June 17 - Mudcats Game Notes

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POTOMAC NATIONALS (WAS) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MIL)
Saturday, June 17, 2017 | 4:00 PM
Game 66/67, Home Game 36/37
at Five County Stadium (6,500)
RADIO: The Big Dawg 98.5 FM, WDWG 
STREAMING AUDIO: www.carolinamudcats.com, TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: MiLB.tv
Overall Record: CAR: 34-31; POT: 32-25
Streaks: CAR: L1; POT: W2
Last 10 Games: CAR: 5-5, POT: 6-4    
Home Record: CAR: 19-16; POT: 18-16
Road Record: CAR: 15-15; POT: 14-19
Division Record: CAR: 22-17; POT: 22-31
Current Series: POT leads 1-0 (of 4)
Season Series: POT leads 1-0 (of 8)
CAR vs. OPP: 1-0 @CAR (4), 0-0 @OPP (4) 

UPCOMING PROBABLES:
SAT, 6/17, 4:00 PM: Potomac RHP Nolan Sanburn (1-1, 5.06) at Carolina RHP Trey Supak (1-1, 6.43)
SAT, 6/17, TBD: Potomac LHP Jordan Mills (0-0, 3.00) at Carolina RHP Scott Grist (0-0, 3.68)
SUN, 6/18, 2:00 PM: Potomac RHP Luis Reyes (5-6, 4.15) at Carolina RHP Marcos Diplan (4-3, 5.50)
ICYMI: Last night's game was suspended with two outs in the top of the first inning due to heavy rain at Five County Stadium. It will resume this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. and will be played in its entirety, through the ninth inning. A seven inning game will follow approximately :30 minutes following the conclusion of the first game. 
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: (Friday) Troy Stokes Jr. was 2-for-4 with a two-out, two-run double in the ninth for the Mudcats last night. Stokes has totaled a team high 40 RBIs, with 20 of the 40 RBIs coming in 2-out situations this year. Stokes currently leads the Mudcats with 20, 2-out RBIs this season. Jake Gatewood is 2nd with 16, 2-out RBIs and Lucas Erceg is 3rd on the Mudcats with 14, 2-out RBIs this year.
STARTING OFF: Trey Supak will take over for Cody Ponce when last night's suspended game resumes this afternoon at Five County Stadium. Ponce retired two in the first before last night's game was stopped due to rain and Supak will inherit a bases empty, two-out situation. Supak is 1-1 with a 6.43 ERA over three starts this season for the Mudcats. He last pitched on 6/11 in Myrtle Beach where he took the loss after allowing four runs (all in the first inning) on six hits over five innings pitched… Scott Grist will start for Carolina in game two of tonight's de facto doubleheader. Grist has appeared in seven games for the Mudcats this season and is 0-0 with a 3.68 ERA (7.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO).
SEEING STARS: Isan Diaz, Jake Gatewood, Nate Griep, Freddy Peralta, Cody Ponce and Corey Ray were all selected to the 2017 Southern Division All-Star Team. Carolina's six All-Star selections is the most among the Southern Division teams and tied for the most overall selections (with Wilmington) in the Carolina League this year.
DOUBLE DOUBLE: Troy Stokes Jr. was 3-for-3 with a grand slam on 6/16 for the Mudcats. The grand slam was the first of his career and counted for his team best 10th home run of the season. Stokes has also totaled 13 stolen bases this season and is the first Mudcats player to collect at least 10 HR and 10 SB before the All-Star break since Chris Heisey totaled 13 HR and 13 SB before the break in 2009. Heisey did not play for the Mudcats after the All-Star break and finished the half hitting .347/.426/.572 with 13 HR and 13 SB. Cameron Maybin also reached the 10/10 club before the break after hitting 12 HR and totaling 17 SB in 2008. Maybin finished his 2008 season with the Mudcats with 13 HR and 21 SB. Jeremy Hermida hit 14 HR and had 19 SB before the break for the Mudcats in 2005. He finished his 2005 season with the Mudcats with 18 HR and 23 SB. Since 2005, the Mudcats have not had a player finish a season in the 20/20 club.
