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August 29 - Mudcats Game Notes

August 29, 2017

DOWNLOAD the full game notes packet.WINSTON-SALEM DASH (CHI) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MIL)Tuesday, August 29, 20177:00 PM | Game 132, Home Game 67at Five County Stadium | Zebulon, NCRADIO: The Big Dawg 98.5 FM, WDWG STREAMING AUDIO: www.carolinamudcats.com, TuneIn RadioSTREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tvOverall Record: CAR: 66-65; WS: 53-80Streaks: CAR: L1; WS: L1Last 10

DOWNLOAD the full game notes packet.
WINSTON-SALEM DASH (CHI) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MIL)
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
7:00 PM | Game 132, Home Game 67
at Five County Stadium | Zebulon, NC
RADIO: The Big Dawg 98.5 FM, WDWG 
STREAMING AUDIO: www.carolinamudcats.com, TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 66-65; WS: 53-80
Streaks: CAR: L1; WS: L1
Last 10 Games: CAR: 7-3, WS: 4-6
Home Record: CAR: 33-33; WS: 34-37
Road Record: CAR: 33-32; WS: 19-43
Division Record: CAR: 43-39; WS: 31-49
Current Series: First game (of 3)
Season Series: CAR leads 16-5 (24)
CAR v. OPP: 10-0 @CAR (13), 6-5 @OPP (11)

