8/8: Mudcats at Wood Ducks Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at DOWN EAST WOOD DUCKS (TEXAS RANGERS)
Thursday, August 8, 2019 | 4:30 PM / TBD | Game 115/116, Away Game 58/59 | Grainger Stadium (4,100) | Kinston, NC
RADIO: WDWG, 98.5 FM The Big Dawg
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: N/A
Overall Record: CAR: 57-57; DE: 78-36
Streaks: CAR: L3; DE: W1
Last 10 Games: CAR: 2-8, DE: 7-3
Home Record: CAR: 33-24; DE: 37-21
Road Record: CAR: 24-33; DE: 41-15
Division Record: CAR: 22-35; DE: 40-15
Current Series: DE leads 1-0 (of 3)
Season Series: DE leads 14-4 (of 20)
CAR v. OPP: 2-8 @CAR (10), 2-6 @OPP (10)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
THU, 8/8 at DE, GM:1, 4:30 PM: Carolina RHP Noah Zavolas (6-5, 2.93) at Down East RHP Reid Anderson (6-5, 3.70)
THU, 8/8 at DE, GM:2, TBD: Carolina RHP Matt Hardy (7-2, 3.69) at Down East LHP John King (2-3, 2.05)
FRI, 8/9 vs. SAL, 7:00 PM: Salem TBA at Carolina RHP Christian Taugner (5-7, 4.80)
TONIGHT: Following last night's rain out, the Mudcats continue a six game, seven day, road trip tonight with a doubleheader and games two and three of a three game series at Grainger Stadium versus the Down East Wood Ducks... Tonight's doubleheader accounts for the final two games of the three-game series and the 19th and 20th of 20 total meetings between the two teams this season. The Wood Ducks won Tuesday's series opener 6-4 in walk-off fashion and lead the current series 1-0. Down East also leads the overall season series 14-4 while going 6-2 vs. Carolina in Kinston and 8-2 in Zebulon this year. 
ICYMI: Last night's game was rained out, but the Wood Ducks lead the series 1-0 after taking Tuesday's series opener 6-4. That game saw Tristen Lutz hit a game tying home run in the fourth, Devin Hairston delivered a go-ahead two-run, two-out double in the eighth, but Curtis Terry hit a three-run walk-off home run for Down East as the Wood Ducks defeated the Mudcats for the 15th time this season.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Down East's Curtis Terry hit a walk-off home run in the ninth last night while leading the Wood Ducks to a 6-4 victory versus the Mudcats. The walk-off / last at bat loss was Carolina's fifth overall this season and the club's second walk-off / last at bat loss to the Wood Ducks this season... The Mudcats fell to an overall record of 57-57 following last night's loss and are back to an even .500 overall for the first time since they were 2-2 on 4/8.
CAROLINA'S STARTING PITCHER(S)...
Noah Zavolas: 6-5, 2.93 ERA, 21 GS, 129.0 IP, 21 BB, 98 SO, 1.11 WHIP
Last start, 8/1 vs. DE: W, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 SO, 97 pitches
Post All-Star: 3-2, 2.00 ERA, 8 GS, 54.0 IP, .196 AVG, 9 BB, 45 SO

Matt Hardy: 7-2, 3.69 ERA, 32/2 G/GS, 61.0 IP, 14 BB, 73 SO, 1.25 WHIP
Last start, 7/28 at FAY: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 5 SO, 80 pitches
Starter: 0-1, 5.19 ERA, 2/2 G/GS, 8.2 IP, 13 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO
FIRST: Carolina has scored first in a game just three times since 7/15 and have gone 5-15 in that span. They have also scored first in a game six times since 7/10 and are 6-19 during that span of games. The Mudcats had scored first in six straight games from 7/5-7/9 and went 6-0 in that stretch of games... Carolina has additionally been outscored 16-6 in the first inning and 38-18 over the first three innings of their last 25 games (since 7/10, overall Carolina is 6-19 in that same span).
OF LATE: The Mudcats have gone just 6-19 since 7/10 and since starting the second half at 12-8 over their first 20 games following the All-Star break (6/20-7/9)... The Mudcats have also combined to hit just .205 with 2.8 R/G and a run differential of -26 runs since 7/10.
WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is 1st in the CL in home runs (17), 1st in RBI (74), 1st in slugging (.465), 8th in OPS (.785), 6th in hits (107), tied for 4th in runs (55), 1st in extra-base hits (41) and 1st in total bases (185)... Payton Henry is tied for 4th in the CL in home runs (11) and 4th in RBI (62)... Tristen Lutz is tied for 4th in the CL in home runs (11), 6th in XBH (34) and 3rd in runs (57)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 7th in the CL in wins (7) and tied for 9th in games (32)... J.T. Hintzen, Michael Petersen and Cody Beckman are currently 4th in the CL in games (34)... Noah Zavolas is currently 2nd in the CL in ERA (2.93), 1st in innings pitched (129.0) and 1st in WHIP (1.11). Zavolas is also 1st in the CL in FIP (3.13), 2nd in xFIP (3.36), 1st in BB/9 (1.47) and 2nd in K/BB (4.67)... Matt Smith is currently 5th in the CL in ERA (3.69), 5th in K/BB (2.81) and 2nd in LOB% (74.2%).
ROAD WOES: The Mudcats had lost nine straight road games before Friday's 2-1 victory in Winston-Salem. Carolina is, however, just 2-17 over the club's last 19 road games. They are also just 5-18 away from home since the All-Star break... Carolina started the season 16-11 over their first eight road series, but have gone 7-18 since. Overall Carolina is 24-33 on the road this season.
LET'S PLAY TWO: The Mudcats will play their second doubleheader in their last 13 games and their eighth doubleheader overall this season when they face off against the Wood Ducks in tonight's series concluding doubleheader. Carolina is 7-7 in twin-bills this season and last played a doubleheader two weeks ago on 7/25 in Kinston where they were swept by Down East... Carolina was 6-4 in doubleheaders last season, 8-8 in 2017; 10-18 in 2016, 8-6 in 2015, 6-8 in 2014, 7-10 in 2013 and 7-10 in 2012.
HEATING UP: Zach Clark has hit safely in six straight and is batting .348/.400/.348 with a .748 OPS during that same span (8-for-23, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 6 SO)... Tristen Lutz has totaled three multi-hit games over his last five games and is batting .353/.389/.529 with a .918 OPS over his last eight games (12-for-34, 4 R, 2 HR).
STREAKS OF NOTE: Phil Bickford has pitched through 10.0 consecutive scoreless innings (4 BB, 15 SO) and six 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 59 games without a home run... Devin Hairston has played through 46 straight games without an error.
KINGS OF THE NORTH: The Mudcats are currently 35-22 versus Carolina League Northern Division teams this season. They have also gone 17-8 versus Northern Division teams since 6/11 (at FRE)... The Mudcats are, however, just 6-27 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 (6/16 vs. WS - 7/3 at MB) 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 58 games behind the plate and Feliciano starting 54 games at catcher... The Carolina pitching staff is 31-27 and has totaled a 3.56 ERA (3.0 BB/9, 8.7 SO/9, 37.0 CS%) in games started by and caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 25-29 with a 4.19 ERA (3.1 BB/9, 7.9 SO/9, 29.8 CS%) in games caught by Feliciano.
ALL THE Ks: The Carolina offense has combined to total a Carolina League high 1,155 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. 
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.