JUNE GLOOM: The Mudcats are 6-7 and batting just .219 in June. Carolina is currently last in the league in hits (90) and 9th in strikeouts (130) this month. They are also 9th in the league in AVG (.219), 4th in OBP (.320) and 9th in SLG (.331) among all Carolina League teams in June… Isan Díaz is currently 3-for-43 over 13 games in June and is batting .070/.268/.093 this month (2 R, 11 BB, 12 SO)… Corey Ray has struck out 21 times in 11 games in June and is batting .209/.358/.395 this month (9-for-43, 8 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 10 BB).
WALK THIS WAY: Trent Clark has reached base via walk 13 times over his last 13 games and is batting .1762 with a .373 OBP since 5/31. Clark is currently 2nd in the Carolina League in base on balls overall this season (43).
VIA THE BIG FLY: The Mudcats have hit six home runs over their last seven games (since 6/8) and have scored 10 of their last 18 runs on home runs over those same seven games.
THIEVERY: The Mudcats have totaled a Carolina League high 84 stolen bases this season. Carolina is also 3rd in MILB in steals this season. Corey Ray leads the Mudcats in steals (15 SB, 5 CS) and is currently tied for 4th in the league in stolen bases this season. Luis Aviles Jr. is currently tied for 5th in the league in steals (14 SB, 4 CS) and both Trent Clark (13 SB, 2 CS) and Troy Stokes Jr. (13 SB, 4 CS) are tied for 6th in stolen bases in the CL this year.
WHERE THEY RANK: Freddy Peralta is currently 8th in the Carolina Leauge in ERA (3.04) and 2nd in the CL in strikeouts (78), 1st in K/9ip (12.46) and 3rd in average against (.189)… Jake Gatewood is tied for the league lead in games played (65) and is 6th in the CL in runs scored (41), tied for 7th in hits (69), 2nd in doubles (21), 3rd in XBH (30) and tied for 5th in HR (9)… Isan Diaz is currently tied for 10th in extra-base hits (21), tied for 5th in home runs (9) and tied for 3rd in games (64)… Troy Stokes Jr. is tied for 4th in the CL in home runs (10), 7th in runs (38), tied for 8th in extra-base hits (23), tied for 6th steals (13) and tied for 3rd in games (64)… Nate Griep leads the CL in saves (13) and games finished (20)… Cody Ponce is currently 5th in the Carolina League in innings pitched (73.0) and 2nd in lowest BB-IBB/9ip ratio (1.23)… Corey Ray is tied for 4th in the CL in steals (15) and 7th in doubles (14)… Luis Aviles is tied for 5th in the CL in stolen bases (14)… Trent Clark is 2nd in the CL in walks (43) and tied for 6th in steals (13). Clark also leads the league in outfield assists (10).
HEATING UP: Lucas Erceg has totaled five (5) multi-hit games since 6/4 and is batting .395/.400/.553 over his last 10 games (15-for-38, 4 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI)… Cooper Hummel has hit safely in three straight and is batting .316/.381/.316 over his last five games (6-for-19, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO)… Troy Stokes Jr. is slugging .679 and has a 1012 OPS over his last seven (7) games (8-for-28, 5 R, 3 HR, 8 RBI).
THE HAVES:
- The Mudcats have combined to hit just .220 and are 9-10 since 5/25 (3.73 R/G, -16 DIFF)
- The Mudcats have averaged 4.42 runs/game and are 22-14 since 5/7.
- The Mudcats have a +3 run differential and are 22-14 since 5/7.
- The Mudcats have totaled a league high 84 stolen bases this season.
- The Mudcats have been intentionally walked a Carolina League and MiLB high 14 times this season.
- The Mudcats have hit a Carolina League high 54 batters this season (t2nd most in MiLB).
- The Mudcats have gone 22-15 since Jake Gatewood took over the cleanup spot in the lineup