July 4: Mudcats vs. Keys Game Notes

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FREDERICK KEYS (BALTIMORE ORIOLES) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS)
Thursday, July 4, 2019 | 7:00 PM | Game 84, Home Game 43 | Five County Stadium (6,500) | 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: 45-38; FRE: 34-49
Streaks: CAR: L4; FRE: L3
Last 10 Games: CAR: 3-7, FRE: 4-6
Home Record: CAR: 23-19; FRE: 21-21
Road Record: CAR: 22-19; FRE: 13-28
Division Record: CAR: 19-22; FRE: 24-27
Current Series: First game (of 3)
Season Series: CAR leads 5-1 (of 12)
CAR v. OPP: 3-0 @CAR (6), 2-1 @OPP (6)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
THU, 7/4 vs. FRE, 7:00 PM: Frederick RHP David Lebron (2-3, 3.88) at Carolina RHP Christian Taugner (3-5, 5.84)
FRI, 7/5 vs. FRE, 7:00 PM: Frederick RHP Blaine Knight (0-5, 5.72) at Carolina RHP Matt Smith (2-7, 3.84)
SAT, 7/6 vs. FRE, 6:00 PM: Frederick RHP Cody Sedlock (4-0, 1.89) at Carolina LHP Aaron Ashby (1-2, 2.25)
TONIGHT: Mired in a four game losing streak, the Mudcats begin a new six game home stand tonight with game one of a three game series versus the Northern Division's Frederick Keys at Five County Stadium in Zebulon. Tonight's game is the first of three in the series and seventh of 12 total meetings between the two teams this season. It is also the first of six second half meetings between the two teams. Carolina is currently 5-1 versus the Keys this season having swept the Keys at home from 6/2 - 6/4 and after taking two of three in Frederick from 6/10 - 6/12.
ICYMI:Mario Feliciano broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth with a two-out RBI double, but the Pelicans answered with an opposite field two-run home run from D.J. Wilson and three runs overall off Matt Hardy in eighth while finishing a three game sweep of the Mudcats with a 4-2 victory on Wednesday night in Myrtle Beach. The Mudcats were originally down 1-0 in the game before tying it in the sixth and later taking the lead in the eighth. The Pelicans, however, quickly answered with Wilson's two-run home run in the eighth and another run scoring hit from Tyler Duran while taking a 4-2 lead late in the game.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Mudcats were swept for the second time in just the last 10 days and for the third time overall this season after dropping last night's series finale in Myrtle Beach 4-2 to the Pelicans.
POWER OUTAGE: The Mudcats have totaled just six home runs over their last 23 games while going 11-12 over that span and since 6/8. Carolina has additionally averaged 3.65 runs/game over those same 23 games and since 6/8. Before 6/8, the Mudcats totaled 54 home runs over their first 60 games and had averaged 4.63 runs/game in that same span. 
GIDP GROWTH: The Mudcats hit into two double plays last night and have hit into 14 double plays over their last 10 games, 18 in their last 14 games and a CL high 35 GIDPs last month... The Mudcats lead the CL in most GIDPs this season having hit into 68 double plays in 2019... Payton Henry leads the CL with 14 GIDPs overall (eight in June). Devin Hairston totaled seven GIDPs last month.
WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is currently 1st in the CL in home runs (14), 2nd in RBI (55), 2nd in slugging (.459), 10th in OPS (.772), tied for 5th in extra-base hits (28) and tied for 2nd in total bases (134)... Ryan Aguilar is currently 9th in the CL in batting (.274), 5th in OBP (.398), 8th in OPS (.784), tied for 10th in hits (76), 2nd in walks (50) and 1st in runs (54)... Payton Henry is tied for 5th in the CL in home runs (9) and tied for 6th in the CL in RBI (45)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 2nd in the CL in wins (7) and tied for 2nd in the CL in games (26)... Rodrigo Benoit is currently tied for 3rd in the CL in wins (6), tied for 2nd in games (26) and 2nd in the CL in saves (12)... Noah Zavolas is currently 3rd in the CL in ERA (2.94), 2nd in the CL in innings pitched (98.0) and 2nd in WHIP (1.15). Zavolas is also 1st in the CL in FIP (3.05), 1st in xFIP (3.29), 2nd in BB/9 (1.38) and 2nd in K/BB (4.87) per Fangraphs.com... Nelson Hernandez is 7th in the CL in average against (.250) and 2nd in innings (93.2).
