8/20: Mudcats at Pelicans Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (CHICAGO CUBS)
Tuesday, August 20, 2019 | 7:05 PM | Game 126, Away Game 63 | TicketReturn.com Field (6,599) | Myrtle Beach, SC
RADIO: WDWG, 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 62-63; MB: 50-73
Streaks: CAR: W2; MB: W2
Last 10 Games: CAR: 4-6, MB: 5-5
Home Record: CAR: 34-29; MB: 27-40
Road Record: CAR: 28-34; MB: 23-33
Division Record: CAR: 24-38; MB: 23-35
Current Series: First game (of 3)
Season Series: Tied 6-6 (of 15)
CAR v. OPP: 4-2 @CAR (6), 2-4 @OPP (9)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
TUE, 8/20 at MB, 7:05 PM: Carolina RHP Christian Taugner (5-8, 4.83) at Myrtle Beach LHP Brailyn Marquez (2-0, 0.00)
WED, 8/21 at MB, 7:05 PM: Carolina TBA at Myrtle Beach TBD
THU, 8/22 at MB, 7:05 PM: Carolina TBA at Myrtle Beach LHP Brenden Little (1-1, 7.27)
TONIGHT: Winners of two straight and coming off a series win in Lynchburg, the Mudcats continue a six-game, seven day, road trip tonight with the first game of a three game series versus the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Ticketreturn.com Field in Myrtle Beach, SC... The overall season series is currently tied at 6-6 between the two teams, with Carolina finishing the year at 4-2 against the Pelicans at home, but with Carolina at just 2-4 in Myrtle Beach so far this season. Tonight's game is the first of three in the series and the seventh of nine second half meetings between the two teams. It is also the 13th of 15 overall games between Lynchburg and Carolina this year.
ICYMI: Carolina was off yesterday, but scored six runs on six hits in the fourth while running away with Sunday's series finale 7-2 at City Stadium in Lynchburg. Payton Henry led the way by going 2-for-3 with two RBI, Rob Henry was 1-for-2 with a RBI triple and Scotty Sunitsch earned the win in his Carolina debut as the Mudcats picked up the series clinching victory. Trailing 1-0 at the time, Wes Rogers started Carolina's six-run rally with a walk before quickly moving to third on a Mario Feliciano double. Henry followed with a single to left to tie the game and Pat McInerney singled to left to bring in the go-ahead. Eddie Silva then forced in two more runs with a single to center that drove in Henry and helped McInerney across after an error on the play. Rob Henry and Trever Morrison then capped the rally with Henry ripping a RBI triple to left and Morrison bringing in the sixth run of the frame with a single to right.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Carolina improved to 2-1 in their current road trip after taking Sunday's series finale 7-2 in Lynchburg. The Mudcats also won their last series in Lynchburg, giving them back-to-back road series victories as they took two of three from Lynchburg between 8/16 & 8/18 and two of three from Down East in the previous road series between 8/6 & 8/8. Carolina had lost six straight away series played before winning their last two.
OF LATE: The Mudcats have gone just 11-25 since 7/10 and since starting the second half at 12-8 over their first 20 games (6/20-7/9) following the All-Star break... The Mudcats have also combined to hit just .208 with 3.2 R/G and a run differential of -28 runs since 7/10. 
WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is 1st in the CL in home runs (19), 1st in RBI (78), 1st in slugging (.476), 5th in OPS (.799), 7th in hits (114), tied for 6th in runs (60), 1st in extra-base hits (45) and 1st in total bases (200)... Payton Henry is tied for 4th in the CL in home runs (14) and 4th in RBI (72)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 8th in the CL in wins (7) and 10th in games (35)... J.T. Hintzen, Cody Beckman and Michael Petersen are all currently tied for 5th in the CL in games (37)... Noah Zavolas is currently 2nd in the CL in ERA (2.98), 2nd in innings pitched (133.0) and 1st in WHIP (1.14). Zavolas is also 2nd in the CL in FIP (3.21), 1st in xFIP (3.36), 1st in BB/9 (1.56) and 1st in K/BB (4.43).
THE TOP 30: The Carolina roster currently features five of Milwaukee's Top 30 prospects (as rated by MLBPipeline.com) including No. 1 INF Brice Turang, No. 2 OF Tristen Lutz, No. 8 LHP Aaron Ashby, No. 9 C Mario Feliciano and No. 16 C Payton Henry.
EXCLUSIVE COMPANY: Mario Feliciano currently leads the Carolina League in both home runs and RBI so far this season. The last CL player to lead the league in homers and RBI was Salem's Bobby Dalbec who hit 26 home runs and totaled 85 RBI in 2018. Dalbec went on to be named the league's MVP last season. Lynchburg's Bobby Bradley (29 HR, 102 RBI) and Nellie Rodríguez (17 HR, 84 RBI) also led the CL in homers and RBI in 2016 and 2015 respectively and both went on to be named the CL MVP as well. Winston-Salem's Chris Curley (24 HR, 92 RBI) and Ian Gac (33 HR, 96 RBI) also led the CL at year's end in homers in 2013 and 2011 while earning CL MVP honors... The last Mudcats player to finish a season as the league leader (tied with Mobile's Paul Goldschmidt) in homers was Neftali Soto who homered 30 times for the then-Southern League affiliated Mudcats in 2011... Carolina has never had a player finish the season as the league leader in both homers and RBI. However, George Canale led the Southern League in RBI (102) and was second in the home runs (21) in 1995; Mark Johnson led the SL in homers (23) and was third in RBI (85) in 1994.
HEATING UP: Payton Henry has hit safely in five straight games and is batting .421/.450/.684 with a 1.134 OPS during the streak (8-for-19, 3 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI)... Devin Hairston has hit safely in five of his last seven games (6-for-22, 4 R, 2 2B)... Rob Henry has hit safely in four straight and is batting .429/.500/.714 with a 1.214 OPS during the streak (6-for-14, 2 3B, 4 RBI). 
STREAKS OF NOTE: Phil Bickford has pitched through 19.0 consecutive scoreless innings (5 BB, 27 SO, 12.8 SO/9) and 10 straight scoreless appearances... Rob Henry started the season with six home runs over his first 16 games, but has not homered since 4/19 in Salem while going 69 straight games without a home run.
ALL THE Ks: The Carolina offense has combined to total a Carolina League high 1,264 strikeouts this season (6th most in MiLB). The Mudcats are on pace to set both a CL and franchise record for most strikeouts for the third straight season. 
BEANBALLS: The Carolina offense has combined to total a Carolina League high 95 hit by pitches this season. The Mudcats are also 3rd in MiLB and 3rd in all of baseball in most HBP this season.
KINGS OF THE NORTH: The Mudcats are currently 38-25 versus Carolina League Northern Division teams this season. They have also gone 19-12 versus Northern Division teams since 6/11 (at FRE)... The Mudcats are, however, just 9-30 vs. Southern Division teams since 5/25 (vs. DE, 2.5 G back of first before 5/25) and had suffered nine straight losses in games versus Southern Division teams before defeating the Pelicans 3-2 on 7/19. 
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry starting 62 games behind the plate and Feliciano starting 58 games at catcher... The Carolina pitching staff is 34-28 and has totaled a 3.57 ERA (2.9 BB/9, 8.7 SO/9, 38.4 CS%) in games started by and caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 27-31 with a 4.18 ERA (3.1 BB/9, 8.0 SO/9, 30.0 CS%) in games caught by Feliciano.
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.