May 15 - Mudcats at Hillcats - Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (CLEVELAND INDIANS)
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 | 6:30 PM | Game 38, Away Game 22 | City Stadium at Calvin Falwell Field | Lynchburg, VA
RADIO: WDWG, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: 
Overall Record: CAR: 23-15; LYN: 18-18
Streaks: CAR: W1; LYN: L1
Last 10 Games: CAR: 6-4, LYN: 4-6
Home Record: CAR: 10-6; LYN: 7-11
Road Record: CAR: 13-9; LYN: 11-7
Division Record: CAR: 13-7; LYN: 5-7
Current Series: Tied 1-1 (of 4)
Season Series: Tied 1-1 (of 17)
CAR v. OPP: 0-0 @CAR (10), 1-1 @OPP (7)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTERS:
WED, 5/15 at LYN, 6:30 PM: Carolina RHP Noah Zavolas (2-2, 2.36) at Lynchburg RHP JC Mejia 2-0, 2.35)
THU, 5/16 at LYN, 6:30 PM: Carolina RHP Braden Webb (0-0, 1.80) at Lynchburg LHP Adam Scott (2-4, 3.23)
FRI, 5/17 at FAY, 7:00 PM: Carolina RHP Dylan File (3-3, 3.32) at Fayetteville TBA
TONIGHT: Following last night's extra-innings victory, the Mudcats take on the Lynchburg Hillcats again tonight in game three of a four game series at City Stadium in Lynchburg. Carolina enters tonight's game in a 1-1 tie with Lynchburg in the current four game set and in the overall 17 game season series between the two teams... Tonight's game is also the third of a seven game road trip through both Lynchburg and Fayetteville for the Mudcats.
ICYMI: Pat McInerney doubled in a run and scored a run in the top of the eleventh to give his club a two run lead in the top of the eleventh and reliever Clayton Andrews worked around a first and third, no-out, jam in the bottom of the eleventh to seal a series tying 3-2 extra inning's win for the Mudcats versus the Hillcats on Tuesday night in Lynchburg. Andrews entered the game in the eleventh after reliever Rodrigo Benoit balked in a run to cut Carolina's two run lead down to one at 3-2. Andrews inherited a first and third, no-out, jam but then induced a line out to short for the inning's first out before getting a strikeout and caught steal at home double play to end the game.
TONIGHT'S CAROLINA MUDCATS STARTER...
Noah Zavolas: 2-2, 2.36 ERA, 7 GS, 42.0 IP, 7 BB, 37 SO
Last outing - 5/10 vs. MB: W, 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 90 pitches
CL Rankings: 1st in ERA (2.36), 2nd in WHIP (1.10), 2nd in AVG (.248)
Acquired via trade from Seattle Mariners with OF Ben Gamel for OF Domingo Santana on 12/21/18.
TRENDING:Tristen Lutz has hit safely in seven straight games and is batting .357/.438/.679 with a 1.116 OPS (7-for-28, 7 R, 6 2B, 1 HR, 3 BB) during the streak. Lutz has also hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games and is batting .354/.415/.688 with a 1.103 OPS (17-for-48, 11 R, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI) since 4/27... Devin Hairston has had at least one hit in eight of his last 12 games and is batting .279/.340/.349 with a .689 OPS (12-for-43, 6 R, 3 2B, 6 RBI) over his last 12 games.
THREE TRUE OUTCOMES: Home runs, walks and strikeouts have accounted for 40.8% of Carolina's plate appearances this season; the highest such percentage of the three true outcomes in the Carolina League this season... Mario Feliciano (46.3%), Ryan Aguilar (44.7%), Payton Henry (45.7%) and Tristen Lutz (42.9%) are 3rd, 5th, 6th and 8th among qualified CL batters in TTO%. 
FIRST QUARTER: The Mudcats went 21-14 over their first 35 games, or first quarter, of the 2019 season. That 21-14 (.600) matches the 1994 Mudcats for the fourth best first 35-game record in team history. The 1995 and 2005 Mudcats own the franchise's best first 35-game team record in franchise history after both clubs started their respective seasons at 24-11.
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry totaling 20 games behind the plate and Feliciano catching 18 games... The Carolina pitching staff is 12-8 and has totaled a 3.16 ERA (166 SO, 56 BB) in games caught by Henry and 11-7 with a 4.41 ERA (148 SO, 54 BB) in games caught by Feliciano.
WHAT IF: Having totaled just 96 plate appearances, Rob Henry is currently just shy of qualifying for the CL leader board this season. Henry is, however, currently 4th in the CL in slugging (.543), 5th in OPS (.908), 3rd in ISO (.280) and 5th in wRC+ (156) among CL players with at least 90 PA this season.
WHERE THEY RANK: Ryan Aguilar is currently 6th in the CL in OBP (.414), tied for 4th in runs (25) and 3rd in walks (26)... Rob Henry is currently tied for 4th in the CL in homers (6)... Payton Henry is currently tied for 8th in the CL in homers (5) and tied for 6th in RBI (25). Henry is also 2nd in the CL in most caught steals having caught 18 of 42 (42.9%) would-be base stealers... Mario Feliciano is currently tied for 4th in the CL in home runs (6) and 8th in RBI (23)... Matt Hardy leads the CL in both wins (5) and games (14)... Rodrigo Benoit is tied for 1st in the CL in games (14) and second in saves (7)... Noah Zavolas currently leads the CL in ERA (2.36) and innings (42.0). Zavolas is also 2nd in the CL in average against (.248), 2nd in WHIP (1.10) and 2nd in FIP (2.71 per fangraphs.com)... Dylan File is currently 1st in the CL in K/BB (14.00), 1st in BB/9 (0.66), 1st in FIP (2.51) and 2nd in xFIP (2.76) per fangraphs.com.
TO THE SHOW: 2018 Mudcats infielder Keston Hiura was called up to the big leagues by the Brewers yesterday and went 2-for-3 with a walk in his MLB debut. Hiura started the 2018 season with the Mudcats and hit .320/.382/.529 with a .911 OPS over 54 games before a 6/1/18 promotion to Double-A Biloxi. Hiura joins pitchers Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta as the three former Mudcats to debut with the Brewers since Carolina became Milwaukee's High-A affiliate in 2017. He is the second former Mudcats player to receive a MLB promotion this season as 2016 Mudcat Dylan Moore made his MLB debut with Seattle on 3/28/19 in Japan versus Oakland.
THE SKIPPER: Manager Joe Ayrault is back for his third season as Manager of the Mudcats and his eighth season overall as Manager of Milwaukee's High-A affiliate. Ayrault is currently second on Carolina's all-time managerial wins list and second all-time in games managed in Carolina...
MANAGER W L PCT G SEASONS
David Bell 176 239 .424 415 2009-11 (3)
Joe Ayrault 161 153 .513 314 2017-Present (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.