September 1 - Mudcats Game Notes

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BUIES CREEK ASTROS (HOUSTON ASTROS) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MILWAUKEE BREWERS)
Saturday, September 1, 2018 | 7:00 PM | Game 136, 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: 64-71; BC: 78-56
Streaks: CAR: L1; BC: W3
Last 10 Games: CAR: 5-5, BC: 7-3
Home Record: CAR: 39-30; BC: 43-24
Road Record: CAR: 25-41; BC: 35-32
Division Record: CAR: 40-47; BC: 56-38
Current Series: BC leads 1-0 (of 4)
Season Series: BC leads 15-10 (of 28)
CAR v. OPP: 4-6 @CAR (11), 6-9 @OPP (17)

UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTERS:
SAT, 9/1, 6:00 PM: Buies Creek RHP Cristian Javier (5-4, 3.36) at Carolina RHP Christian Taugner (2-1, 5.03)
SUN, 9/2, 2:00 PM: Carolina RHP Victor Diaz (6-7, 4.41) at Buies Creek TBD
MON, 9/3, 11:00 AM: Carolina RHP Alec Bettinger (1-5, 6.52) at Buies Creek RHP Carson LaRue (7-7, 4.12)
TONIGHT: The Mudcats play their final home game of the 2018 season tonight with game two of a split, home/away, four game series versus the Buies Creek Astros at Five County Stadium. Tonight's game is the 26th of 28 total meetings between the two teams this season; the Astros lead the season series 15-10.
ICYMI: The visiting Astros pounded out 19 hits and scored 14 times en route to a 14-1 drubbing of the Mudcats on Friday night in Zebulon. The loss snapped Carolina's winning streak at four straight games and came in front of a crowd of 4,502 at Five County Stadium.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Carolina's only run in last night's game came in the eighth when pinch-hitter Trever Morrison brought in Pat McInerney from third with a bases loaded sacrifice fly. Morrison had entered the game moments earlier in place of Demi Orimoloye who had been pulled from the game before entering the on-deck circle in the eighth. The Brewers later announced after the game that Orimoloye had been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Curtis Granderson.
WHERE THEY RANK: OF Cooper Hummel currently leads the Carolina League in OBP (.390) and is tied for 4th in base on balls (60)... 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 (132), 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).
DO NOT GO GENTLE: OF Dillon Thomas is batting .355/.512/.419 with a .931 OPS over 10 games with Carolina (11 H, 6 R, 2 RBI, 9 BB, 13 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 .436 OBP in the second half. Hummel's second half (.286/.436/.465, .901 OPS [2nd in CL since 6/21], 58 G) has also catapulted him into the overall CL lead in on-base (.390 OBP) this season. Hummel is additionally hitting .296/.452/.463 with a .915 OPS (51 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 (.390) 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 255 more strikeouts than hits (1,283 SO, 1,024 H) so far this season. Carolina's difference in strikeouts over hits is currently the tied for th 5th 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 1,283 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).
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 20 home games. Overall, Carolina has totaled 12 walk-off wins this season.
THE MUDCATS HAVE…
... Averaged the 2nd fewest runs per game in the CL (3.93).
... Totaled the 2nd fewest runs (530) in the CL this season.
... Allowed the 6th fewest runs (588) 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 104 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).