July 28: Mudcats at Woodpeckers Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at FAYETTEVILLE WOODPECKERS (HOUSTON ASTROS)
Sunday, July 28, 2019 | 6:00 PM | Game 107, Away Game 53 | Segra Stadium (4,786) | Fayetteville, NC
RADIO: WDWG, 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 55-51; FAY: 50-56
Streaks: CAR: L5; FAY: W2
Last 10 Games: CAR: 3-7, FAY: 6-4
Home Record: CAR: 32-22; FAY: 26-27
Road Record: CAR: 23-29; FAY: 24-29
Division Record: CAR: 20-29; FAY: 24-25
Current Series: FAY leads 2-0 (of 3)
Season Series: CAR leads 8-7 (of 20)
CAR v. OPP: 4-2 @CAR (10), 4-5 @OPP (10)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
SUN, 7/28 at FAY, 6:00 PM: Carolina RHP Matt Hardy (7-1, 3.60) at Fayetteville RHP Austin Hansen (2-2, 3.90)
MON, 7/29: OFF
TUE, 7/30 vs. DE, 7:00 PM: Down East TBA at Carolina LHP Aaron Ashby (2-5, 3.63)
TONIGHT: Following their fifth straight loss, the Mudcats conclude a six game road trip tonight with the finale of a three game series versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, NC... Fayetteville won last night's game 4-2 and lead the current series 2-0... Tonight's game is the third of seven second half meetings between the two teams and the 16th of 20 overall games between Fayetteville and Carolina this year... The Mudcats lead the season series 8-7, having gone 4-2 at home and 4-5 on the road versus the Woodpeckers.
ICYMI: Despite taking an early 2-0 lead, the Mudcats ended up losing their fifth straight game, 4-2 to the Woodpeckers on Saturday night at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville. The Woodpeckers scored twice in the fifth to tie the game before getting solo home runs in the sixth and seventh in their series clinching victory versus Carolina.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Mudcats were forced to move Mario Feliciano from DH to catcher in last night's game, thus forcing the loss of their DH for the remainder of the game... The last Carolina player to move from DH to a position was Cooper Hummel after he went from DH to pitcher in the ninth inning during a 17-0 loss to Winston-Salem on 7/20/18 at Five County Stadium... Carolina also lost the DH during the 2017 season when Jake Gatewood moved from DH to first and Jose Cuas went from first to second after second baseman Isan Díaz was ejected in the eighth on 8/1/7 (L, 7-6) versus Down East.
BLANKED: The Mudcats have been shut out thee times over their last five games and four times over their 12 while falling to 6-8 in shutouts this season. Carolina was 5-3 in shutouts before the All-Star break, but have gone 1-5 in shutouts since.
ROAD WOES: The Mudcats are just 1-12 over their last 13 road games and just 4-13 away from home since the All-Star break... Carolina started the season 16-11 over their first eight road series, but have gone 7-17 since. Overall Carolina is 23-28 on the road this season.
OF LATE: Carolina is just 4-13 since 7/10 and since starting the second half 12-8 over the first club's first 20 games after the All-Star break (6/20-7/9)... The Mudcats have combined to hit just .177 with 2.35 runs/game since 7/10, but have pitched to a 2.75 ERA in that same span.
WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is currently tied for 1st in the CL in home runs (15), 2nd in RBI (69), 2nd in slugging (.454), 9th in hits (96), tied for 2nd in extra-base hits (37) and 2nd in total bases (166)... Ryan Aguilar is currently 2nd in the CL in OPS (.802), 3rd in OBP (.401), 10th in hits (94), tied for 6th in doubles (21), 1st in walks (67) and 1st in runs (70)... Payton Henry is tied for 7th in the CL in home runs (10) and tied for 4th in RBI (58)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 5th in the CL in wins (7) and tied for 8th in games (30)... Rodrigo Benoit is currently tied for 10th in the CL in wins (6), tied for 3rd in games (32) and 3rd in saves (13)... J.T. Hintzen is tied for 5th in the CL in games (32)... Cody Beckman is tied for 4th in the CL in games (31)... 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).
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 50 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 24-26 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 just 5-21 vs. Southern Division teams since 5/24 (vs. DE, 3.5 GB 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 20-29 overall versus their own division this season.
TRENDING: Eddie Silva has hit safely in seven of his last nine games and is batting .345/.333/.621 with a .954 OPS with two, two-run home runs over that span (10-for-23, 3 R, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 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-32 over his last 11 games (.031/.063/.063); 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 11 games and is batting .333/.422/.513 with a .935 OPS during that same span (13-for-39, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 6 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. 2 prospect in the Milwaukee farm system.
STINGY PEN: The Carolina bullpen has combined to go 1-2 with a 0.91 ERA, 1.33 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 1,067 strikeouts this season (5th 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.