UPCOMING PROBABLES:
TUE, 8/29, 7:00: Winston-Salem RHP Dane Dunning (5-7, 3.77) at Carolina RHP Jordan Yamamoto (7-4, 2.88)
WED, 8/30, 7:00: Winston-Salem RHP Jimmy Lambert (4-3, 5.62) at Carolina LHP Kodi Medeiros (6-9, 5.23)
THU, 8/31, 7:00: Winston-Salem RHP A.J. Puckett (10-7, 4.10) at Carolina RHP Zack Brown (3-0, 1.89)
ICYMI: Marcos Diplan pitched into the seventh with six strikeouts, Monte Harrison drove in a run and scored once while going 3-for-5 and Lucas Erceg went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and a RBI, but the Mudcats finished a game shy of a sweep after losing 6-5 in extras in the final game of a three game series in Myrtle Beach. The Mudcats had a 4-1 lead entering the last of the eighth, but the Pelicans came back with two in the eighth and one in the ninth to eventually force extras in Sunday's series finale in Myrtle Beach. Carolina scored once more in the tenth to reclaim the lead, but the Pelicans answered with two in the last of tenth to walk off with the 6-5 victory. The loss was Carolina's first this season when leading after the eighth inning (49-1).
THE MATCHUP: Tonight's game between the Mudcats and the Dash is the first of a three game series between the two teams at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats are a perfect 10-0 versus Winston-Salem at home this season. Carolina is also 16-5 overall against the Dash this year.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: The Mudcats are currently 5.5 games out of first behind the Buies Creek Astros in the Southern Division Second Half Standings. Carolina's elimination number currently sits at just two with seven game remaining this season.
STARTING OFF: Jordan Yamamoto has tonight's series opening start versus the Dash at Five County Stadium. Yamamoto is currently 7-4-1 with a 2.88 ERA over 20 games, 16 starts and 97.0 innings pitched. He has also totaled 99 strikeouts, 28 walks and held opponents to a .227 average against so far this year with the Mudcats. Yamamoto last pitched on 8/23 in Winston-Salem where he worked through 6.0 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and just four hits allowed. He pitched to a 74 game score his last time out and earned his second straight victory and quality start. Yamamoto is 2-1 with a 0.47 ERA over his last three starts (19.0 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 20 SO).
HAWAII KO: Jordan Yamamoto is currently just 6.1 innings shy of officially qualifying for the Carolina League pitching leaderboard. Yamamoto would lead the Carolina League in earned run average (2.88) if he were qualified at this point in the season (0.8 IP/team game). He has currently pitched through 97.0 innings this season and will need to reach at least 110.1 innings by season's end to qualify the Carolina League's ERA title.
TURN IT: Carolina turned a season high four double plays on 8/26 in Myrtle Beach and have totaled 24 double plays over 24 games in August. They have also successfully converted 15 double plays since 8/16. The Mudcats executed 21 double plays in April, 19 in May, 10 in June and 22 DPs in July.
JEKYL AND HYDE: Carolina opened the month of August at just 3-11 and were batting a combined .188 and slugging .285 over those first 14 games. They have since gone 8-3 over their last 11 games and are batting .298 and slugging .434.
HEATING UP: Lucas Erceg is batting .417/.509/.604 with a 1.113 OPS over his last 12 games (20-for-48, 9 R, 6 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 9 BB)… Cooper Hummel is batting .378/.442/.622 with a 1.063 OPS over his last nine games (14-for-37, 6 R, 1 HR, 5 BB, 8 RBI)… Monte Harrison is batting .377/.400/.566 with a .966 OPS over his last 11 games (20-for-53, 11 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 14 SO, 8 SB).
ERCEG 2X POW: Lucas Erceg was recently named the Carolina League's Player of the Week for the week ending on 8/27. Erceg went 11-for-22 and hit .500/.621/.773 with a (CL high) 1.393 OPS, eight runs, three doubles, one home run, (CL high) seven RBIs and seven walks while earning the weekly honor for the second time this season. Erceg additionally won the Carolina League Player of the Week award earlier this season on 7/31. Monte Harrison also won the award on 8/6.
THIEVERY: The Mudcats have totaled a Carolina League high 171 stolen bases and are 3rd in most steals in MiLB this season. Luis Aviles Jr. (36 SB, 8 CS) and Trent Clark (36, 5 CS) currently lead the Mudcats in steals and are tied for 2nd in the CL in most steals this season. Corey Ray (24 SB, 10 CS) is 5th in the CL in stolen bases this season. The club record for steals in a season is 208 and was set by the 2000 Mudcats.
WHERE THEY RANK: Lucas Erceg currently leads the Carolina League in RBIs (77). Erceg is also tied for 2nd in the CL in XBH (48), tied for 3rd in doubles (32) and is tied for 6th in home runs (14)… Trent Clark currently leads the Carolina League in walks (95, 2nd in MiLB) and is tied for the league lead in outfield assists (13). Clark is also tied for the CL lead in games (126), 3rd in runs (75) and tied for 2nd in stolen bases (36).
CLOSING TIME:Nate Griep earned his Carolina League leading 26th save (career high) of the season on 8/27 in Myrtle Beach and matched Matt Ryan of the 1995 Mudcats for the 2nd most saves in franchise history. The Mudcats franchise record for saves in a season is 28 and was set by Chris Mobley in 2008.
WALK THIS WAY: Trent Clark has totaled 95 walks over 126 games this season and is currently on pace to break the Mudcats' franchise record for walks in a season (97 BB, Tracy Sanders, 1998).
20/20 CLUB: Monte Harrison became the seventh player in MILB this season to reach the 20/20 club after hitting his 20th home run and stealing his 21st base after going 3-for-6 with a home run and two stolen bases on 8/17 at Down East. 
THE HAVES:
- The Mudcats have combined to hit .237 and are 30-33 in the 2nd Half (4.5 R/G, +9 DIFF, .243 AVG w/RISP).
- The Mudcats have combined to pitch to a 3.95 ERA and an 7.94 SO/9ip ratio in the 2nd Half.
- The Mudcats have combined to hit .239 and are 11-14 in August (4.64 R/G, 4.30 ERA since 8/1).
- The Mudcats have combined to hit 95 home runs this season; 2nd most in the club's Carolina League era (105, 2012).
- The Mudcats have totaled 28 stolen bases over their last 11 games; they had previously totaled only five (5) steals between 8/1 and 8/14.
- The Mudcats have won 26 of 32 (26-6) when scoring at least one run in the first inning this season.
- The Mudcats have gone 8-9-1 in series played so far in the second half.