May 17 - Mudcats at Woodpeckers - Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at FAYETTEVILLE WOODPECKERS (HOUSTON ASTROS)
Friday, May 17, 2019 | 7:00 PM | Game 41, Away Game 25 | Segra Stadium | Fayetteville, NC
RADIO: WDWG, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 24-16; FAY: 19-21
Streaks: CAR: W1; FAY: W3
Last 10 Games: CAR: 7-3, FAY: 4-6
Home Record: CAR: 10-6; FAY: 10-8
Road Record: CAR: 14-10; FAY: 9-13
Division Record: CAR: 13-7; FAY: 7-13
Current Series: First game (of 3)
Season Series: CAR leads 6-4 (of 20)
CAR v. OPP: 4-2 @CAR (10), 2-2 @OPP (10)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTERS:
FRI, 5/17 at FAY, 7:00 PM: Carolina RHP Dylan File (3-3, 3.32) at Fayetteville RHP J.P. France (0-3, 4.55)
SAT, 5/18 at FAY, 5:00 PM: Carolina RHP Nelson Hernandez (4-1, 4.97) at Fayetteville RHP Chad Donato (3-4, 5.52)
SUN, 5/19 at FAY, 2:00 PM: Carolina RHP Matt Smith (1-3, 3.64) at Fayetteville TBA
TONIGHT: Following last night's series finale victory in Lynchburg, the Mudcats now take on the Fayetteville Woodpeckers tonight in game one of a three game series at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville. Carolina enters tonight's game with a 2-2 record during the club's current seven game road trip through Lynchburg and Fayetteville... The Mudcats also enter tonights' game at 6-4 overall this season in game against the Woodpeckers, having won two three game home series (2-1) from 4/15-4/17 and 5/7-5/9 and splitting a four game road series (2-2) in Fayetteville (first home games in Segra Stadium history) between 4/18-4/21. Tonight's game is also the 11th of 13 first half games and 20 overall this season between the two teams.
ICYMI: Zach Clark capped a four run fourth with a two-run double, reliever Matt Hardy retired 10 straight and struck out seven while earning his league best sixth win and Clayton Andrews closed it out while earning the save as the Mudcats defeated the Hillcats 4-1 on Thursday night while leaving Lynchburg with a four game series split. The Mudcats scored all four of their runs in the fourth after collecting a run scoring infield hit from Eddie Silva, a RBI force out hit into by Ryan Aguilar and a two-run double from Clark.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Matt Hardy earned his CL leading sixth win last night and set a new Mudcats' team high for consecutive batters retired in game this season after setting down 10 straight over 3.1 perfect innings last night. Hardy also set a new season high for strikeouts by a Carolina reliever with seven last night; also setting his personal career high for strikeouts in a game.
TONIGHT'S CAROLINA MUDCATS STARTER...
Dylan File: 3-3, 3.32 ERA, 7 GS, 40.2 IP, 3 BB, 42 SO, 1.08 WHIP
Last outing - 5/12 vs. MB: W, 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 5 SO, 91 pitches
CL Rankings: 1st in FIP (2.48), 1st in xFIP (2.72), 1st in K/BB 14.00
Named CL Pitcher of the Week for 4/22-4/28 (1 GS, 6 IP, 0 R, 5 SO)
FACT FILE: Dylan File has walked only three batters while totaling 42 strikeouts this season. File currently owns the CL's best K/BB (14.00) and is 4th in MiLB in K/BB (14.00) this season... File has issued just one four pitch walk this season (5/7 vs. FAY, 4th Inn. Colton Shaver). File has also reached a 3-0 count just twice this season... File is additionally 1st in the CL in BB/9 (0.66), 1st in FIP (2.48) and 2nd in xFIP (2.72) per fangraphs.com.
TRENDING: Tristen Lutz snapped an eight game hitting streak last night, but has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games and is batting .327/.393/.618 with a 1.012 OPS (18-for-55, 12 R, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 18 SO) since 4/27... Joantgel Segovia has totaled at least one hit in six of his last eight games and is batting .367/.406/.533 with a .940 OPS over his last eight games (11-for-30, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SO)... Zach Clark has totaled three multi-hit games over his last six games and is batting .348/.400/.565 with a .965 OPS since 5/8 (8-for-23, 3 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 8 RBI)... Clayton Andrews has pitched through seven consecutive scoreless appearances and has not allowed a run since the second inning of his first appearance of 2019 on 4/24 in Myrtle Beach (Last 7 G: 0.00 ERA, 5 SV, 9.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 14 SO).
ALL THE Ks: Carolina batters have combined to total a CL high 435 strikeouts this season and are on pace for 1,512 strikeouts this season. Carolina batters combined to total a Carolina League and franchise record 1,311 strikeouts during the 2018 season; breaking the previous Carolina League and franchise record of 1,245 SO set by the Mudcats during the 2017 season.
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.
WHAT IF: Having totaled just 100 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 (.518), 6th in OPS (.868) and 2nd in ISO (.282) among CL players with at least 100 PA this season.
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry totaling 21 games behind the plate and Feliciano catching 19 games... The Carolina pitching staff is 13-8 and has totaled a 3.05 ERA (3.0 BB/9, 8.9 SO/9) in games caught by Henry. The Mudcats have additionally won five straight games caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 11-8 with a 4.53 ERA (3.1 BB/9, 8.4 SO/9) in games caught by Feliciano.
WHERE THEY RANK: Ryan Aguilar is currently 8th in the CL in OBP (.406), 4th in runs (26) 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 6th in RBI (26). Henry is also 2nd in the CL in most caught steals having caught 19 of 43 (44.2%) would-be base stealers... Mario Feliciano is currently tied for 4th in the CL in home runs (6) and tied for 7th in RBI (24)... Matt Hardy leads the CL in both wins (6) and games (15)... Rodrigo Benoit is tied for 2nd in the CL in games (14) and second in saves (7)... Noah Zavolas currently 3rd in the CL in ERA (2.81), 1st innings (48.0), 4th in average against (.266) and 3rd in WHIP (1.17)... Dylan File is currently 4th in the Carolina League in earned run average (3.32), 1st in WHIP (1.08), 4th in average against (.263), tied for 7th in strikeouts (42) and tied for 6th in innings pitched (40.2). 
THE SKIPPER: Manager Joe Ayrault is in 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 162 154 .513 316 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.