CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Pelicans Game Notes: 7:05 p.m. vs. Winston-Salem - July 2, 2014

Published on July 2, 2014 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


LAST TIME OUT: The Pelicans defeated the Winston Salem Dash 8-1 on Tuesday night at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark...

ANDREW FAULKNER dazzled on the mound, pitching seven innings, striking out three, and walking one for his sixth win...The Pelicans' bats came alive behind the three RBI performance from JORGE ALFARO...

The Dash struck first in the contest. Jason Coats drove in Joey DiMichele on an RBI single to left field, giving Winston Salem the lead 1-0 after a half inning...the Pelicans responded in the bottom half of the first and scored the final eight runs of the game...In the first, Alfaro hit a seeing- eye single to score CHRIS GARIA from second base. The Pelicans tied the game but took the lead on the next at-bat. PRESTON BECK singled to right field, Alfaro crossed the plate. Myrtle Beach took the lead 2-1...Myrtle Beach added two more runs to the lead in the second inning. HANSER ALBERTO plated an RBI single bringing in CHRIS GRAYSON. In the next at-bat NICK WILLIAMS doubled to deep right field, and Alberto motored around the base paths to score. The Pelicans took a 4-1 lead into the third..The Birds extended their lead by three in the sixth inning bringing seven batters to the plate facing Winston Salem right-hander Brad Goldberg. The Birds capped off the inning with an Alfaro RBI double scoring Kevin Torres and Alberto, putting the Birds ahead 7-1...Faulkner cruised through the Dash lineup after allowing the first run of the contest. The southpaw allowed four hits, struck out three and walked one on the night. When Faulkner exited the game, the Pelicans were ahead 7-1...The Birds added one more run to the lead in the eighth. Williams singled in Garia from second; the Pelicans sealed the deal and won the first game of the series 8-1...

Winston Salem collected only five hits and one walk...Faulkner (6- 1) earned the win and improved to 5-0 at home. He also walked one.

Olacio (0-4) lost the contest.

A HEAPING DOSE OF WINS AND A DASH OF LOSSES: Recent history between the Pelicans and the Dash suggests that the two teams play extremely close season series. Neither team has more than 11 games in the 20-game series series since 2008 (when Myrtle Beach went 14-6), yet Myrtle Beach is dominating the season-set this year. After a loss in the first meeting between the two clubs, the Birds have won six straight against the Dash and have posted a 4-0 record against them by the beach, their only undefeated home record against a Carolina League club.

TRIPLE-THREAT: Pelicans outfielder CHRIS GARIA is in the midst of a breakout season, hitting .288, his highest mark of his career outside of his All-Star Season in the Dominican Summer League in 2011 when he hit .315. With his triple on Monday night, he now has the most triples in the Carolina League since Alex Presley knocked 11 triples in 2009 for the Lynchburg Hillcats. The ten triples is also a career-high for Curaçao native. He is now just five stolen bases shy of his career-high in steals as well and is only two steals back of the active leader in the league, former Coastal Carolina Chanticleer Jacob May of Winston-Salem.

PUT ME IN COACH, I AM READY TO PLAY: Despite somewhat sporadic playing time, first baseman and catcher KEVIN TORRES has hit safely in eigth straight games spanning twelve games that the team has played. He had not appeared since Wednesday when he tripled and doubled in the series finale at Lynchburg on Monday evening. The product of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico has a hit in 16 of the 20 games he's played in since arriving from Hickory on May 29.

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 five games, however. The former Lee University Flame is 7-for-his-last-18, including his first four hits with runners in scoring position, and has filled up the box score with a home run, his first, three doubles, five RBI, seven runs scored, and a steal over the last five days. Tonight, he hits leadoff for the first time this season.

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 had 31 moves in June, most recently this past 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: With yesterday's win, the Birds jumped one spot and now possess the fourth-best record in full-season MiLB. They trail the South Atlantic League's Savannah Sand Gnats (53-26), the Midwest League's Kane County Cougars (54-27), and the Eastern League's Portland Sea Dogs (55-28). The Pelicans have been as high as second overall, when they trailed only the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League.

ALL OF THE LIGHTS: On July 3rd, the Pelicans will host the Winston- Salem Dash in the 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 July 2, 2014


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