July 27: Mudcats at Woodpeckers Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at FAYETTEVILLE WOODPECKERS (HOUSTON ASTROS)
Saturday, July 27, 2019 | 6:00 PM | Game 106, Away Game 52 | Segra Stadium (4,786) | Fayetteville, NC
RADIO: WDWG, 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 55-50; FAY: 49-56
Streaks: CAR: L4; FAY: W1
Last 10 Games: CAR: 3-7, FAY: 5-5
Home Record: CAR: 32-22; FAY: 25-27
Road Record: CAR: 23-28; FAY: 24-29
Division Record: CAR: 20-28; FAY: 23-25
Current Series: FAY leads 1-0 (of 3)
Season Series: CAR leads 8-6 (of 20)
CAR v. OPP: 4-2 @CAR (10), 4-4 @OPP (10)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
SAT, 7/27 at FAY, 6:00 PM: Carolina RHP Matt Smith (4-8, 3.25) at Fayetteville RHP Shawn Dubin (2-4, 4.69)
SUN, 7/28 at FAY, 6:00 PM: Carolina LHP Aaron Ashby (2-5, 3.63) at Fayetteville RHP Austin Hansen (2-2, 3.90)
MON, 7/29: OFF
TONIGHT: After losing their fourth straight game last night to Woodpeckers, the Mudcats continue a six game road trip tonight with game two of a three game series versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, NC... Tonight's game is the second of seven second half meetings between the two teams and the 15th of 20 overall games between Fayetteville and Carolina this year... The Mudcats lead the season series 8-6, having gone 4-2 at home and 4-4 on the road versus the Woodpeckers.
ICYMI: Fayetteville's J.P. France totaled a career high nine strikeouts over seven scoreless innings and reliever Riley Cabral struck out six straight while closing out a 3-0 series opening victory for Woodpeckers versus Carolina on Friday night at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville. The shutout loss was Carolina's third over the club's last four games.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Mudcats were shut out 3-0 in last night's series opener in Fayetteville and have now suffered five shutouts over the last 11 games. Carolina has also been shut out in back-to-back games, three times over their last four and have been shut out over each of the last three days (7/24, 7/25 G:2 & 7/26).
TONIGHT'S STARTING PITCHER...
Matt Smith: 4-8, 3.25 ERA, 21/15 G/GS, 83.0 IP, 12 HR, 23 BB, 67 SO
Last start, 7/22 vs. WIL: W, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO, 72 pitches
Is 2-2 with 1.59 ERA in 2nd Half (6 GS, 28.1 IP, 5 BB, 24 SO, 1.16 WHIP)
Totaled career high 8 SO in last start on 7/22 vs. WIL (5.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB)
ROAD WOES: The Mudcats are just 1-11 over their last 12 road games and just 4-12 away from home since the All-Star break... Carolina started the season 16-11 over their first eight road series, but have gone 7-16 since (six away series). The Mudcats, overall, are 23-27 on the road this season.
OF LATE: Carolina is just 4-12 since 7/10 and since starting the second half 12-8 over the first 20 games of the second half (6/20-7/9)... The Mudcats have combined to hit just .179 with 2.38 runs/game since 7/10 and have pitched to a 2.85 ERA in that same span.  
WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is currently tied for 1st in the CL in home runs (15), 2nd in RBI (69), 2nd in slugging (.456), 9th in hits (95), 2nd in extra-base hits (37) and tied for 1st in total bases (165)... Ryan Aguilar is currently 2nd in the CL in OPS (.810), 3rd in OBP (.405), 10th in hits (94), 10th in RBI (45), tied for 5th in doubles (21), 1st in walks (67) and 1st in runs (70)... Payton Henry is tied for 7th in the CL in home runs (10) and 4th in RBI (58)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 5th in the CL in wins (7) and tied for 7th in games (30)... Rodrigo Benoit is currently tied for 10th in the CL in wins (6), tied for 2nd in games (32) and 3rd in saves (13)... J.T. Hintzen is tied for 4th in the CL in games (31)... Cody Beckman is tied for 4th in the CL in games (31)... Noah Zavolas is currently 2nd in the CL in ERA (3.07), 1st in innings pitched (123.0) and 1st in WHIP (1.13). Zavolas is also 2nd in the CL in FIP (3.20), 2nd in xFIP (3.38), 1st in BB/9 (1.46) and 2nd in K/BB (4.50).
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry totaling 53 games behind the plate and Feliciano catching 50 games... The Carolina pitching staff is 30-23 and has totaled a 3.54 ERA (3.0 BB/9, 8.6 SO/9) in games caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 24-26 with a 4.17 ERA (3.1 BB/9, 7.9 SO/9) in games caught by Feliciano.
SINCE THE BREAK: Matt Smith has pitched to a stellar 1.59 ERA over six starts since the All-Star break and is currently 4th among qualified CL starters in second half ERA... Noah Zavolas is currently 2-2 with a 2.25 ERA over seven second half starts and is currently 11th among qualified CL starters in ERA in the second half.
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 5-20 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 20-28 overall versus their own division this season.
TRENDING: Eddie Silva has hit safely in six of his last eight games and is batting .360/.346/.680 with a 1.026 OPS with two, two-run home runs over that span (9-for-25, 3 R, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI)... Rob Henry is batting just .163/.281/.184 (8-for-49) since returning from the IL on 7/6. He is also just 1-for-18 over his last six games (2 BB, 11 SO)... Devin Hairston is 1-for-28 over his last 10 games (.036/.069/.071); he had hit .483/.531/.724 with a 1.255 OPS (14-for-29, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 SO) over his previous nine games between 7/3 & 7/13.
YOU RANG: Brice Turang has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games and is batting .343/.425/.543 with a .968 OPS during that same span (12-for-35, 3 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 5 BB). He was just 1-for-26 with 7 BB and 6 SO over his first seven games with Carolina before the streak... 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 SB 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 CL. He is currently rated as the No. 2 prospect in the Milwaukee farm system.
STINGY PEN: The Carolina bullpen has combined to go 1-1 with a 0.59 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and .160 average against since 7/21... Phil Bickford has pitched through four straight scoreless outings and has held opponents to a .136 average over that same span... J.T. Hintzen has pitched to a 1.20 ERA with 14 SO, 1 BB and a 0.53 WHIP over his last nine games and 15.0 innings pitched.
ALL THE Ks: Carolina batters have combined to total a Carolina League high 1,054 strikeouts this season (6th most in MiLB). The Mudcats are on pace to set a league and franchise record for strikeouts for the third straight 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.