CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Pelicans Game Notes: 7:05 vs. Lynchburg - July 12, 2014

Published on July 12, 2014 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


LAST TIME OUT: The Pelicans opened the homestand with a 2-1 victory over the Lynchburg Hillcats on Friday night...The Pelicans got five scoreless innings out of ANDREW FAULKNER and kept the Hillcats hitless with runners in scoring position, stranding 14 baserunners...Faulkner surrendered a two-out triple to Jose Martinez in the first inning but got out of the jam, and his offense then staked him to an early lead...CHRIS GARIA began the first with an infield single.

On a 1-0 pitch, EDWIN GARCIA punched a double to left field that was bobbled by Martinez. The error allowed Garia to score. Braves pitching prospect Lucas Sims then struck out NICK WILLIAMS and JORGE ALFARO before getting PRESTON BECK to fly out to end the inning, limiting the Pelicans to one unearned run...Faulkner, and the rest of Pelicans staff, worked out of trouble most of the night. The Hillcats got a single in the second, had two on with one out in the third and the fourth, and another hit in the fifth but failed to score. Faulkner struck out five, scattering five hits and two walks...The Pelicans tacked on insurance in the fifth inning. With out, Royce Bolinger smacked a line drive solo home run to left field to put the team ahead 2-0...

KEVIN PUCETAS came on in the sixth inning in relief of Faulkner.

He hit Will Skinner to open the frame. After getting a pop out, Emerson Landoni doubled to deep right field to put the Hillcats on the scoreboard, cutting the lead to 2-1. After a walk, Pucetas got out of the spot by retiring Blake Brown and Daniel Carroll...He then tossed a scoreless seventh. Coming back out in the eighth, he walked Landoni with one out, finishing his night. ABEL DE LOS SANTOS entered with the tying run on base. He walked Joe Odom put induced a pop out of Brown and got Carroll to bounce out to end the inning...De Los Santos allowed two more baserunners in the ninth but nailed down the save, getting Justin Bloxom to fly out to end the inning with the tying and go-ahead runs aboard...The Hillcats finished 0-for-10 with runners in soring position and left 14 men on base...Faulkner picked up his eighth win and a win in his fourth straight outing. Sims suffered the defeat, while De Los Santos (7) picked up his seventh save in seven save chances.

LIMITING THE DAMAGE: While the Hillcats outhit the Pelicans last night, the Birds picked up the win, due in large part to Lynchburg's inability to hit with runners in scoring position. The Hillcats went 0-for-10 with runners at second or third last night, and in the ten games against Myrtle Beach, the Hillcats are just .152 (16-for-105) with runners in scoring position. They began the season 0-for-18 with runners in scoring position against the Birds and have more than two hits in those instances in only two of the ten games of the season series.

THE AIKEN ACE: Southpaw ANDREW FAULKNER tossed another five scoreless frames on Friday en route to his eighth win, and fourth straight win, and has not allowed a run in 16 innings, breaking his own streak for longest scoreless stretch by a Pelicans pitcher. He is one of just two Carolina Leaguers to qualify for the ERA title with only one loss (Frederick's Mark Blackmar, 5-1, is the other). Faulkner is second in the league in ERA (2.10) trailing only Ryan Merritt (1.82), and has still yet to allow a home run, now in 94 1/3 innings. He has the most innings of any minor league pitcher without allowing a home run. The next closest is Wilimgton Blue Rocks right-hander Glenn Sparkman (69 1/3 innings).

NO RUST FOR THE WILLIAMS: Since his return from the disabled list on June 23, NICK WILLIAMS is seventh in the Carolina League in hitting (.361) with 14 extra base hits, including five of his ten home runs. Despite hitting .229 in April and missing 14 games due to a hamsting injury, he is second among active players in the league in batting and third in slugging and total bases. That said, for only the second time this season, Williams went hitless in consecutive games over the last two nights. The last time he posted back to back hitless games was April 10-11, and he only had one at bat on April 11 (0- for-1, 4BB).

I'M COMING HOME: Last night, ROYCE BOLINGER played his first home game since May 18. He was activated off of the disabled list on July 4 at Potomac. In his first game back at home, he launched a home run off of right-hander Lucas Sims.

NEW LEVEL, NO PROBLEM: Before the promotion to Myrtle Beach, LEWIS BRINSON was in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak with the Hickory Crawdads. He hit safely in each of his first two Carolina League games. Finally, his 15-game hittings streak snapped yesterday. During the fifteen-game stretch, he went 26-for-59 (.424) with four doubles, seven homers, and 17 RBI.

LIGHTS OUT LECLERC: Flamethrower JOSE LECLERC picked up two saves in the series at Potomac and tossed a scoreless inning on Thursday, retiring all ten batters he faced over three outings on the recent road trip, including five on strikes. He has retired 15 batters in a row and Carolina Leaguers are 0-for-their-last-18 against him with three walks. He just surpassed KEONE KELA for the longest stretch of consecutive batters faced by a Pelicans reliever this season and is tied with ANDREW FAULKNER for the longest such overall streak, 15 batters retired in a row, set in his May 31 start against the Carolina Mudcats.

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 on Sunday, July 13 at Target Field at 5:00 p.m. and will air on MLB Network. Alfaro left today for Minnesota.

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 players in the Texas Top 30 are OF LEWIS BRINSON (15) and RHP JOSE LECLERC (16). 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), KEONE KELA (18), and LHP ALEXANDER CLAUDIO (27) 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 12, 2014


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