August 31 - Mudcats Game Notes

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BUIES CREEK ASTROS (HOUSTON ASTROS) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS)
Friday, August 31, 2018 | 7:00 PM | Game 135, Home Game 70 | 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: 64-70; BC: 77-56
Streaks: CAR: W4; BC: W2
Last 10 Games: CAR: 5-5, BC: 7-3
Home Record: CAR: 39-29; BC: 43-24
Road Record: CAR: 25-41; BC: 34-32
Division Record: CAR: 40-46; BC: 55-38
Current Series: First game (of 4)
Season Series: BC leads 14-10 (of 28)
CAR v. OPP: 4-5 @CAR (11), 6-9 @OPP (17)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTERS:
FRI, 8/31, 7:00 PM: Buies Creek RHP Jose Hernandez (1-2, 2.70) at Carolina RHP Jorge Ortega (0-4, 8.46)
SAT, 9/1, 6:00 PM: Buies Creek TBD at Carolina RHP Christian Taugner (2-1, 5.03)
SUN, 9/2, 2:00 PM: Buies Creek TBD at Carolina RHP Victor Diaz (6-7, 4.41)
TONIGHT: The Mudcats continue their final home stand of the season tonight with game one of a split four game series versus the Buies Creek Astros at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, NC. Tonight's game is the 25th of 28 total meetings between the two teams this season; the Astros lead the season series 14-10.
ICYMI:Nick Franklin fell a single shy of the cycle, Nick Roscetti scored three runs, Demi Orimoloye hit a solo home run and Bowden Francis earned his second straight win as the Mudcats finished off a four game sweep of the Wood Ducks 10-4 on Thursday night at Five County Stadium.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Last night's victory clinched a four game series sweep for the Mudcats over the visiting Wood Ducks. The series sweep was just Carolina's second of the season; their last successful sweep came in May between May 18 and May 20 at Buies Creek. The home win also gave Carolina a 12-11 in the overall season series between the two teams.
WHERE THEY RANK: OF Cooper Hummel currently leads the Carolina League in OBP (.391) and is tied for 5th in base on balls (59)... RHP Luke Barker leads the Carolina League in saves (20) and games finished (37). Barker is also 2nd in games (45), 4th among CL relievers in lowest batting average (.208), 1st in fewest baserunners/9ip (8.85), 5th in highest strikeouts/9ip (9.00) and 4th in lowest BB/9ip ratio (2.10)… INF Dallas Carroll is currently 1st in the CL in games played (131), 2nd in at bats (498), 2nd in most walks (63) and 2nd in most double plays grounded into (16)... INF/OF Ryan Aguilar is tied for 1st in the CL in triples (9), tied for 4th in most base on balls (60) and is 2nd in most strikeouts (135).
WALK IT OFF: Seven (7) of Carolina's last 10 home wins have come in walk-off fashion (7/19, 7/24, 7/25, 8/4, 8/8, 8/17, 8/28). Those seven (7) walk-off wins have additionally occurred over Carolina's last 19 home games. Overall, Carolina has totaled 12 walk-off wins this season.
TRENDING: INF/OF Ryan Aguilar is batting .273/.379/.534 with a .913 OPS over his last 25 games (24 H, 12 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 15 BB, 34 SO)... OF Demi Orimoloye has hit safely in nine straight and is batting .326/.396/.698 (14-for-43, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI) with a 1.094 OPS during the streak.
DO NOT GO GENTLE: OF Dillon Thomas is batting .393/.538/.464 with a 1.003 OPS over his nine games with Carolina and has totaled three multi-hit games over his last five games (11 H, 6 R, 2 RBI, 8 BB, 11 SO). Thomas was recently signed by the Brewers out of the independent American Association where he hit .333/.420/.601 with a 1.021 OPS over 80 games earlier this season before his assignment to Carolina (97 H, 56 R, 37 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 54 RBI, 36 BB, 71 SO).
HUMMEL'S HALF: Cooper Hummel currently owns a Carolina League best .440 OBP in the second half. Hummel's second half (.291/.440/.473, .912 OPS [1st in CL since 6/21], 57 G) has also catapulted him into the overall CL lead in on-base (.391 OBP) this season. Hummel is additionally hitting .302/.456/.472 with a .928 OPS (50 G, 48 H, 28 R, 18 2B, 3 HR, 24 RBI) and a CL best 18 doubles since replacing an injured Tucker Neuhaus in the fourth inning of a home game versus the Keys on 7/6. Hummel ended up going 1-for-2 with a 2-run home run (eventual game winner in the seventh) in that same game and has not missed a start since.
DOWN WITH OBP: Cooper Hummel currently leads the Carolina League in on-base (.391) and is looking to become the first Mudcats player to finish a season as the league leader in on-base since Jeremy Hermida led the Southern League with a (franchise record) .457 OBP in 2005. Former Mudcats to lead the Carolina or Southern League in OBP: Jeremy Hermida (.457, 2005), Josh Willingham (.449, 2004), Todd Sears (.434, 2000), Jason Kendall (.414, 1995).
HITS AND Ks: The Carolina offense has totaled 247 more strikeouts than hits (1,271 SO, 1,024 H) so far this season. Carolina's difference in strikeouts over hits is currently the 6th largest in MiLB. Since 1991, only the 2017 and 2007 Mudcats have finished a season with more strikeouts than hits. Carolina totaled 164 more strikeouts than hits in 2017 (1,245 SO [franchise record], 1,081 H) and 70 more strikeouts than hits in 2007 (1,219 SO, 1,149 H).
RECORD SETTING: Carolina batters have combined to total a CL record 1,271 strikeouts this season and are on pace for over 1,300 strikeouts this season. The Carolina offense struck out a CL and franchise record 1,245 times last season... The Mudcats hit into a franchise record six (6) double plays 8/10 in Salem (Dallas Carroll: 5-4-3; Devin Hairston [3]: 6-4-3, 5-4-3, 5-4-3; Trever Morrison: 3u-3-6; Rob Henry 6-4-3)… The Mudcats pitchers set a franchise record for strikeouts in a nine inning game after totaling 19 strikeouts on 5/31 in Lynchburg (Marcos Diplan: 10 SO, Chase Williams: 3 SO, Phil Bickford: 3 SO, Luke Barker: 3 SO).
THE MUDCATS HAVE…
... Averaged the 2nd fewest runs per game in the CL (3.9).
... Totaled the 2nd fewest runs (529) in the CL this season.
... Allowed the 6th fewest runs (574) in the CL this season.
... Totaled the worst K% (offense) in the CL this season (25.7%).
... Totaled a CL high 16 losses when leading after 6 innings.
... Totaled a CL high 12 losses when leading after 7 innings.
... Have totaled 12 walk-off wins this season.
... Won a CL high 10 extra-innings games this season.
... Gone 24-24 (.500) vs. the CL Northern Division.
... Made 101 total roster transactions this season.
... 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).