July 19 - Mudcats Game Notes

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WINSTON-SALEM DASH (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS)
Thursday, July 19, 2018 | 7:00 PM | Game 96, Home Game 49 | 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: 48-47; WS: 58-38
Streaks: CAR: W1; WS: L1
Last 10 Games: CAR: 4-6, WS: 6-4
Home Record: CAR: 28-20; WS: 32-16
Road Record: CAR: 20-27; WS: 26-22
Division Record: CAR: 31-38; WS: 35-22
Current Series: CAR leads 1-0 (of 3)
Season Series: WS leads 10-5 (of 21)
CAR v. OPP: 4-4 @CAR (10), 1-6 @OPP (11)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTERS:
THU, 7/19, 7:00 PM: Winston-Salem RHP Luis Martinez (6-4, 4.23) at Carolina RHP Alec Bettinger (1-1, 2.75)
FRI, 7/20, 7:00 PM: Winston-Salem RHP Blake Hickman (2-3, 7.56) at Carolina RHP Victor Diaz (5-5, 4.33)
SAT, 7/21, 6:00 PM: Carolina LHP Cam Roegner (8-5, 2.38) at Lynchburg TBD
TONIGHT: The Mudcats continue a seven game (eight day) home stand tonight with game two of a three game series versus the Winston-Salem Dash at Five County Stadium. Tonight's game is the 16th of 21 total meetings between the two teams this season. The Mudcats improved to 2-3 in their current home stand after defeating the Dash 5-3 last night.
ICYMI: Cooper Hummel hit a two-run home run in the eighth while breaking a 3-3 tie, Weston Wilson hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the first and Luke Barker picked up his league leading 14th save of the season as the Mudcats defeated the Dash 5-3 on Wednesday night at Five County Stadium. Hummel's 2-run blast in the eighth came off Winston-Salem reliever Drew Hasler and proved to be the game winner as the Mudcats rallied late to take game one of a three game home series against the Dash.
STARTING OFF: RHP Alec Bettinger makes his return to the Carolina starting rotation tonight versus the Dash. Bettinger last pitched on July 3 at Five County Stadium against the Buies Creek Astros, but ended up leaving in the third (2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 52 pitches) with lower back stiffness. Bettinger enters tonight's outing at 1-1 with a 2.75 ERA over four games and three starts this season. He has also totaled 21 strikeouts, five walks and a .211 average against over 19.2 innings this season.
WHERE THEY RANK: RHP Conor Harber is currently 1st in the Carolina League in earned run average (2.26) and in batting average against (.209)… LHP Cam Roegner is currently 2nd in the Carolina League in earned run average (2.38), 3rd in innings pitched (98.1), tied for 2nd in wins (8) and 4th among starters in fewest baserunners/9ip (10.89)… RHP Braden Webb is currently tied for 4th in most strikeouts (88), tied for 3rd in the CL in most walks (49), 4th among CL starters in lowest batting average against (.237) and tied for 3rd among starters in highest SO/9ip ratio (9.10)… RHP Luke Barker leads the Carolina League in saves (14). Barker is also tied for the CL lead in games (33) and tied for 1st in games finished (26). Barker is also 3rd among CL relievers in lowest batting average (.189), 5th in highest strikeouts/9ip (9.26) and 4th in lowest BB/9ip ratio (1.97).
SAVE ME: The Carolina bullpen has totaled a CL best 11 saves so far in the second half. They have also successfully converted 73% of save chances (11 SV, 15 SVO) in the second half; up from 55% in the 1st half (17/31)... Luke Barker has totaled a CL best seven 8 in the second half (8 SV, 10 SVO).
TRENDING: Ryan Aguilar has hit safely in 9 straight games and is batting .281/.351/.438 during the streak (.789 OPS, 9-for-32, 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SO)... Weston Wilson has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games and is batting .452/.478/.742 with a 1.220 OPS since June 30 (28 H, 12 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 20 RBI).
INSERT HUMMEL: Cooper Hummel is batting .361/.465/.667 with a 1.132 OPS (13 H, 8 R, 5 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI) since replacing an injured Tucker Neuhaus in the fourth inning of a home game versus the Keys on July 6. Hummel ended up going 1-for-2 with a two-run home run (eventual game winner in the seventh) in that same game and has not missed a start since.
STELLAR D: Weston Wilson has been charged with only three errors this season and has a .993 fielding percentage while playing 34 games at 1B, 13 games at 2B, 12 games at 3B and 34 games in the outfield this season.
MUDDIES ON THE POND: The Carolina offense is currently last in the CL when batting with runners on base (.235 / .670 OPS), last when batting with runners in scoring position (.233 / .685 OPS), 7th when batting with runners in scoring position with 2-outs in an inning. (.226 / .689 OPS) and 8th when batting with the bases loaded (.231 / .560 OPS).
HITS AND Ks: The Carolina offense has totaled 146 more strikeouts than hits (882 SO, 736 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).
ALL THE Ks: The Mudcats offense has combined to total a CL high 882 strikeouts this season (on pace for 1,300 SO). The Carolina offense struck out a Carolina League and franchise record 1,245 times last season. The previous league record (per the 2017 Carolina League Media Guide) was 1,198 strikeouts and was set by the 1990 Lynchburg Hillcats.
INTRA-DIV: The Mudcats are currently just 31-38 in games against Southern Division opponents (.449) this season. Carolina, however, is currently 17-9 (.654, league high PCT.) over 26 games against Northern Division teams (vs. FRE: 6-2, vs. LYN: 3-4, .vs WIL: 5-2, vs. SAL: 3-1) this season and own the CL's best winning percentage in games outside their own division. The Mudcats have 22 games remaining against CL Northern Division teams this season.
THE MUDCATS HAVE…
... Averaged the 2nd fewest runs per game in the CL (4.042).
... Totaled the 2nd fewest runs (384) in the CL this season.
... Allowed the 2nd fewest runs (369) in the CL this season.
... Totaled the worst K% (offense) in the CL this season (25.2%).
... Have a CL high 12 losses when leading after 6 innings.
... Have a CL high 9 losses when leading at 7 innings.
... Averaged the longest 9-inn. game times in the CL; 3:00 (h:mm)
... 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).