May 7 - Mudcats vs. Woodpeckers - Game Notes

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FAYETTEVILLE WOODPECKERS (HOUSTON ASTROS) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS)
Tuesday, May 7, 2019 | 7:00 PM | Game 31, Home Game 11 | Five County Stadium | Zebulon, NC
RADIO: WDWG, 98.5 FM - The Big Dawg 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 17-13; FAY: 15-16
Streaks: CAR: L2; FAY: L3
Last 10 Games: CAR: 6-4, FAY: 2-8
Home Record: CAR: 5-5; FAY: 7-7
Road Record: CAR: 12-8; FAY: 8-9
Division Record: CAR: 8-6; FAY: 6-11
Current Series: First game (of 3)
Season Series: CAR leads 4-3 (of 20)
CAR v. OPP: 2-1 @CAR (10), 2-2 @OPP (10)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTERS:
TUE, 5/7 vs. FAY, 7:00 PM: Fayetteville RHP Yohan Ramirez (0-1, 1.77) at Carolina RHP Dylan File (1-3, 3.90)
WED, 5/8 vs. FAY, 11:00 AM: Fayetteville RHP Shawn Dubin (0-1, 8.22) at Carolina RHP Christian Taugner (1-4, 7.71)
THU, 5/9 vs. FAY, 7:00 PM: Fayetteville RHP Enoli Paredes (1-1, 2.70) at Carolina RHP Nelson Hernandez (4-0, 3.94)
TONIGHT: The Mudcats begin a six game home stand tonight with game one of a three game series versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, NC. Carolina is currently 4-3 overall versus Fayetteville this season, having won a three game home series (2-1) versus the Woodpeckers from 4/15 through 4/17 and splitting a four game road series (2-2) in Fayetteville (first home games in Segra Stadium history) between 4/18 and 4/21. Tonight's game is also the 8th of 13 first half games and 20 overall this season between the two teams.
ICYMI: The Mudcats and Blue Rocks were rained out on Sunday afternoon in Wilmington, DE, resulting in Carolina's first canceled game of the season as the game was the final scheduled meeting between the two teams in the first half. Sunday's cancellation also came at the end of the three game series between the two teams, giving the Blue Rocks a series sweep as they had previously won the first two games. Wilmington additionally won five of the seven games scheduled between the two teams in the first half.
TONIGHT'S CAROLINA MUDCATS STARTER...
Dylan File: 1-3, 3.90 ERA, 5 GS, 27.2 IP, 29 H, 2 BB, 31 SO
Last outing - 4/30 at SAL: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 92 pitches
Leads the CL in FIP (2.23) and x FIP (2.61) per fangraphs.com
Leads the CL with 15.50 K/BB; 5th K/BB in MiLB per fangraphs.com
Named CL Pitcher of the Week for week of 4/22-4/28 (6.0 IP, 0 R, 5 SO)
STREAKING: Ryan Aguilar has reached base safely in a team best 19 straight games (4/14-Present) and is batting .288/.420/.379 with a .799 OPS during the streak (19-for-66, 11 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 12 BB, 3 HBP, 21 SO). 
LIGHTS OUT: Matt Smith allowed four runs on three hits in the first inning of a relief appearance on 5/3 in Wilmington, snapping a streak of 24.0 consecutive innings where the Carolina bullpen had not allowed an earned run...The Carolina bullpen has additionally gone 2-1-4 with a 1.42 ERA and 28 SO against 8 BB since 4/28 (25.1 IP, 15 H, 4 ER, 0.91 WHIP, .170 AVG).
AN APRIL TO REMEMBER: Carolina's 16-10 record in April was the club's best since 2008 when the then-Southern League and Florida Marlins affiliated Mudcats opened the year with a record of 17-10. Just three years earlier, the 2005 Marlins affiliated Mudcats opened the season going 18-4 in April. The 2005 and 2008 Mudcats both went on to reach the Southern League playoffs in their respective seasons... Carolina's 25 home runs hit in April were a new franchise high for most home runs hit by a Mudcats team in April since the 2004 squad hit 24 homers in the first month of their season. *Some historical data unavailable for the '91-'03 seasons.
CLUTCH GENE: Payton Henry is batting .273 (12-for-44) with a .850 OPS and a Carolina League best 15 RBI when batting with two outs in an inning this season... Rob Henry is batting .300 (6-for-20) with a 1.133 OPS and 10 RBI when batting with two outs in an inning this season... Both Henrys have hit three home runs with two outs in an inning and are both currently tied for the CL lead in home runs hit with two outs this season.
ON THE EIGHTS: The Carolina offense is currently 8th in the Carolina League in batting (.222), 8th in slugging (.345), 8th in OPS (.652) and 8th in hits (212) this season.
ALL THAT POWER: The Mudcats enter tonight's game second in the Carolina League in home runs hit having slugged 25 total homers this season (Fayetteville leads the CL with 28 HR). The Mudcats began the season without a home run over their first three games, and with just five homers over their first 11, but have now totaled 20 homers over their last 19 games.
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry totaling 16 games behind the plate and Feliciano catching 14 games... The Carolina pitching staff has totaled a 3.38 ERA with 140 SO and 49 BB in games caught by Henry and a 4.50 ERA with 122 SO and 41 BB in games caught by Feliciano.
WHERE THEY RANK: Ryan Aguilar is currently 6th in the CL in OBP and 2nd in walks (19)... Rob Henry is currently tied for 3rd in the CL in homers (6)... Payton Henry is currently 5th in the CL in homers (5) and tied for 4th in RBI (23)... Matt Hardy and Nelson Hernandez are currently tied for the CL lead in wins (4)... Hardy is also 1st in the CL in games (12)... Hernandez is also 9th in the CL in ERA (3.94), tied for 6th in average against (.264) and 7th in WHIP (1.41)... Rodrigo Benoit currently leads the CL in saves (7) and is 2nd in games (11)... Noah Zavolas is currently 4th in the CL in ERA (2.65), 2nd in innings (34.0), tied for 6th in average against (.264) and 5th in WHIP (1.18)... Dylan File is currently tied for 7th in the CL in strikeouts (31) and leads the CL in FIP (2.23) and xFIP (2.61) per fangraphs.com.
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 155 151 .507 306 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.