Big lead slips away in 9-5 loss
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Isaias Tejeda was 3-for-5 with two runs, Luis Valenzuela drove in two and was 2-for-5 and Joseph Daris was 2-for-4 with two doubles, but the Mudcats lost 9-5 to the Pelicans at TicketReturn.com Field on Monday night.
The loss dropped Carolina (40-61, 11-20) to just 1-5 in their current eight game road trip and six games back of first place Myrtle Beach (53-48, 17-14). The Mudcats led 5-1 after the third in Monday's loss, but failed to hold an early lead for the second time in their last three games.
Tejeda drove in the first run of the game with a RBI single off Myrtle Beach starter Jeremy Null in the first. Braxton Davidson followed with a RBI triple and Carolina brought across two in the first to take a 2-0 lead. Luis Valenzuela drove in two more in the second with a two-run single before Keith Curcio doubled in their last run in the third. Sal Giardina had a single in the third and extended his hitting streak to a career high 14 straight games.
Carolina led 5-1 after the third, but the Pelicans came back with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth while pulling within one at 5-4. Null gave up all five Carolina runs and allowed 10 hits. He left after the fifth with his club trailing 5-4 and did not earn a decision.
Ryan Clark started for the Mudcats and like Null, also pitched through the fifth. Clark struck out four and gave up four runs on seven hits over his five innings pitched and left the game with the Mudcats leading 5-4.
Chad Sobotka (1-1, 3.48) held the 5-4 Carolina lead while working through a scoreless sixth, but would then go on to see the lead slip away after running into trouble in the seventh. Sobotka hit Erick Castillo with a pitch to start the Myrtle Beach comeback frame and then gave up a one-out walk to Andrew Ely. A double to left-center from David Bote knocked Sobotka out of the game and drove in both Castillo and Ely to put the Pelicans up 6-5.
Taylor Lewis relieved Sobotka after the two-run double, but went on to allow three straight hits before eventually getting out of the inning. Lewis allowed one earned run of his own and one inherited runner to score in the seventh and, in all, the Pelicans rallied for four runs while taking an 8-5 lead.
Castillo also homered in the eighth against Zack Bird and was 2-for-3 with three runs for the Pelicans in the series opening victory. Balaguert was 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI, Ely finished 2-for-4 with two runs and Bote was 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Reliever Craig Brooks and Daury Torrez pitched the final half of the game for the Pelicans and combined to keep the Mudcats scoreless over four innings. Brooks (1-0, 7.84) earned the win after striking out four over two scoreless and Torrez (S, 2) earned the save while working through a scoreless eighth and ninth.
Carolina Mudcats games air over the radio on The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and are streamed online at www.carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio and the TuneIn Radio app. All home games are additionally streamed live in high definition video and live game audio via MiLB.tv.
Tickets to all Carolina Mudcats games are currently available by contacting a front office representative at (919) 269-CATS (2287) or by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com.
The Carolina Mudcats are the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. First established in 1991, the two-time Southern League Champion Carolina Mudcats are in their 26th consecutive season of baseball at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C.
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