8/17: Mudcats at Hillcats Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (CLEVELAND INDIANS)
Saturday, August 17, 2019 | 6:00 PM | Game 124, Away Game 61 | Calvin Falwell Field (4,281) | Lynchburg, VA
RADIO: WDWG, 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: N/A
Overall Record: CAR: 60-63; LYN: 57-62
Streaks: CAR: L6; LYN: W1
Last 10 Games: CAR: 3-7, LYN: 6-4
Home Record: CAR: 34-29; LYN: 24-28
Road Record: CAR: 26-34; LYN: 33-34
Division Record: CAR: 24-38; LYN: 21-25
Current Series: LYN leads 1-0 (of 3)
Season Series: CAR leads 7-5 (of 17)
CAR v. OPP: 5-2 @CAR (10), 2-3 @OPP (7)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
SAT, 8/17 at LYN, 6:00 PM: Carolina RHP Wuilder Rodriguez (-, -.--) at Lynchburg RHP Brock Hartson (1-1, 2.78)
SUN, 8/18 at LYN, 3:00 PM: Carolina TBA at Lynchburg LHP Kirk McCarty (3-4, 4.74)
MON, 8/19: Off
TONIGHT: Having lost six straight games, the Mudcats continue a six-game, seven day, road trip tonight with the middle game of a three game series in Lynchburg, VA versus the Hillcats... Carolina lost last night's series opener 6-5 while falling behind in the current series one game to none. The Mudcats, however, currently lead the overall season series between the two teams at 7-5, having gone 5-2 against them at home and 2-3 in game versus the HIllcats in Lynchburg so far this season. Tonight's game is the second of three in the series and the fifth of nine second half meetings between the two teams. It is also the 13th of 17 overall games between Lynchburg and Carolina this year.
ICYMI: Rob Henry had a two-out, two-strike, three-run triple in the first while giving his club an early lead, but the Hillcats came back with three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth while erasing a 5-1 deficit while defeating the Mudcats 6-5 in Friday's series opener in Lynchburg at City Stadium. The loss was Carolina's sixth straight. Henry's triple in the first came with two outs in the inning and on a 2-2 pitch from starter Cody Morris. It also came with the bases loaded and drove in three runs while putting the Mudcats up 3-0 early in the game. Henry also added two singles later in the game while going 3-for-4 with three RBI.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Last night marked Rob Henry's first three-hit game of the season... Henry had a three-run triple with two outs in the first, thus raising his season RBI total to 39 RBI overall, 26 of which have been driven in with two outs in an inning this year.
CAROLINA'S STARTING PITCHER(S)...
Wuilder Rodriguez w/AZL Gold: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 4/1 G/GS, 1 BB, 7 SO
Last start, 7/6 vs. SD1: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 20 pitches
Making first start with the Mudcats this season.
Pitched with Carolina in 2017 and 2018 seasons.
2017 CAR: Finished 2nd in CL with 1.63 ERA among pitchers with at least 60.0 IP (behind Corbin Burnes).
OF LATE: The Mudcats have gone just 9-25 since 7/10 and since starting the second half at 12-8 over their first 20 games (6/20-7/9) following the All-Star break... The Mudcats have also combined to hit just .201 with 2.97 R/G and a run differential of -33 runs since 7/10. 
STREAKS OF NOTE: Phil Bickford has pitched through 17.0 consecutive scoreless innings (5 BB, 24 SO) and nine (9) straight scoreless appearances... Rob Henry started the season with six home runs over his first 16 games, but has not homered since 4/19 in Salem while going 67 games without a home run.
WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is 1st in the CL in home runs (19), 1st in RBI (78), tied for 1st in slugging (.477), 4th in OPS (.802), 7th in hits (113), 6th in runs (59), 1st in extra-base hits (44) and 1st in total bases (198)... Payton Henry is tied for 4th in the CL in home runs (13) and 4th in RBI (67)... Tristen Lutz is tied for 4th in the CL in home runs (13), 10th in RBI (53), tied for 3rd in XBH (40) and tied for 3rd in runs (62)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 8th in the CL in wins (7) and tied for 8th in games (35)... Cody Beckman and Michael Petersen are currently tied for 4th in the CL in games (37)... J.T. Hintzen is tied for 7th in the CL in games (36)... Noah Zavolas is currently 2nd in the CL in ERA (2.98), 1st in innings pitched (133.0) and 2nd in WHIP (1.14). Zavolas is also 2nd in the CL in FIP (3.21), 2nd in xFIP (3.36), 1st in BB/9 (1.56) and 2nd in K/BB (4.43).
ALL THE Ks: The Carolina offense has combined to total a Carolina League high 1,243 strikeouts this season (6th most in MiLB). The Mudcats are on pace to set both a CL and franchise record for most strikeouts for the third straight season. 
BEANBALLS: The Carolina offense has combined to total a Carolina League high 94 hit by pitches this season. The Mudcats are also 3rd in MiLB and 3rd in professional baseball in most hit by pitches (94) this season.
EXCLUSIVE COMPANY: Mario Feliciano currently leads the Carolina League in both home runs and RBI so far this season. The last CL player to lead the league in homers and RBI was Salem's Bobby Dalbec who hit 26 home runs and totaled 85 RBI in 2018. Dalbec went on to be named the league's MVP last season. Lynchburg's Bobby Bradley (29 HR, 102 RBI) and Nellie Rodríguez (17 HR, 84 RBI) also led the CL in homers and RBI in 2016 and 2015 respectively and both went on to be named the CL MVP as well. Winston-Salem's Chris Curley (24 HR, 92 RBI) and Ian Gac (33 HR, 96 RBI) also led the CL at year's end in homers in 2013 and 2011 while earning CL MVP honors... The last Mudcats player to finish a season as the league leader (tied with Mobile's Paul Goldschmidt) in homers was Neftali Soto who homered 30 times for the then-Southern League affiliated Mudcats in 2011... Carolina has never had a player finish the season as the league leader in both homers and RBI. However, George Canale led the Southern League in RBI (102) and was second in the home runs (21) in 1995; Mark Johnson led the SL in homers (23) and was third in RBI (85) in 1994.
KINGS OF THE NORTH: The Mudcats are currently 36-25 versus Carolina League Northern Division teams this season. They have also gone 18-12 versus Northern Division teams since 6/11 (at FRE)... The Mudcats are, however, just 9-30 vs. Southern Division teams since 5/25 (vs. DE, 2.5 G back of first before 5/25) and had suffered nine straight losses in games versus Southern Division teams before defeating the Pelicans 3-2 on 7/19. 
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry starting 61 games behind the plate and Feliciano starting 57 games at catcher... The Carolina pitching staff is 33-28 and has totaled a 3.56 ERA (3.0 BB/9, 8.7 SO/9, 37.6 CS%) in games started by and caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 26-31 with a 4.22 ERA (3.1 BB/9, 8.0 SO/9, 30.0 CS%) in games caught by Feliciano.
THE TOP 30: The Carolina roster currently features five of Milwaukee's Top 30 prospects (as rated by MLBPipeline.com) including No. 1 INF Brice Turang, No. 2 OF Tristen Lutz, No. 8 LHP Aaron Ashby, No. 9 C Mario Feliciano and No. 16 C Payton Henry.
THE MUDCATS HAVE…
... played in Zebulon, NC since 1991 (29th season).
... played in the Carolina League since 2012 (8th season).
... been an affiliate of the Brewers since 2017 (3rd season).
... not made the playoffs since the 2008 season.
... not made the playoffs during their Carolina League era.
... operated under the ownership of the Brewers since Oct. 2017.