July 30: Mudcats vs. Wood Ducks Game Notes

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DOWN EAST WOOD DUCKS (TEXAS RANGERS) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS)
Tuesday, July 30, 2019 | 7:00 PM | Game 108, Home Game 55 | Five County Stadium (6,500) | Zebulon, NC
RADIO: WDWG, 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 55-52; DE: 73-34
Streaks: CAR: L6; DE: W1
Last 10 Games: CAR: 3-7, DE: 7-3
Home Record: CAR: 32-22; DE: 34-20
Road Record: CAR: 23-30; DE: 39-14
Division Record: CAR: 20-30; DE: 37-14
Current Series: First game (of 3)
Season Series: DE leads 3-11 (of 20)
CAR v. OPP: 1-6 @CAR (10), 2-5 @OPP (10)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
TUE, 7/30 vs. DE, 7:00 PM: Down East LHP Sal Mendez (6-0, 2.05) at Carolina LHP Aaron Ashby (2-5, 3.63)
WED, 7/31 vs. DE, 11:00 AM: Down East RHP Reid Anderson (5-5, 3.80) at Carolina RHP Nelson Hernandez (10-7, 4.43)
THU, 8/1 vs. DE, 7:00 PM: Down East LHP John King (2-2, 2.03) at Carolina RHP Noah Zavolas (5-5, 3.07)
TONIGHT: Following yesterday's league wide off-day and after going 0-6 in their recent road trip, the Mudcats begin a brief three game home stand tonight with game one of a three game series versus the Down East Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, NC... Down East recently swept the Mudcats just one week ago during a three game series in Kinston at Grainger Stadium and lead the overall season series between the two teams 11-3. The Wood Ducks have additionally won nine straight game against Carolina dating back to late May when Down East won three of four game versus the Mudcats at Five County Stadium (5/24-5/27). Tonight's game is the first of three in the series, the seventh of 13 second half meetings and the 15th of 20 overall games between the two teams.
ICYMI: The Mudcats were off yesterday and last played on Sunday in Fayetteville where Zach Clark and Eddie Silva both had run scoring hits in the second and eighth innings, but Carolina was done in by a five run Fayetteville fifth while losing their season high sixth straight game 7-2 to the Woodpeckers on at Segra Stadium. Carolina led first in Sunday's series and road trip finale in Fayetteville as they scored a run in the second to take an early 1-0 lead. That lead held through the fourth, but the Woodpeckers went on to rally for five runs in the fifth while take a 5-1 lead. The two teams then traded runs in the eighth with the Mudcats scoring once and Fayetteville scoring twice to go up 7-2 in the game.
OF LATE: The Mudcats are currently mired in a season high six-game losing streak and have gone 4-14 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 2.33 runs/game since 7/10, but have pitched to a 2.85 ERA in that same span... The Mudcats have been shut out thee times over their last six games and four times over their 13 while falling to 6-8 in shutouts this season. Carolina was 5-3 in shutouts before the All-Star break.
ROAD WOES: The Mudcats are just 1-13 over their last 14 road games and just 4-14 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 23-29 on the road this season.
WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is currently tied for 1st in the CL in home runs (15), 2nd in RBI (69), 3rd in slugging (.455), 9th in hits (98), tied for 2nd in extra-base hits (37) and 2nd in total bases (168)... Ryan Aguilar is currently 4th in the CL in OPS (.798), 3rd in OBP (.401), 10th in hits (94), tied for 6th in doubles (21), 1st in walks (69) and 1st in runs (70)... Payton Henry is tied for 7th in the CL in home runs (10) and tied for 6th in RBI (58)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 6th in the CL in wins (7) and tied for 7th in games (31)... Rodrigo Benoit is currently tied for 10th in the CL in wins (6), 2nd in games (33) and 3rd in saves (13)... J.T. Hintzen is tied for 4th in the CL in games (32)... Cody Beckman is tied for 4th in the CL in games (32)... Noah Zavolas is currently 2nd in the CL in ERA (3.07), 1st in innings pitched (123.0) and 2nd 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)... Matt Smith is currently 3rd in the CL in ERA (3.29), 2nd in LOB% (77.4%) and 6th in WHIP (1.28).
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry starting 54 games behind the plate and Feliciano starting 51 games at catcher... The Carolina pitching staff is 30-24 and has totaled a 3.51 ERA (3.0 BB/9, 8.6 SO/9) in games started by and caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 24-27 with a 4.21 ERA (3.1 BB/9, 7.9 SO/9) in games caught by Feliciano.
SINCE THE BREAK: Matt Smith has pitched to a stellar 1.91 ERA over seven starts since the All-Star break and is currently 6th 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 8th 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, however, just 4-22 vs. Southern Division teams since 5/24 (vs. DE, 3.5 GB of first 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 20-30 overall versus their own division this season.
TRENDING: Eddie Silva has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games and is batting .333/.324/.606 with a .930 OPS with two, two-run home runs over that span (11-for-33, 3 R, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI)... Rob Henry is batting just .157/.295/.176 (8-for-51, 24 SO) since returning from the IL on 7/6. He is also just 1-for-20 over his last seven games (3 BB, 13 SO)... Devin Hairston is 1-for-36 over his last 12 games (.028/.054/.056); 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 10 of his last 12 games and is batting .302/.400/.465 with a .865 OPS during that same span (13-for-43, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 7 BB, 4 SB). 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. 1 prospect in the Milwaukee farm system per MLB.
STINGY PEN: The Carolina bullpen has combined to go 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and .203 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... Michael Petersen has pitched to a 1.59 ERA , 13.1 SO/9 and .173 average against over his last 18 appearances and 22.2 innings pitched. Petersen has also held left-handed batters to a .148 average this season.
ALL THE Ks: Carolina batters have combined to total a Carolina League high 1,081 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.