July 1: Mudcats at Pelicans Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (CHICAGO CUBS)
Monday, July 1, 2019 | 7:05 PM | Game 81, Away Game 39 | TicketReturn.com Field | Myrtle Beach, SC
RADIO: WDWG 98.5 FM, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 45-35; MB: 26-52
Streaks: CAR: L1; MB: L1
Last 10 Games: CAR: 6-4, MB: 5-5
Home Record: CAR: 23-19; MB: 13-27
Road Record: CAR: 22-16; MB: 13-25
Division Record: CAR: 19-19; MB: 13-30
Current Series: First Game (of 3)
Season Series: CAR leads 5-1 (of 15)
CAR v. OPP: 3-0 @CAR (6), 2-1 @OPP (9)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
MON, 7/1 at MB, 7:05 PM: Carolina LHP Aaron Ashby (1-1, 1.80) at Myrtle Beach RHP Paul Richan (7-3, 4.48)
TUE, 7/2 at MB, 7:05 PM: Carolina RHP Nelson Hernandez (8-5, 4.72) at Myrtle Beach LHP Ryan Kellogg (1-5, 4.80)
WED, 7/3 at MB, 7:05 PM: Carolina RHP Noah Zavolas (4-3, 3.07) at Myrtle Beach RHP Erich Uelmen (2-2, 4.05)
TONIGHT: Following yesterday's series and home stand finale loss to the Potomac Nationals, the Mudcats now begin a new three game road trip tonight with game one of a three game series versus the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at TicketReturn.com Field in Myrtle Beach. Today's game is the first of three in the series and seventh of 15 total meetings between the two teams this season. It is also the first of nine second half meetings between Carolina and Myrtle Beach. Carolina swept the last series between the two teams in mid-May (5/10-5/12) at Five County Stadium. Carolina also took two of three versus the Pelicans in Myrtle Beach in late April (4/23-4/25).
ICYMI: Ryan Aguilar went 2-for-3 with a run and starter Matt Smith pitched through five scoreless innings, but the Mudcats failed to finish off a series sweep while falling 9-1 to Potomac on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium. Sunday's series and home stand finale was scoreless through the fifth and tied at 1-1 through the sixth before the Nationals broke it open while winning 9-1. Relievers Justin Topa, Clayton Andrews and Phil Bickford combined to allow eight runs on 10 hits in the eighth and ninth innings in the Carolina loss.
TONIGHT'S CAROLINA MUDCATS STARTING PITCHER...
Aaron Ashby: 1-1, 1.80 ERA, 3 GS, 20.0 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 21 BB, 21 SO
Last start - 6/26 vs. DE: L, 5.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 HB, 3 BB, 5 SO, 96 pitch.
Rated as the No. 9 prospect in the MIL system per MLBpipeline.com.
Led Midwest League in strikeouts (80) before promotion to High-A.
JUNE BATS: Carolina went 16-11 in June; tied for 2nd in most wins in the CL last month behind Down East (18-8). The Mudcats offense also finished the month of June ranked 1st in the CL in runs scored (124), 3rd in team average (.257), 3rd in home runs (18), 1st in OBP (.343), 4th in SLG (.384) and 2nd in OPS (.728). Carolina's offense has also averaged 9.07 SO per game in June; down from 10.81 SO/G in April and 11.37 SO/G in May.
GIDP GROWTH: Mario Feliciano hit into a double play to end the first inning in yesterday's loss to the Nationals. The GIDP was just his fourth hit into this season, but his third GIDP since 6/20. With yesterday's GIDP, the Mudcats have now hit into 12 double plays over their last seven games, 16 in their last 11 games and a CL high 33 GIDPs last month... The Mudcats lead the CL in most GIDPs this season having hit into 66 double plays in 2019... Payton Henry leads the CL with 13 GIDP overall, including eight so far in June. Devin Hairston hit into seven double plays last month.
WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is currently 1st in the CL in home runs (14), 2nd in RBI (54), 2nd in slugging (.461), 10th in OPS (.774), 4th in extra-base hits (27) and 2nd in total bases (129)... Ryan Aguilar is currently 9th in the CL in batting (.279), 4th in OBP (.406), 5th in OPS (.802), 2nd in walks (50) and 1st in runs (53)... Payton Henry is tied for 4th in the CL in home runs (9), 6th in the CL in RBI (45) and tied for 6th in XBH (26)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 2nd in the CL in wins (7) and tied for 3rd in the CL in games (25)... Rodrigo Benoit is currently tied for 3rd in the CL in wins (6), tied for 2nd in games (26) and 2nd in the CL in saves (12)... Noah Zavolas is currently 3rd in the CL in ERA (3.07), 1st in the CL in innings pitched (91.0) and 2nd in WHIP (1.18). Zavolas is also 2nd in the CL in FIP (3.09), 2nd in xFIP (3.30), 2nd in BB/9 (1.29) and 2nd in K/BB (5.15) per Fangraphs.com... Nelson Hernandez is 6th in the CL in average against (.246), 3rd in innings (87.2) and 1st in games started (16).
CAROLINA LEAGUE LEADERS - TWO-OUT RBI
Player Team RBI HR AVG OPS
Henry, P CAR 25 6 .258 .844
Corredor, A POT 22 3 .230 .635
Feliciano, M CAR 21 6 .264 .910
Henry, R CAR 20 3 .258 .871
BEANBALLS: The Carolina offense has combined to total a professional baseball high (MLB & MiLB) 70 hit-by-pitches this season. The Mudcats also totaled a Carolina League high 24 HBP in June.
ALL THE Ks: Carolina batters have combined to total a Carolina League high 833 (4th most in MiLB) strikeouts this season. The Mudcats are on pace to set a league and franchise record for strikeouts for the third straight season as they are on pace for 1,447 strikeouts this season. Carolina batters combined to total a CL and franchise record 1,311 strikeouts last season; breaking the previous CL and franchise record of 1,245 SO set by Carolina in 2017.
AG DEPARTMENT: Ryan Aguilar has totaled three straight multi-hit games and is batting .444/.500/.704 with a 1.204 OPS over his last seven games (12-for-27, 6 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB)... Aguilar started in center field for the first time since 5/4 in yesterday's game versus Potomac. Aguilar has been Carolina's primary first baseman this season and leads CL first baseman in fielding this year (71 G, .995 PCT, 3 E), but has started in center five times this season. Aguilar started in center 55 times last season (.993 PCT, 6 A, 1 E).
TALE OF TWO HALVES: Mario Feliciano began June batting .429/.489/.905 with a 1.394 OPS (18-for-42, 3 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 13 RBI) in 12 games between 6/1 and 6/12. He then, however, finished the month hitting just .151/.182/.151 with a .333 OPS (8-for-13, 3 R, 0 XBH, 6 RBI, 17 SO) over the final 13 games last month between 6/13 and 6/30.
TRENDING: Payton Henry has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games while batting .333/.392/.556 with a .948 OPS (15-for-45, 4 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 5 RBI) since 6/16... Rob Henry is batting .318/.438/.379 with a .816 OPS over 19 games in June (21-for-66, 14 R, 4 2B, 9 RBI, 12 BB)... Julio Garcia has totaled three two-hit games over his last eight and is batting .286/.333/.321 (8-for-28, 4 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI) since 6/21.. Michael Petersen is 0-0 with a 1.08 ERA and just one earned run allowed over his last seven appearances and 8.1 IP (5 BB, 14 SO).
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry totaling 41 games behind the plate and Feliciano catching 37 games. Henry, meanwhile, has caught back-to-back games three times this season (4/14 & 4/15, 6/3 & 6/4, 6/26 & 6/27); Feliciano has caught back-to-back games once 6/14 & 6/15.... The Carolina pitching staff is 26-15 and has totaled a 3.49 ERA (3.0 BB/9, 9.0 SO/9) in games caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 18-19 with a 4.43 ERA (3.3 BB/9, 8.0 SO/9) in games caught by Feliciano. 
THE SKIPPER: Manager Joe Ayrault became the winningest manager in Carolina Mudcats team history after collecting his 177th victory as skipper in Carolina on 6/15/19 vs. Winston-Salem. Ayrault is in his 3rd season as Manager of the Mudcats and his 8th season overall as Manager of Milwaukee's High-A affiliate...
MANAGER W L PCT G SEASONS
Joe Ayrault 183 173 .514 356 2017-Present (3)
David Bell 176 239 .424 415 2009-11 (3)
Ron Gideon 126 151 .455 277 2000-01 (2)
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).
... operated under the ownership of the Brewers since Oct. 2017.
... not made the playoffs since the 2008 season.
... not made the playoffs during their Carolina League era.