8/21: Mudcats at Pelicans Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (CHICAGO CUBS)
Wednesday, August 21, 2019 | 7:05 PM | Game 127, Away Game 64 | TicketReturn.com Field (6,599) | Myrtle Beach, SC
RADIO: WDWG, 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 62-64; MB: 51-73
Streaks: CAR: L1; MB: W3
Last 10 Games: CAR: 3-7, MB: 6-4
Home Record: CAR: 34-29; MB: 28-40
Road Record: CAR: 28-35; MB: 23-33
Division Record: CAR: 24-39; MB: 24-35
Current Series: MB leads 1-0 (of 3)
Season Series: MB leads 7-6 (of 15)
CAR v. OPP: 4-2 @CAR (6), 2-5 @OPP (9)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
WED, 8/21 at MB, 7:05 PM: Carolina RHP Matt Smith (4-10, 3.51) at Myrtle Beach TBD
THU, 8/22 at MB, 7:05 PM: Carolina RHP Wuilder Rodriguez (0-0, 9.00) at Myrtle Beach LHP Brenden Little (1-1, 7.27)
FRI, 8/23 vs. LYN, 7:00 PM: Lynchburg TBA vs. Carolina TBA
TONIGHT: Following last night's loss, the Mudcats continue a six-game, seven day, road trip tonight with the middle game of a three game series versus the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Ticketreturn.com Field in Myrtle Beach, SC... The Pelicans scored six runs in the first last night while eventually winning last night's series opener 6-2 and taking a 1-0 lead in the current series. Myrtle Beach also went up 7-6 in the overall season series between the two teams with last night's victory. The Mudcats finished the 2019 home slate at 4-2 against the Pelicans, but are just 2-5 in Myrtle Beach so far this season. Tonight's game is the second of three in the series and the eighth of nine second half meetings between the two teams. It is also the 14th and penultimate meeting of 15 overall games between the two teams this season.
ICYMI: Pat McInerney went 3-for-4 with two doubles, Rob Henry went 1-for-4 with a RBI and two outfield assists and relievers Matt Hardy and Cody Beckman combined to throw five and 1/3 scoreless frames with eight strikeouts, but the Mudcats lost game one of a three game series in Myrtle Beach as the Pelicans scored six runs in the first en route to a 6-2 victory on Tuesday night in Myrtle Beach. The Pelicans rallied for six runs and five hits in the first while taking a commanding 6-0 lead in the opening frame. Starter Christian Taugner allowed all six runs and all five hits in the first while taking the loss for the Mudcats. Carolina later scored once in the fourth and once more in the seventh, but ended up dropping the series opener 6-2 while falling to 2-2 in their current road trip.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Mudcats were undone by a six-run first inning in last night's 6-2 loss to the Pelicans. Last night's game marked the third straight game for the Mudcats that saw a single inning with at least five runs scored. Carolina used a five-run ninth to come back and defeat the Hillcats 8-7 in Lynchburg on Saturday, 8/17 and a six-run fourth on Sunday, 8/18 to defeat Lynchburg again 7-2.
TRAGIC NUMBER: Carolina's playoff elimination number to possibly finish in first place in the CL Southern Division second half race fell to three following last night loss. Additionally, Carolina's tragic number to finish in second place (and a potential playoff spot assuming Down East wins the second half) fell to six after night's loss. The Mudcats failed to reach the playoffs again in 2018, stretching their current playoff drought to seven (7) consecutive Carolina League seasons and 10 straight seasons overall.
CAROLINA'S STARTING PITCHER(S)...
Matt Smith: 4-10, 3.51 ERA, 25/19 G/GS, 102.2 IP, 15 HR, 27 BB, 85 SO
Last start, 8/15 vs. WS: ND, 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 67 p.
Has allowed a home run in three straight starts and 15 HR overall.
CL Ranks: 3rd in ERA (3.51), 3rd in xFIP (3.64), 4th in WHIP (1.24), 2nd in K/BB (3.15) and 3rd in BB% (6.2%).
WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is 1st in the CL in home runs (19), 1st in RBI (78), 1st in slugging (.476), 5th in OPS (.801), 7th in hits (116), 7th in runs (60), 1st in extra-base hits (45) and 1st in total bases (202)... Payton Henry is tied for 3rd in the CL in home runs (14) and 3rd in RBI (72)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 8th in the CL in wins (7) and tied for 8th in games (36)... Cody Beckman is currently tied for 3rd in the CL in games (38)... J.T. Hintzen and Michael Petersen are all currently tied for 6th in the CL in games (37)... Noah Zavolas is currently 2nd in the CL in ERA (2.98), 2nd in innings pitched (133.0) and 1st in WHIP (1.14). Zavolas is also 2nd in the CL in FIP (3.21), 1st in xFIP (3.36), 1st in BB/9 (1.56) and 1st in K/BB (4.43)... Matt Smith is currently 3rd in the CL in ERA (3.51), 3rd in xFIP (3.64), 4th in WHIP (1.24), 2nd in K/BB (3.15) and 3rd in BB% (6.2%).
CAROLINA LEAGUE LEADERS - TWO-OUT RBI
PLAYER TEAM RBI HR AVG OPS
Henry, P CAR 37 7 .255 .803
Feliciano, M CAR 32 10 .312 1.046
Corredor, A POT 29 3 .260 .671
Henry, R CAR 27 3 .237 .802
Reetz, J POT 26 6 .263 .891
OF LATE: The Mudcats have gone just 11-26 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 .209 with 3.18 R/G and a run differential of -32 runs since 7/10. 
HEATING UP: Payton Henry has hit safely in five of his last six games and is batting .348/.375/.565 with a .940 OPS during that span (8-for-23, 3 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI)... Rob Henry has hit safely in five straight games and is batting .389/.450/.611 with a 1.061 OPS during the streak (7-for-18, 2 3B, 5 RBI)... Pat McInerney is 5-for-12 with three doubles over his last three games and is slashing .417/.462/.667 with a 1.128 OPS over that same span of games.
EXCLUSIVE COMPANY: Mario Feliciano currently leads the Carolina League in both home runs and RBI so far this season. Five of the eight last CL players to be named MVP all finished their respective season leading the league in both homers and RBI... 
CAROLINA LEAGUE MVPs TO LEAD CL IN HR AND RBI
PLAYER TEAM YEAR HR RBI
Bobby Dalbec SAL 2018 26 85
Bobby Bradley LYN 2016 29 102
Nellie Rodríguez LYN 2015 17 84
Chris Curley WS 2013 24 92
Ian Gac WS 2011 33 96
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.
STREAKS OF NOTE: Phil Bickford has pitched through 19.0 consecutive scoreless innings (5 BB, 27 SO, 12.8 SO/9) and 10 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 70 straight games without a home run.
ALL THE Ks: The Carolina offense has combined to total a Carolina League high 1,276 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. Carolina has also totaled 343 more strikeouts than hits; the third highest such difference in MiLB.
BEANBALLS: The Carolina offense has combined to total a Carolina League high 95 hit by pitches this season. The Mudcats are also 3rd in MiLB and 3rd in all of baseball in most HBP this season.
KINGS OF THE NORTH: The Mudcats are currently 38-25 versus Carolina League Northern Division teams this season. They have also gone 19-12 versus Northern Division teams since 6/11 (at FRE)... The Mudcats are, however, just 9-31 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 62 games behind the plate and Feliciano starting 59 games at catcher... The Carolina pitching staff is 34-28 and has totaled a 3.57 ERA (2.9 BB/9, 8.7 SO/9, 38.4 CS%) in games started by and caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 27-32 with a 4.22 ERA (3.1 BB/9, 8.0 SO/9, 30.0 CS%) in games caught by Feliciano.
ON THE ROAD: After beginning the current road trip with a two games to one series victory in Lynchburg, the Mudcats have won two straight road series as they also took two of three from Down East two road series ago between 8/6 & 8/8. Carolina had lost six straight away series played before winning their last two... The Mudcats, however, are just 5-14 on the road since 7/13 and at one point lost nine straight road games from 7/13 - 7/28.
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.