CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Pelicans Game Notes: 7:05 p.m. ET vs. Carolina Mudcats - July 13, 2015

Published on July 13, 2015 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


First pitch from TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is set for 7:05 p.m.

PELICANS: RHP Paul Blackburn (4-3, 4.66 ERA)| MUDCATS: RHP Seth Webster (4-5, 2.83 ERA)

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 6:45 p.m. The game is also available with live streaming video on MiLB.tv (subscription required).

LAST TIME OUT: Picking up a rain-suspended game from Saturday night leading 1-0, the Pelicans walloped the Mudcats 9-0 to complete game one before falling 2-1 in the second contest, a seven-inning affair...The bullpen fired the final 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball to complete the Pelicans' fifth shutout win in the first game...Andrew Waszak walked five and allowed seven runs, all earned, to allow the Birds to run away with the game...KEVIN BROWN set a career-high with four RBI, including a three-run homer in the seventh...In the second game, JEREMY NULL suffered the loss despite a quality start, allowing two earned runs in six innings on just 68 pitches.

WELCOME BACK PAULY: After 26 games on the disabled list, RHP PAUL BLACKBURN makes his return from the disabled list to start tonight against Carolina. Blackburn is the highest drafted player on the Pelicans roster (56th overall, 2012) and is ranked in the top 25 of Cubs prospects by both Baseball America and MLBPipeline.Com. He last pitched on June 11 at Frederick.

OH TO BE YOUNG AGAIN: CHESNY YOUNG reached safely in both games yesterday, extending his on-base streak to 31. It's the longest such streak in the league since 2012 when Winston-Salem's Carlos Sanchez reached safely in 37 straight games. It's tied with RYAN STRAUSBORGER's 31-game streak from 2011 as the longest on-base streak in team history since the Carolina League and Minor League Baseball began tracking on-base streaks officially in 2009. Along with Sanchez, only three other Carolina Leaguers have posted longer streaks: Caleb Joseph (32, 2009, Frederick), Tim Fedroff (35, 2009, Kinston), and Eric Hosmer (33, 2010, Wilmington). Sanchez's is the longest in recorded league history (2009-present).

I'M SORRY, MR. JACKSON: Allowing home runs is one thing that the Carolina Mudcats' pitching staff has proven it does quite infrequently this season, having surrendered the fewest home runs in the Carolina League (26) across 724 1/3 innings pitched (87 games). However Pelicans outfielder KEVIN BROWN broke that trend last night with his seventh-inning blast in the continuation of Friday's rain-suspended game off of reliever Justin Jackson. With that homer, the Mudcats have surrendered seven bombs to Pelicans hitters, and four of those have been hit off of Mudcats relievers. Overall, the Carolina bullpen has been tagged for 14 long balls this year. The Birds have also hit four of those dingers in the last eight games against Carolina.

LET'S GET SOME RUNS: The Pelicans finally scored on Friday, snapping a 25 inning scoreless streak, the club's third longest in recorded franchise history (dating back to the start of 2004). CARLOS PENALVER drew a bases-loaded walk in the second inning last night, scoring JACOB ROGERS, who had reached on an error, from third base. The stretch was the longest scoreless run since 2007 when the Braves-affiliated Pelicans failed to score in 26 straight innings from the eighth inning on May 14 at Potomac through the end of the sixth inning on May 17 at Wilmington, a game the club would ultimately win 4-0 behind a four-run seventh inning. The longest is a 32-inning streak, July 30-August 4, 2004 behind three straight shutout defeats in the middle of a six-game losing streak. With a five-run sixth inning yesterday, the Pelicans put to bed a 38-inning stretch without scoring an earned run.

STAY IN THE YARD: Although Pelicans relievers have posted the highest ERA this month (3.33) than any other, the Birds bullpen arms have continued an extraordinary streak of keeping the ball in the yard. The last home run allowed by a relief pitcher came on June 13 when JUAN PANIAGUA gave a longball to league-leader LUIGI RODRIGUEZ. Since then, the Pelicans bullpen has tossed 90 2/3 innings and has allowed just six home runs, good for a 0.19 HR/9IP rate. By comparison, the 'pen allowed 0.51 HR/9IP in 2014.

HE'S THE BEST AROUND (OF JUNE): The Chicago Cubs named Pelicans outfielder MARK ZAGUNIS the Cubs Minor League Player of the Month for June last Friday. The 22-year-old led Cubs farmhands in runs (23), on-base percentage (.448), and slugging (.538). He hit 326 (31-for-95) during the month in 26 games, scoring 23 runs, smacking six doubles, a triple, and four home runs. He led all Cubs minor leaguers in on-base percentage (.448), slugging (.538), OPS (.986), and runs scored. This award adds to Zagunis' impressive pile from this season, including Carolina League Player of the Week for the week of June 15-21 and a Carolina League Midseason All-Star selection.

PROSPECT 9-PACK: Nine of 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 five pitchers ranked: RHPs PAUL BLACKBURN (No. 24 MLB.com/No. 18 Baseball America), JEREMY NULL (28/NR), DAURY TORREZ (22/30), JEN-HO TSENG (8/11), DUANE UNDERWOOD (6/10), catcher 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

3 Chesny Young 3B

24 Jeimer Candelario DH

27 Jacob Rogers 1B

17 Victor Caratini C

35 Kevin Brown LF

20 Pin-Chieh Chen CF

7 Daniel Lockhart 2B

1 Carlos Penalver SS

33 Paul Blackburn RHP

CAROLINA MUDCATS LINEUP

32 Keith Curcio CF

34 Connor Lien RF

46 Dustin Peterson LF

10 Carlos Franco 3B

25 Jacob Schrader DH

44 Joey Meneses 1B

36 Jose Briceno C

2 Johan Camargo SS

12 Reed Harper 2B

26 Seth Webster RHP

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