UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS...
WED, 7/10 at FRE, 7:00 PM: Carolina LHP Gio Gonzalez (MLB Rehab) at Frederick RHP David Lebron (2-4, 3.86)
THU, 7/11 at FRE, 7:00 PM: Carolina RHP Matt Smith (3-7, 3.56) at Frederick RHP Blaine Knight (0-6, 6.39)
FRI, 7/12 at FRE, 7:00 PM: Carolina LHP Aaron Ashby (2-2, 2.32) at Frederick TBA

TONIGHT: Winners of a season high six straight games, the Mudcats begin a six game road trip tonight with game one of a three game series versus the Northern Division's Frederick Keys at Nymeo Field in Frederick, MD. Tonight's game is the first of three in the series and 10th of 12 total meetings between the two teams this season. It is also the fourth of six second half meetings between the two teams. Carolina leads the overall season series 8-1 and recently swept the Keys at home for the second time this season between 7/4 & 7/6. The Mudcats also swept the Keys at home earlier this season (6/2-6/4) and finished a perfect 6-0 versus Frederick at Five County Stadium this season.

ICYMI: Pat McInerney and Devin Hairston hit back-to-back home runs in the second, Payton Henry hit a three-run home run during an eight Carolina run third as the Mudcats won their season high sixth straight game and clinched a three game sweep with a 13-2 victory versus Lynchburg on Tuesday afternoon at Five County Stadium. Carolina scored four of those runs in the second and then eight more on six hits in the third while going up 12-2 after four and 13-2 after the fifth.

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Mudcats totaled a season high 16 hits, matched a season with 13 runs scored and set a season high for largest margin of victory after defeating the Hillcats 13-2 in yesterday's sweep clinching victory... Carolina also improved to 5-3 in sweeps this season after yesterday's game... Pat McInerney and Devin Hairston went back-to-back with home runs in the third inning of yesterday's game; marking the second time this season that Carolina has gone back-to-back with home runs this season (Lutz/Feliciano, 6/4 vs. FRE).

REHABBER: LHP Gio Gonzalez of the Brewers will make a rehabilitation start for the Mudcats tonight in game one of a three game road series in Frederick, MD versus the Frederick Keys. Gonzalez was placed on the Milwaukee injured list with left arm fatigue on 5/31. He is the first Brewers' player to make a rehab assignment with the Mudcats this season. Prior to his placement on the 10-day injured list, Gonzalez had started in six games with Milwaukee while going 2-1 with a 3.19 ERA. The left-hander had also totaled 26 strikeouts, nine walks and a 1.19 WHIP over 31.0 innings this season. The two-time Major League All-Star last pitched for the Brewers on 5/27 in Minnesota where he finished without a decision while allowing four runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings pitched. He also walked one and struck out seven while reaching 102 pitches (67 strikes) in his last outing with Milwaukee... RHP Christian Taugner should follow Gonzalez tonight.

AG DEPARTMENT: Ryan Aguilar has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games (currently in a six game hit streak) and is batting .452/.549/.667 with a 1.216 OPS over his last 12 games (19-for-42, 12 R, 6 2B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 8 BB, 11 SO). He also reached safely in all five of his AB on 7/6 vs. FRE after going 2-for-2 with 3 R, 3 BB, 2 2B and 3 RBI.

HAIR ON FIRE: Devin Hairston finished a double shy of the cycle on 7/9 vs. LYN after going 3-for-3 with a solo home run, a 2-run triple and a single (attempted a hustle double, but was caught at second). His solo home run came in back-to-back fashion as it followed Pat McInerney (3-run HR) in the third on 7/9 vs. LYN and was his first of the season. Hairston has hit safely in six straight games and is batting .550/.571/.900 with a 1.471 OPS during the streak (11-for-20, 7 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 3 SO).

BEANBALLS: The Carolina offense is currently 2nd in professional baseball (MLB & MiLB) with 74 hit-by-pitches this season. The Mudcats also totaled a Carolina League high 24 HBP in June.

YOU RANG: The Brewers promoted SS Brice Turang to the Mudcats on 7/8 from Low-A Wisconsin where he slashed .287/.384/.376 with a .760 OPS, 21 stolen bases and 31 RBI over 82 games with the Timber Rattlers. Turang was selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2018 Draft, and at just 19 years old, is currently the youngest player in the Carolina League. Turang is currently rated as the No.2 prospect in the Milwaukee farm system.

