June 17 - Mudcats Game Notes

DOWNLOAD THE FULL GAME NOTES PACKET
CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS) at MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (CHICAGO CUBS)
Sunday, June 17, 2018 | 6:05 PM | Game 70, Away Game 36 | at TicketReturn.com Field | Myrtle Beach, SC
RADIO: WDWG, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM
STREAMING AUDIO: www.carolinamudcats.com, TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv (Myrtle Beach Broadcast)
Overall Record: CAR: 33-36; MB: 34-35
Streaks: CAR: L1; MB: W1
Last 10 Games: CAR: 4-6, MB: 5-5
Home Record: CAR: 19-15; MB: 20-15
Road Record: CAR: 14-21; MB: 14-20
Division Record: CAR: 24-32; MB: 22-24
Current Series: CAR leads 3-1 (of 5)
Season Series: CAR leads 7-6 (of 20)
CAR v. OPP: 3-3 @CAR (8), 4-3 @OPP (12)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTERS:
SUN, 6/17, 6:05 PM: Carolina RHP Conor Harber (1-3, 2.54) at Myrtle Beach LHP Bryan Hudson (4-5, 5.80)
MON, 6/18: Off
TUE, 6/19, 7:00 PM: Northern Division All-Stars TBA at Southern Division All-Stars TBA
TONIGHT: The Mudcats conclude an eight game road trip tonight with the series finale of a five game series versus the Pelicans in Myrtle Beach. Carolina split yesterday's doubleheader with the Pelicans, but still owns a 3-1 lead in the series. The Mudcats are currently 4-3 in their first half concluding eight game road trip (1-2 at BC, 3-1 at MB).
ICYMI: The Mudcats squeaked out a nine-inning, 2-1 victory in game one, before later losing 2-0 in game two and finished with a split in Saturday's doubleheader against the Pelicans at TicketReturn.com Field in Myrtle Beach. 
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Last night's game two starter Alec Bettinger pitched through a complete game (6-innings) and totaled a career high 10 strikeouts in his Mudcats and High-A debut. He now joins Marcos Diplan (5/31) and Braden Webb (6/14) as the only Carolina starters to total 10 strikeouts in a start this season.
STARTING OFF: RHP Conor Harber has the start in today's first half finale for the Mudcats. Harber enters today's outing at 1-3 with a 2.54 ERA over 15 games and six starts so far this season. He has also totaled 45 strikeouts, 29 walks and a .205 average against in 49.2 innings overall this season. Harber has additionally pitched to a 1.85 ERA while going 0-3 over his six starts this year (24.1 IP, 15 H, 5 Er, 14 BB, 17 SO). Harber's last appearance came on June 2 in Buies Creek when he started and took the tough luck loss in game two of a doubleheader against the Astros. Harber pitched into the sixth his last time out and allowed just two runs on three hits. He also walked two and hit two batters and reaching 73 pitches over 5.1 innings.
WHERE THEY RANK: LHP Cam Roegner is currently 1st in the Carolina League in earned run average (1.65), 2nd in innings pitched (76.1), 4th in WHIP (1.05) and 4th among starts in fewest baserunners/9ip (9.79)… SS Luis Aviles Jr. Jr. is currently 3rd in the CL in stolen bases (16)… INF Tucker Neuhaus (87) and INF Ronnie Gideon (86) and 1st and 2nd in the CL lead in most strikeouts… RHP Luke Barker is 2nd in the CL in games (22) and 2nd among relievers in lowest against (.161). Barker is also leading CL relievers in fewest baserunners/9ip (7.41).
ON THE LISTS: The Mudcats roster currently features several of the Brewers top 30 prospects as ranked by Baseball America; including RHP Phil Bickford (No. 17), C Mario Feliciano (No. 20), RHP Marcos Diplan (No. 20) and LHP Nathan Kirby (No. 27)... Marcos Diplan and Mario Feliciano are also currently rated as the No. 11 and No. 14 prospects in the Brewers system by MLBPipeline.com.
STINGY MAY: Carolina pitchers combined to pitch to a Carolina League best 2.65 ERA in May (258.1 IP, 105 BB, 255 SO, .225 AVG). They also went 16-13 in May, while the offense totaled 20 home runs, 4.48 runs/game and a .245 average (.702 OPS).
JUNE GLOOM: Carolina is collectively batting a Carolina League worst .188 in June. They also own a -8 run differential and have averaged just 3.43 runs per game since June 1 and since Keston Hiura was promoted to Double-A.
GOT HEEEM: Max McDowell leads MiLB catchers in most caught steals (34) and is 2nd in caught stealing/stolen base efficiency (.557) for catchers with at least 30 attempts against in all of MiLB… McDowell also leads all MiLB catcher in most assists (61)... McDowell totaled 18 CS (.450) during his first season with the AZL Brewers in 2015, 54 CS (.443) in 2016 with Wisconsin and 31 CS (.556) last season with Carolina.
MUDDIES ON THE POND: Carolina is batting a CL low .235 (.671 OPS) with runners on base. The Mudcats are also 9th in the CL when batting with runners in scoring position (.240, .707 OPS) and last in the CL when batting with RISP/2-outs (.218, .673 OPS) this season.
HITS AND Ks: The Carolina offense has totaled 145 more strikeouts than hits (663 SO, 518 H) so far this season. Carolina's difference in strikeouts over hits is currently the 2nd 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 STARS: The Mudcats placed four players on the 2018 Carolina League Southern Division All-Star team, including CL earned run average leader LHP Cam Roegner, starter RHP Marcos Diplan, INF Tucker Neuhaus and MiLB caught steals leader C Max McDowell.
THE MUDCATS HAVE…
... Stranded the 3rd most base runners in the CL (491).
... Averaged the 3rd fewest runs per game in the CL (4.04).
... Totaled the 3rd fewest runs (277) in the CL this season.
... Allowed the 3rd fewest runs (263) in the CL this season.
... Totaled the worst K% in the CL this season (26.2%).
... Converted 52% of save opp. (15 SV, 29 SVO); 10th in CL.
... Totaled a CL leading 40 caught steals (.440 - 2nd in CL).
... Averaged the longest 9-inn. game times in the CL; 3:02 (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).