July 8: Mudcats vs. Hillcats Game Notes

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LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (CLEVELAND INDIANS) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS)
Monday, July 8, 2019 | 7:00 PM | Game 88, Home Game 47 | Five County Stadium (6,500) | Zebulon, NC
RADIO: WDWG 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO:carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 49-38; LYN: 43-41
Streaks: CAR: W4; LYN: W2
Last 10 Games: CAR: 6-4, LYN: 7-3
Home Record: CAR: 27-19; LYN: 19-25
Road Record: CAR: 22-19; LYN: 24-16
Division Record: CAR: 19-22; LYN: 15-18
Current Series: CAR leads 1-0 (of 3)
Season Series: CAR leads 5-4 (of 17)
CAR v. OPP: 3-2 @CAR (10), 2-2 @OPP (7)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
MON, 7/8 vs. LYN, 7:00 PM: Lynchburg LHP Hector Hernandez (1-1, 2.19) at Carolina RHP Noah Zavolas (4-3, 2.94)
TUE, 7/9 vs. LYN, 12:00 PM: Lynchburg LHP Juan Hillman (3-8, 3.21) at Carolina RHP Matt Hardy (7-1, 4.12)
WED, 7/10 at FRE, 7:00 PM: Carolina LHP Gio Gonzalez (MLB Rehab) at Frederick TBA
TONIGHT: Winners of four straight, the Mudcats continue a six game home stand today with game two of a three game series versus the Northern Division's Lynchburg Hillcats at Five County Stadium in Zebulon. Tonight's game is the second of three in the series and 10th of 17 total meetings between the two teams this season. It is also the second of nine second half meetings between the two teams. Carolina leads the current series 1-0 and is 5-4 versus the Hillcats this season having also split two four game series between 5/13 and 5/16 in Lynchburg and again between 5/20 and 5/23 in Zebulon.
ICYMI: The Mudcats rattled off their fourth straight win after pounding out 12 runs on nine hits and a season high 12 walks while defeating the Lynchburg Hillcats 12-5 in game one of a three game series at Five County Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Carolina walked a season high 12 times in yesterday's game and ended up converting five of those 12 walks into runs; setting a new season high for walks converted into runs... The Mudcats totaled seven (7) 2-out RBI in yesterday's 12-5 victory versus Lynchburg. Carolina is currently second in the CL in 2-out runs (156) scored and 3rd in 2-out RBI (142) overall this season.
STARTING PITCHING MATCH-UP...
Noah Zavolas (CAR): 4-3, 2.94 ERA, 16 GS, 98.0 IP, 15 BB, 73 SO, 1.15 WHIP
Last start, 7/3 at MB: ND, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO, 96 pitches
CL Ranks: 2nd in ERA (2.94), 1st in K/BB (4.87), 1st in WHIP (1.15).
Hector Hernandez (LYN): 1-1, 2.19 ERA, 9 G, 2 GS, 24.2 IP, 8 BB, 24 SO
Last start, 7/3 at FRE: W, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO, 86 pitches
POWER OUTAGE: The Mudcats have totaled just eight home runs over their last 27 games while going 15-12 over that span and since 6/8. Carolina has additionally averaged 4.15 runs/game over those same 27 games (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 have hit into 16 double plays over their last 14 games, 20 in their last 18 games and a CL high 35 GIDPs last month... The Mudcats lead the CL in most GIDPs this season having hit into 70 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 (59), 2nd in slugging (.451), 9th in hits (81), tied for 4th in extra-base hits (29) and tied for 2nd in total bases (139)... Ryan Aguilar is currently 2nd in the CL in OPS (.824), 3rd in OBP (.411), 9th in AVG (.285), 8th in hits (82), 2nd in walks (55) and 1st in runs (61)... Payton Henry is tied for 7th in the CL in home runs (9) and tied for 6th in the CL in RBI (47)... Tristen Lutz is currently 10th in the CL in SLG (.417), tied for 5th in runs (46) and tied for 4th in XBH (29)... Matt Hardy is currently tied for 2nd in the CL in wins (7) and tied for 4th in games (26)... Rodrigo Benoit is currently tied for 3rd in the CL in wins (6), tied for 3rd in games (27) and 2nd in the CL in saves (12)... Noah Zavolas is currently 2nd in the CL in ERA (2.94), 3rd in the CL in innings pitched (98.0) and 1st in WHIP (1.15). Zavolas is also 1st in the CL in FIP (3.04), 1st in xFIP (3.28), 1st in BB/9 (1.38) and 1st in K/BB (4.87) per Fangraphs.com... Nelson Hernandez is tied for 7th in the CL in WHIP (1.30) and 1st in innings (98.2).
CAROLINA LEAGUE LEADERS - TWO-OUT RBI
Player Team RBI HR AVG OPS
Henry, P CAR 27 6 .274 .853
Corredor, A POT 26 3 .248 .664
Feliciano, M CAR 24 6 .269 .888
Henry, R CAR 21 3 .254 .846
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.
BEANBALLS: The Carolina offense is currently 2nd in professional baseball (MLB & MiLB) with 71 hit-by-pitches this season. The Mudcats also totaled a Carolina League high 24 HBP in June.
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 893 (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 over 1,400 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 nine (9) of his last 10 games and is batting .429/.512/.657 with a 1.169 OPS over his last 10 games (15-for-35, 10 R, 5 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 6 BB, 9 SO). He also reached safely in all five of his AB on 7/6 vs. FRE after going 2-for-2 with 3 R, 3 BB, 2 2B and 3 RBI... Aguilar started in center field for the seventh time this season in game one of a doubleheader on 7/5 vs. FRE. He has, however, been Carolina's primary first baseman this season and leads CL first baseman in fielding this year (76 G, .994 PCT, 4 E). Aguilar started in center 55 times last season (.993 PCT, 6 A, 1 E).
LIGHTS OUT: Carolina's starting rotation is 7-5 with a 2.68 ERA over their last 15 starts (87.1 IP, 23 BB, 68 SO) and since Noah Zavolas pitched through a nine inning, complete-game shutout on 6/23 in Potomac (75.1 IP, 19 BB, 62 SO, 1.04 WHIP). The starters have also combined for two complete-game shutouts since 6/23 (Zavolas 6/23 at POT & Taugner 7/5 vs. FRE). Matt Smith has also turned in two 5.0 IP scoreless efforts on 6/30 vs. POT and 7/5 vs. FRE since 6/23.
BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry totaling 44 games behind the plate and Feliciano catching 42 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 twice 6/14 & 6/15 and 7/6 and 7/8.... The Carolina pitching staff is 27-17 and has totaled a 3.49 ERA (3.0 BB/9, 9.0 SO/9) in games caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 21-21 with a 4.33 ERA (3.1 BB/9, 7.9 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. WS. Ayrault is in his 3rd season with Carolina and 8th overall as Manager of Milwaukee's High-A affiliate...
MANAGER W L PCT G SEASONS
Joe Ayrault 187 176 .515 363 2017-Present (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).
... 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.