Birds Blanked on Monday night 6-0 by RiverDogs

By Sam Weiderhaft

In the first Monday game at Pelicans Ballpark in four years and the final game of Red, White, and Blue Weekend, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans were shut out 6-0 by the Charleston RiverDogs. The RiverDogs won three of the final four games of the week to earn the series split 3-3. With Monday’s loss, the Pelicans dropped to a 43-31 record and 4-5 in the second half. Charleston improved to 32-43 and 5-4 in the second half. Monday’s game was played in front of a sellout crowd of 6,600.

The lineup for Myrtle Beach collected just two hits with Cristian Hernandez (1-4) and Miguel Pabon (1-3) being the only two players with base hits. The Pelicans walked just twice in the losing effort and were shut out for the seventh time this year.

In his first professional start, Luis Rujano (0-1) took the loss after allowing of pair of earned runs in his 3 2/3 inning outing off three hits and two walks while striking out a pair. Reliever Scott Kobos sacrificed three runs in his lone inning and return back to the Pelicans for the first time since 2021.

Three extra-base hits fueled the RiverDogs’ lineup in their third win of the week. Ryan Spikes (1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB) and Odalys Peguero (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI) each hit two-run doubles. Julio Meza (2-4, HR, RBI) hit the first home run of the week for Charleston, and Chandler Simpson (2-4, RBI) brought home a run on a single in the ninth.

In Charleston’s fifth shutout of the season, reliever Matt Wyatt (2-4) picked up the win with 2 2/3 perfect innings. Yoniel Curet started his second game of the week and kept the Pelicans scoreless through the first 4 1/3 innings with just one hit and two walks allowed with six strikeouts.

For the third time this week, the RiverDogs struck first with a two-run third. With one out and runners on second and third, Spikes grounded a ball to left field as both runs scored and Spikes got to second for the double.

The score stayed the same until the eighth with the Pelicans getting just two runners on base. With runners on second and third, Peguero lifted a double to deep center to score both runners and extend the lead to 4-0.

Charleston broke it open with two more runs in the ninth. Meza led off the inning by taking an 0-2 pitch to the bleachers in left field for his second home run of the year. Simpson followed with a single and later stole second and third. Cooper Kinney knocked him in on a sacrifice fly to center as the RiverDogs opened up the game 6-0.

The Pelicans hit the road quickly for a Fourth of July contest at 6:05 p.m. with the Augusta GreenJackets to begin their six-game series.