April 21 - Mudcats Game Notes

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BUIES CREEK ASTROS (HOUSTON ASTROS) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS)
Saturday, April 21, 2018 | 5:00 PM | Game 17, Home Game 10 | at Five County Stadium | Zebulon, NC
RADIO: WDWG, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO: www.carolinamudcats.com, TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 8-8; BC: 11-5
Streaks: CAR: L2; BC: W7
Last 10 Games: CAR: 4-6, BC: 8-2
Home Record: CAR: 5-4; BC: 6-1
Road Record: CAR: 3-4; BC: 5-4 
Division Record: CAR: 4-6; BC: 5-0
Current Series: BC leads 2-0 (of 4)
Season Series: BC leads 2-0 (of 28)
CAR v. OPP: 0-2 @CAR (11), 0-0 @OPP (17)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTERS:
SAT, 4/21, 5:00 PM: Buies Creek RHP Jorge Alcala (0-2, 6.23) at Carolina RHP Marcos Diplan (0-1, 4.97)
SUN, 4/22, 2:00 PM: Buies Creek RHP Abdiel Saldana (2-0, 0.00) at Carolina RHP Trey Supak (1-0, 0.60)
MON, 4/23, OFF
TUE, 4/24, 7:00 PM: Myrtle Beach TBD at Carolina LHP Nathan Kirby (0-1, 6.43)
ICYMI: Josh Rojas went 3-for-4 with a home run, Ronnie Dawson drove in two runs while going 2-for-5 and reliever Corbin Martin struck out eight over four scoreless frames while earning the save as the Astros defeated the Mudcats 8-2 on Friday night in Zebulon. With the victory, the Astros took a two games to none lead over the Mudcats in their four game series and stretched their win streak to seven straight games.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Mudcats totaled just three hits in last night's 8-2 loss. All three of their hits and both of their runs came in the second. The Mudcats were held without a hit and managed to have just three base runners reach base safely after the second inning. They also struck out a combined 10 times between the third and ninth innings.
VS. ASTROS: The Mudcats and Astros continue a four game series with game three tonight at Five County Stadium. Buies Creek took last night's opener 8-2 and won their seventh straight game overall in the process. Tonight's game is the third of 28 total meetings this season between the two teams. The Mudcats went just 7-16 against Buies Creek last season, including a 3-8 record at home and 4-8 record on the road.
MUDCATS STARTER: Opening Night starter Marcos Diplan has tonight's start for the Mudcats. Diplan last pitched on 4/16 in Wilmington and took the loss after allowing four runs on three hits and five walks in just two innings pitched. Diplan is 0-1 and has pitched to a 4.97 ERA with eight strikeouts, 10 walks and 18 hits allowed over three starts so far this season. Diplan currently leads the Carolina League in highest batting average against (.367) and is tied for 3rd in most walks allowed (10). 
OPP STARTER: Right-hander Jorge Alcala has tonight's start for the Astros at Five County Stadium. Alcala is 0-2-1 with a 6.23 ERA over three game and two starts so far this season for Buies Creek. He last pitched on 4/16 vs. Myrtle Beach where he held the Pelicans scoreless over 4.0 innings pitched. He also struck out seven and allowed just one hit in what was his first relief appearance of the season. Alcala split the 2017 season with Low-A Quad Cities and High-A Buies Creek. He went 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA (31.0 IP, 12 BB, 35 SO) over six games and four starts with Quad Cities and 5-6 with a 3.45 ERA (78.1 IP, 33 BB, 60 SO) over 16 games and 14 starts with Buies Creek last season.
STREAKING: OF Carlos Belonis has hit safely in six straight games and is batting .381 (8-for-21) with two home runs, nine RBI and a 1.173 OPS during the streak.
WHERE THEY RANK: SS Luis Aviles Jr. Jr. is currently 4th in the Carolina League in stolen bases (7). Aviles is also 2nd in the CL in most strikeouts (23)… RHP Trey Supak is currently 3rd in the CL in ERA (0.60)… RHP Luke Barker is 2nd in the CL in WHIP (0.58) and leads the CL in Lowest BB/9ip ratio (0.00)... LHP Cam Roegner is 4th in the CL in ERA (1.15)... RHP Conor Harber is currently 3rd in the CL in Highest SO/9ip Ratio (14.40)... INF Dallas Carroll is currently 4th in the CL in Lowest TPA/SO Ratio (9.14).
ALL THE Ks: The Mudcats offense total 12 strikeouts in last night's loss, thus brining the club's overall season total to a Carolina League high 163 strikeouts through 16 games this season. The Mudcats also lead the CL in highest K% (27.5%) and are 5th in MiLB as a team for most strikeouts this season.
BY FRAME: The Mudcats have totaled 62 runs so far this season. Of those 62 total runs, 27 have been scored over the first three innings, 24 have been scored between the fourth and sixth innings and only 11 have been scored over the final three innings of a game this season. The Mudcats have not scored a run in the ninth inning and have been outscored 11-0 in the ninth overall this season. Carolina is collectively batting just .061 in the ninth inning this season and have totaled 18 strikeouts in 33 at-bats. Inning by inning team batting totals: 1st: .190, 2nd: .277, 3rd: .254, 4th: .193, 5th: .274, 6th: .220, 7th: .283, 8th: .278 and 9th: .061.
FULL OF Es: The Mudcats were charged with a season high five errors in last night's loss. Catcher Cooper Hummel was charged with three of the five and third-baseman Dallas Carroll was charged with two. The five error night matched last season's high for errors in a game and was one short of the club's Carolina League era record for most errors in a game. The 2016 Mudcats committed a Carolina League era club record six errors in a game on 7/9/16 in Potomac.
THE MUDCATS HAVE…
... Stranded the 2nd most base runners in the CL (128).
... Walked a CL high 84 batters this season (5.5 BB/9).
... Have averaged and 2nd fewest runs/game in the CL (3.8).
... Had two players steal a base this season (Aviles, Carroll).
... Not made the playoffs since the 2008 season.
... Not made the playoffs during their Carolina League era.
... Been in Zebulon, NC since 1991 (28th season).
... Been in the Carolina League since 2012 (7th season).
FARM REPORT: 2017 Mudcat Lucas Erceg went 4-for-5 with three runs, a home run and four RBI for Double-A Biloxi last night. Erceg is batting .362/.424/.500 (21-for-58) with seven runs, five doubles, one home run and nine RBI this season in Double-A.