July 24: Mudcats at Wood Ducks Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at DOWN EAST WOOD DUCKS (TEXAS RANGERS)
Wednesday, July 24, 2019 11:00 AM | Game 102, Away Game 48 | Grainger Stadium (4,100) | Kinston, NC
RADIO: WZAX, 99.3 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: N/A
Overall Record: CAR: 55-46; DE: 68-33
Streaks: CAR: W2; DE: L2
Last 10 Games: CAR: 4-6, DE: 6-4
Home Record: CAR: 32-22; DE: 29-19
Road Record: CAR: 23-24; DE: 39-14
Division Record: CAR: 20-24; DE: 34-14
Current Series: First game (of 3)
Season Series: DE leads 8-3 (of 20)
CAR v. OPP: 1-6 @CAR (10), 2-2 @OPP (10)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
WED, 7/24 at DE, 11:00 AM: Carolina LHP Aaron Ashby (2-4, 4.12) at Down EastLHP Sal Mendez (5-0, 2.17)
THU, 7/25 at DE, 5:00 PM: Carolina RHP Nelson Hernandez (10-6, 4.54) at Down East RHP Reid Anderson (5-5, 3.84)
THU, 7/25 at DE, TBD: Carolina RHP Noah Zavolas (5-5, 3.09) at Down East RHP Tim Brennan (2-0, 2.45)
TODAY: Following last night's rain-out and winners of two straight, the Mudcats begin a new six game road trip today with game one of a three game series versus the Southern Division leading Down East Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, NC... Today's game is the first of three in the series and the fourth of 12 second half meetings between the two teams. It is also the 12th of 20 overall games between Down East and Carolina this year... Carolina is just 3-8 against the Wood Ducks this season, including a 1-6 record at home and 2-2 record on the road versus Down East. The current series marks Carolina's second overall trip to Kinston this season as the Mudcats have not faced the Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium since splitting a four game set to start 2019 earlier this year.
ICYMI: Carolina was rained out last night and last played on Monday evening versus Wilmington where Matt Smith totaled a career high eight strikeouts and combined with relievers J.T. Hintzen and Justin Topa to retire 18 straight batters to finish off Carolina's series clinching 2-1 victory versus the Blue Rocks at Five County Stadium. Carolina scored both of its runs in the fourth on a game tying triple from Mario Feliciano and a go-ahead RBI single from Ryan Aguilar. The Mudcats were originally down 1-0 in the game after the Blue Rocks took an early lead on a home run from Brewer Hicklen off Smith in the first inning. Carolina then came back with two in the fourth off starter Kris Bubic on Feliciano's triple and Aguilar's single while taking their 2-1 lead in the game.
TODAY'S STARTING PITCHER...
Aaron Ashby: 2-4, 4.12 ERA, 7 GS, 39.1 IP, 21 BB, 29 SO, 1.30 WHIP
Last start, 7/17 vs. MB: L, 4.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO, 84 pitches 
Is 1-2 w/7.04 ERA over last 3 GS (15.1 IP, .305 AVG, 10 BB, 6 SO).
WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is currently 1st in the CL in home runs (15), 1st in RBI (69), 2nd in slugging (.468), 7th in OPS (.789), tied for 8th in hits (94), tied for 2nd in extra-base hits (36) and 2nd in total bases (163)... Ryan Aguilar is currently 2nd in the CL in OPS (.825), 3rd in OBP (.409), 9th in SLG (.416), 10th in hits (93), 2nd in walks (64) and 1st in runs (69)... Payton Henry is tied for 5th in the CL in home runs (10) and 4th in RBI (56)... Matt Hardy is currently 5th in the CL in wins (7) and 7th in games (29)... Rodrigo Benoit is currently tied for 7th in the CL in wins (6), 2nd in games (31) and 3rd in saves (13)... Noah Zavolas is currently 2nd in the CL in ERA (3.09), 1st in innings pitched (116.1) and 1st in WHIP (1.14). Zavolas is also 1st in the CL in FIP (3.11), 2nd in xFIP (3.35), 1st in BB/9 (1.47) and 1st in K/BB (4.58).
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry totaling 51 games behind the plate and Feliciano catching 48 games... The Carolina pitching staff is 30-21 and has totaled a 3.62 ERA (3.0 BB/9, 8.7 SO/9) in games caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 24-24 with a 4.26 ERA (3.1 BB/9, 7.9 SO/9) in games caught by Feliciano.
OF LATE: Carolina is just 4-8 since 7/10 and since going a perfect 6-0 in a home stand played earlier this month from 7/5 through 7/9 (versus Frederick 7/4-7/6 & Lynchburg 7/7-7/9)... The Mudcats have combined to hit just .202 with 3.0 runs/game since 7/10 and have pitched to a 4.04 ERA in that same span.
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 just 5-16 vs. Southern Division teams since 5/24 (vs. DE, 3.5 GB before 5/24) 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 in Zebulon. They are also just 20-24 overall versus their own division this season.
DAY GAMES: The Mudcats are 10-12 in day games this season and are batting a combined .223/.318/.356 over 22 day time starts this season. Carolina's pitchers, meanwhile, have pitched to a 4.74 ERA and .264 average against in day games this season... Payton Henry has been Carolina's top hitter in day games while hitting .308/.372/.513 with three homers and 16 RBI over 21 day games this season... Pat McInerney is batting .300/.378/.525 over 12 day starts... Ryan Aguilar is batting .267/.476/.433 with 19 BB over 20 day games this season... Mario Feliciano has hit just .206/.270/.324 with one home run and 10 RBI over 18 day games this season.
TRENDING: Mario Feliciano has hit safely in five straight games (.333/.333/.667, 1.000 OPS, 7-for-21, 3 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI)... Eddie Silva has hit safely in four straight games (.538/.500/.1.154, 7-for-13) and has slashed .400/.381/.800 with a 1.181 OPS and two, two-run home runs over his last six games (8-for-20, 3 R, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI)... Ryan Aguilar has slashed .295/.431/.497 with a CL best .928 OPS since 6/1 (54 G, 37 R, 44 H, 12 2B, 6 HR, 32 BB, 27 RBI).
YOU RANG:Brice Turang has hit safely in six straight games and is batting .391/.440/.652 with a 1.092 OPS during the streak (9-for-23, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI)... The Brewers promoted Turang to the Mudcats on 7/8 from Low-A Wisconsin where he slashed .287/.384/.376 with a .760 OPS, 21 stolen bases and 31 RBI over 82 games with the Timber Rattlers. He was selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2018 Draft, and at just 19 years old, is currently the youngest player in the Carolina League. He is currently rated as the No. 2 prospect in the Milwaukee farm system.
ALL THE Ks: Carolina batters have combined to total a Carolina League high 1,011 strikeouts this season (5th most in MiLB; one of seven MiLB teams with 1,000+ 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 over 1,400 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.
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.