of 1,000 wins in his managerial career.

He won 41 games as the skipper of the Burlington Indians from '97-'98.

Over 13 seasons with the Asheville Tourists, Mikulik went 938-860. With the 20th Pelicans win last night, Mikulik is now 999-956.

ONE RUN WOES: The Birds won the first four one-run games they played in this season. They lost three games on their last road trip, all by one run and lost Monday night by a run. They are 5-4 now in one- run games, taking Wednesday's game 5-4. The team started 6-1 in games decided by two or fewer runs and are now just 8-6 in those games. HIGH FIVES: Five runs has been the magic number this season. When the Pelicans score five or more runs, they are undefeated at 16-0. They are just 4-12 when scoring fewer than five runs.

WINNING THE GROUND GAME: Myrtle Beach has hit into the fewest ground ball double plays in the league (14). The defense has turned a league-high 33 double plays.

E-ESH!: They Birds played an errorless game for the fourth time this season on Tuesday, ending a stretch of nine straight games with an error. The team has committed 49 errors this season. They lead the Carolina League in the category, tied with Winston-Salem and are tied for fourth-most in MiLB. They are still 22 behind Fort Wayne (71), who has committed the most by far in the minors. The 47 errors have only lead to 25 unearned runs, compared to Winston-Salem who has 45 unearned runs and Fort Wayne who has 41. The club also leads the league in passed balls with seven; all of them have been committed by JORGE ALFARO. Alfaro has made eight errors which is the most among the Rangers minor leaguers as well, tied with his teammate, second baseman CHRISTOPHER BOSTICK and Hickory's NICK VICKERSON.

THE HENDERSON HAMMER: Joey Gallo homered twice on Wednesday. He has homered multiple times in a game on 12 occasions in his career (2 in 2012, 7 in 2013, 3 this season) and on consecutive days 21 times (13 in 2012, six in 2013, two this year). He has won Carolina League Player of the Week award twice. He now leads the minors in homers and is tied with Chicago White Sox rookie Jose Abreu with the professional lead (12). He led all of minor league baseball in 2013 with 40 home runs.

He has more homers than 10 minor league teams, including one team in the Carolina League (Wilmington). Among qualifying players, he is second in the minors in slugging and OPS and 8th in runs scored.

THE CURAÇAOAN CRUISER: Outfielder CHRIS GARIA is coming off of an incredible series. He went 6-for-11 with a steal. The Willemstad, Curaçao native collected three infield hits, including two bunt hits, on Tuesday. Wednesday, Garia tripled twice. He has hit safely in five straight games, raising his average from .250 to .317. He is eighth among Rangers minor leaguers in average and tied with teammates ODUBEL HERRERA for first in steals.

FROM THE BEACH TO THE BIGS: 2013 Pelicans 2B ROUGNED ODOR was promoted to the major leagues on Thursday by the Texas Rangers, along with double play partner LUIS SARDINAS. Odor went 0-for-4 playing second base and batting eighth in his debut. He is the 124th Pelican to play in the big leagues and the 113th to make his debut after his time in Myrtle Beach (six were MLB rehabbers, four previously played in the majors and made it back, and another (Ryan Drese, was a former big leaguer that did not make it back). Odor joins, Sardinas and NICK MARTINEZ as members of the 2013 Pelicans squad that have made the big leagues for the first time this season. NEIL RAMIREZ, a Pelican in 2011 also made his major league debut this season. Odor hit .305 with 33 doubles, four triples, and five home runs with 59 RBI and 27 steals for the Pelicans in 2013 before his August 1 promotion to Double-A.

STRUTTING THEIR FEATHERS: The Pelicans roster currently features six players highlighted in Baseball America's list of the Rangers' Top 30 prospects, including four of the top 5, and three 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), NICK WILLIAMS (3, 97) and third baseman JOEY GALLO (4, 60) rank in the top 100. The other four players in the Texas Top 30 are RHPs ALEX "CHI CHI" GONZALEZ (5), JOSE LECLERC (16), and LHP ALEXANDER CLAUDIO (27). The publication also tabbed Gallo in their Top Tools superlatives as the "Best Power Hitter" and "Best Infield Arm". 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.

TODAY'S OPPOSING STARTER: Makes his second start after six bullpen outings...first appearance against the Pelicans....LAST TIME OUT: 5/4 at WS: ND, 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K...OTHER 2014 NOTES: Tossed five straight scoreless innings out of the pen just before move to the rotation...IN 2013: Spent most of the season in the Midwest League with the Beloit Snappers as an Oakland farmhand, where he was teammates with Pelicans 2B Christopher Bostick...went 9-5 with 3.56 ERA for Snappers, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen...traded from OAK to WSH in exchange for catcher Kurt Suzuki on August 23, 2013...Tossed 8.1 scoreless innings for Class-A Hagerstown to finish the year...IN 2012: Spent all of his first pro season with Oakland's AZL club, going 3-0 with a 1.20 ERA, mostly working out of the 'pen...was named to Arizona Rookie League post-season All-Star team...BIO: 6'2" 200, 23 yrs (4/2/91), from Moline, IL (IL/IA border)...drafted 9th round in 2012 by OAK out of Indiana State (same school as 2012 Pelican Ryan Strausborger and current Wilmington Blue Rock Sean Manaea)...not ranked by Baseball America as a top-30 Nationals farmhand, but listed seventh on the depth chart among RH relief pitchers....COLLEGE: Finished career at Indiana State, where he played with Sean Manaea his final year...Transfered from Southeastern Community College (IL)... Was a two-time all conference selection at SCC...As freshman earned (7-2) record with 3.38 ERA to complement 60 strikeouts in 74.2 innings. Lowered ERA to 2.31 as a sophomore striking out 62 batters in 70 innings on the mound... 2012 MVC Newcomer of the Year and First-Team All-MVC pick after going (7- 4) with a staff-best 2.37 ERA in 116.2 innings racking up 89 strikeouts.

Sent Indiana State to a regular season MVC Championship with complete game win over Missouri State on 5/17/12...HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered in baseball for two seasons at Moline High School (IL) and also played basketball. OTHER NOTES: Former roommate of Athletics top prospect (#1 per Baseball America), SS Addison Russell. ..Made buzz in 2013 as the "Whitewall Ninja," hiding on the field during games in an all white costume, disguised against white banners on the outfield wall...

Check out the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Carolina League Stories from May 9, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central