CAROLINA LEAGUE LEADERS - TWO-OUT RBI
Player Team RBI HR AVG OPS
Corredor, A POT 26 3 .246 .669
Henry, P CAR 25 6 .262 .834
Feliciano, M CAR 22 6 .268 .895
Henry, R CAR 20 3 .258 .871
BEANBALLS: The Carolina offense is currently 2nd in professional baseball (MLB & MiLB) with 70 hit-by-pitches this season. The Mudcats also totaled a Carolina League high 24 HBP in June.
ON THE FOURTH: The Mudcats have played at home on the Fourth of July in every year of their Carolina League era (2012-Present) and are 3-4 on Independence Day since the 2012 season... Carolina has additionally played at home on the Fourth 12 of the last 14 years (since 2005), with the only exceptions coming in 2010 and 2006. Carolina is just 4-10 on the Fourth since 2005.
JUNE BATS: Carolina went 16-11 in June and finished tied for 2nd in most wins in the CL last month behind Down East (18-8). The Mudcats offense also finished June ranked 1st in the CL in runs (124), 3rd in team average (.257), 3rd in home runs (18), 1st in OBP (.343), 4th in SLG (.384) and 2nd in OPS (.728). Carolina's offense averaged 9.07 SO per game in June; down from 10.81 SO/G in April and 11.37 SO/G in May.
ALL THE Ks: Carolina batters have combined to total a Carolina League high 860 (4th most in MiLB) strikeouts this season. The Mudcats are on pace to set a league and franchise record for strikeouts for the third straight season as they are on pace for 1,440 strikeouts this 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.
AG DEPARTMENT: Ryan Aguilar has hit safely in seven of his last 10 and is batting .359/.405/.538 with a .943 OPS over those last 10 games (14-for-39, 7 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 11 SO)... Aguilar is currently 9th in the CL in batting (.274), 5th in OBP (.398), 8th in OPS (.784), tied for 10th in hits (76), 2nd in walks (50) and 1st in runs (54)... He started in center field for the second straight game on 7/1 in Myrtle Beach and has made six starts in center overall this season. Aguilar has, however, been Carolina's primary first baseman this season and leads CL first baseman in fielding this year (73 G, .993 PCT, 4 E). Aguilar started in center 55 times last season (.993 PCT, 6 A, 1 E).
TALE OF TWO HALVES: Mario Feliciano began the first half of June batting .429/.489/.905 with a 1.394 OPS (18-for-42, 3 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 13 RBI) over 12 games between 6/1 and 6/12. He then finished the month hitting just .151/.182/.151 with a .333 OPS (8-for-53, 3 R, 0 XBH, 6 RBI, 17 SO) over the final 13 games last month between 6/13 and 6/30.
LIGHTS OUT: Relievers Michael Petersen and Michael Petersen have been especially effective as of late... Petersen is 0-0 with a 0.87 ERA over his last nine appearances (10.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 BB, 17 SO, 14.8 SO/9)... Benoit is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 3 SV since 6/13 (5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 SO, 8.4 SO/9).
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry totaling 43 games behind the plate and Feliciano catching 39 games. Henry, meanwhile, has caught back-to-back games three times this season (4/14 & 4/15, 6/3 & 6/4, 6/26 & 6/27); Feliciano has caught back-to-back games once 6/14 & 6/15.... The Carolina pitching staff is 26-17 and has totaled a 3.46 ERA (3.0 BB/9, 8.9 SO/9) in games caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 18-21 with a 4.47 ERA (3.2 BB/9, 8.0 SO/9) in games caught by Feliciano. 
THE SKIPPER: Manager Joe Ayrault became the winningest manager in Carolina Mudcats team history after collecting his 177th victory as skipper in Carolina on 6/15/19 vs. Winston-Salem. Ayrault is in his 3rd season as Manager of the Mudcats and his 8th season overall as Manager of Milwaukee's High-A affiliate...
MANAGER W L PCT G SEASONS
Joe Ayrault 183 176 .510 359 2017-Present (3)
David Bell 176 239 .424 415 2009-11 (3)
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.