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Pelicans top Keys 5-2 on Opening Day

Martinez picks up first win of 2016
By John Vittas
April 7, 2016

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (April 7, 2016) - Behind five strong innings from Jonathan Martinez, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans knocked off the Frederick Keys 5-2 Thursday to begin the 2016 regular season at TicketReturn.com Field.

Martinez (1-0) picked up where he left off in 2015, earning the win with five innings of one-run ball, allowing only three hits. Martinez led the Carolina League in ERA last season, helping Myrtle Beach (1-0) to victory in 16 of his last 19 starts.

The Birds got the scoring going in the second inning. After Jason Vosler walked, Jeffrey Baez doubled to deep left to move Vosler to third. Gioskar Amaya followed with a hard-hit single to left to put the Pelicans in front 1-0. Baez would score two batters later on a fielding error by Keys (0-1) shortstop Erick Salcedo.

Myrtle Beach tacked on another run in the third on an RBI infield single from Yasiel Balaguert.

Down 3-0, Frederick finally got to Martinez in the fifth. After a Tad Gold single, Jay Gonzalez ripped a triple into the right field corner to cut the deficit to 3-1.

But that would be as close as the Keys would get. Rashad Crawford delivered a one-out single off Frederick starter Mitch Horacek (0-1) in the bottom of the fifth. Gleyber Torres followed with an opposite-field double to right center. Crawford beat the relay throw on a close play at the plate, allowing Torres to take third base. After a pitch trickled behind Frederick catcher Jonah Heim, Torres raced home for the second run of the inning, giving Myrtle Beach a 5-1 advantage.

The Birds bullpen handled the rest. Daury Torrez, James Pugliese and David Berg combined for four innings of one-run baseball to earn the Pelicans their first win of 2016. Berg struck out two to earn the save.

The Pelicans and Keys will meet again at 7:05pm on Friday. Zach Hedges (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will start for Myrtle Beach, to opposed by Keys lefty John Means (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com and the TuneIn App.

The 2016 season is the 18th season for the Pelicans franchise and secondas the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2016, 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 five seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last five years and the best in the Carolina League for five 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 defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made nine postseason appearances behind 11 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season, as well as five Southern Division titles, most recently in 2015. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing [email protected].