WHERE THEY RANK: Mario Feliciano is currently 1st in the CL in home runs (14), 2nd in RBI (62), 1st in slugging (.468), 6th in OPS (.793), tied for 9th in hits (85), tied for 2nd in extra-base hits (32) and 2nd in total bases (147)... Ryan Aguilar is currently 8th in the CL in average (.292), 2nd in OPS (.839), 3rd in OBP (.419) 10th in SLG (.420), tied for 8th in hits (86), 2nd in walks (57), tied for 6th in doubles (20) and 1st in runs (63)... Payton Henry is tied for 3rd in the CL in home runs (10) and tied for 5th in the CL in RBI (51)... Matt Hardy is currently 3rd in the CL in wins (7) and tied for 4th in games (27)... Rodrigo Benoit is currently tied for 6th in the CL in wins (6), 3rd in games (28) and 2nd in the CL in saves (12)... Noah Zavolas is currently 2nd in the CL in ERA (2.87), 1st in innings pitched (103.1) and 2nd in WHIP (1.17). Zavolas is also 2nd in the CL in FIP (3.08), 2nd in xFIP (3.35), 1st in BB/9 (1.48) and 1st in K/BB (4.47) per Fangraphs.com.
CAROLINA LEAGUE LEADERS - TWO-OUT RBI
Player Team RBI HR AVG OPS
Henry, P CAR 28 6 .274 .858
Feliciano, M CAR 26 6 .283 .942
Corredor, A POT 26 3 .257 .679
Henry, R CAR 21 3 .257 .852

GIDP GROWTH: The Mudcats have hit into 18 double plays over their last 16 games, 22 in their last 20 games and hit into a CL high 35 GIDPs in June... The Mudcats lead the CL in most GIDPs this season having hit into 72 double plays in 2019... Payton Henry leads the CL with 15 GIDPs overall (eight in June). Devin Hairston totaled seven GIDPs last month.

KINGS OF THE NORTH: The Mudcats are currently 32-16 versus the Carolina League Northern Division teams this season. They have also gone 14-3 versus Northern Division teams since 6/11 (at FRE) and have totaled six straight victories versus Northern Division clubs (7/5 vs. FRE - Present). The Mudcats are just 4-14 vs. Southern Division teams since 5/24 (vs. DE, 3.5 GB before 5/24) and have suffered seven straight losses in games versus Southern Division teams (6/16 vs. WS - 7/3 at MB).

ALL THE Ks: Carolina batters have combined to total a Carolina League high 906 strikeouts this season (4th most in MiLB). The Mudcats are on pace to set a league and franchise record for strikeouts for the third straight season as they are on pace for over 1,400 strikeouts this season. Carolina batters combined to total a CL and franchise record 1,311 strikeouts last season; breaking the previous CL and franchise record of 1,245 SO set by Carolina in 2017.

LIGHTS OUT: Carolina's starting rotation is 8-5 with a 2.70 ERA over their last 17 starts (96.2 IP, 25 BB, 75 SO) and since Noah Zavolas pitched through a nine inning, complete-game shutout on 6/23 in Potomac (75.1 IP, 19 BB, 62 SO, 1.04 WHIP). The starters have also combined for two complete-game shutouts since 6/23 (Zavolas 6/23 at POT & Taugner 7/5 vs. FRE). Matt Smith has also turned in two 5.0 IP scoreless efforts on 6/30 vs. POT and 7/5 vs. FRE since 6/23.

BACK STOP SPLITS: Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano have split catching duties this season with Henry totaling 45 games behind the plate and Feliciano catching 43 games. Henry, meanwhile, has caught back-to-back games three times this season (4/14 & 4/15, 6/3 & 6/4, 6/26 & 6/27); Feliciano has caught back-to-back games once (6/14 & 6/15) and has caught three straight games once(7/6-7/9).... The Carolina pitching staff is 28-17 and has totaled a 3.46 ERA (2.9 BB/9, 9.0 SO/9) in games caught by Henry... Carolina's pitchers are 22-21 with a 4.35 ERA (3.1 BB/9, 7.9 SO/9) in games caught by Feliciano. 

THE MUDCATS HAVE…
... played in Zebulon, NC since 1991 (29th season).
... played in the Carolina League since 2012 (8th season).
... been an affiliate of the Brewers since 2017 (3rd season).
... not made the playoffs since the 2008 season.
... not made the playoffs during their Carolina League era.
... operated under the ownership of the Brewers since Oct. 2017.