Mills' rehab start spoiled in 4-2 loss

LILLINGTON, N.C. (August 29, 2017) - Despite a two-run double from Jesse Hodges  in the first inning Tuesday, the Myrtle Beach offense could not get their offense going in their 4-2 loss to the Buies Creek Astros at Jim Perry Stadium. 
With the score tied at two in the bottom of the second inning, Buies Creek (73-60, 36-27) took the lead against Myrtle Beach (71-63, 28-36) starter Alec Mills (0-1). Taylor Jones led off the frame with a walk before advancing to third on a single from Alex De Goti. With one out in the inning, Ronnie Dawson grounded out to third base, scoring Jones to give the Astros a 3-2 lead.

Mills' night would be done after four innings, as the right-hander yielded three earned runs on seven hits in his first rehab start with the Pelicans. Left-hander Ryan Kellogg entered the contest in the fifth inning and tossed three scoreless frames. 
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Ronnie Dawson singled before a one-out double from Yordan Alvarez extended the Buies Creek advantage to 4-2. 
Myrtle Beach kicked off the scoring in the top of the first inning. Zack Short began the frame with a base hit, followed by back-to-back walks issued to P.J. Higgins and Vimael Machin  to load the bases. Hodges laced a double down the left field line, scoring two runs to give the Pelicans an early 2-0 advantage. 
The Pelicans were quick to squander their lead as Dawson and Stephen Wrenn began the bottom of the first with back-to-back hits. With one out in the inning, a single from Jake Rogers scored Dawson and advanced Wrenn to third. Buies Creek knotted the game at two in the frame with an RBI groundout from Randy César.
Abdiel Saldana (2-0) picked up the win for Buies Creek. The right-hander pitched five innings and allowed just two earned runs before Kevin Hill entered the contest in the sixth. Hill picked up his second save of the season after hurling four shutout frames and punching out six batters. 
Myrtle Beach and Buies Creek will play the middle game of their three-game set on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. first pitch. The Birds will send RHP Oscar De La Cruz (4-2, 3.58 ERA) to the mound to oppose LHP Brett Adcock (4-4, 4.77 ERA). Coverage will begin at 6:45 on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app. 
The 2017 season is the 19th season for the Pelicans franchise and third as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2017, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.
ABOUT THE PELICANS: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and play their home games at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The park has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last six seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last six years and the best in the Carolina League for six straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the two-time defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 and 2016 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made ten postseason appearances behind 12 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season and second half of 2016. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing [email protected]