August 17 - Mudcats Game Notes

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CAROLINA MUDCATS (MIL) at DOWN EAST WOOD DUCKS (TEX)
Thursday, August 17, 2017 | 7:00 PM
Game 122, Away Game 59 
at Grainger Stadium
Kinston, NC
RADIO: The Big Dawg 98.5 FM, WDWG 
STREAMING AUDIO: www.carolinamudcats.com, TuneIn Radio
STREAMING VIDEO: -
Overall Record: CAR: 59-62; DE: 50-72
Streaks: CAR: W1; DE: L1
Last 10 Games: CAR: 3-7, DE: 5-5
Home Record: CAR: 31-32; DE: 25-41
Road Record: CAR: 28-30; DE: 25-31
Division Record: CAR: 38-37; DE: 38-44
Current Series: CAR leads 2-1 (of 4)
Season Series: Tied 10-10 (21)
CAR vs. OPP: 7-7 @CAR (14), 3-3 @OPP (7)

UPCOMING PROBABLES:
THU, 8/17, 7:00: Carolina LHP Kodi Medieros (4-9, 5.01) at Down East RHP Adrian Sampson (MLB Rehab)
FRI, 8/18, 7:00: Frederick RHP Cody Sedlock (4-5, 6.05) at Carolina RHP Conor Harber (3-8, 5.26)
SAT, 8/19, 5:00: Frederick LHP Reid Love (3-4, 3.80) at Carolina RHP Cody Ponce (7-8, 3.59)
ICYMI: Jordan Yamamoto struck out five and allowed just one unearned run over seven innings, Trent Clark doubled and scored twice and Nate Griep earned his Carolina League leading 24th save of the season as the Mudcats defeated the Wood Ducks 3-1 at Grainger Stadium in Kinston on Wednesday night. Yamamoto (6-4, 3.07) turned in one of his finest performances of the year while leading the Mudcats (59-62, 23-30) to the Wednesday night victory. His seven inning gem also lifted the Mudcats into a 2-1 lead in the four game set versus the Wood Ducks (50-72, 26-27) in Kinston.
THE MATCHUP: Tonight's game between the Mudcats and Wood Ducks is both the final game of a four game series and the final meeting between the two teams this season. Carolina took a two games to one series lead with last night's victory and in the process, tied the season series at 10-10 making tonight's game the rubber match of the season series.
STARTING OFF:Kodi Medeiros heads to the mound for tonight's series finale start versus the Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium. Medeiros is 4-9-1 with a 5.01 ERA over 23 games and 14 starts this season with the Mudcats. He has also worked through 106.0 innings this season with 105 strikeouts, 42 walks and a league high 17 hit batters. Medeiros is just 1-8 with a 6.34 ERA over 14 starts, but 3-1-1 wit a 2.31 ERA over 9 relief appearances this season. Medeiros last pitched on 8/10 versus the Hillcats in relief of starter Jordan Yamamoto and allowed a run on one hit and two walks over 3.0 innings pitched.
POWER OUTAGE: The Mudcats are 3-6 and have totaled 10 extra-base hits, including eight doubles, one triple and one home run, since Jake Gatewood was promoted to Double-A Biloxi on 8/9. Carolina is batting just .171 with a .218 slugging percentage and .208 average with runners in scoring position since 8/9 (without Gatewood). Carolina's team slugging percentage has dropped from .378 on 8/9 to .367 entering tonight's game. Carolnia's team average has also fallen from .239 on 8/9 to .234 entering tonight's game.
THIEVERY: The Mudcats have totaled a Carolina League high 143 stolen bases and are also 5th in most steals in MiLB this season. Luis Aviles Jr. (30 SB, 7 CS) currently leads the Mudcats in steals and is also 4th in the CL in most steals. Trent Clark (29 SB, 5 CS) and Corey Ray (21 SB, 10 CS) are 5th and tied for 8th in the CL in stolen bases this season. The club record for saves in a season is 208 and was set by the 2000 Mudcats.
WHERE THEY RANK:Lucas Erceg is currently 2nd in the Carolina League in RBIs (67). Erceg is also tied for 7th in XBH (40), tied for 6th in doubles (26) and is tied for 6th in home runs (13)… Trent Clark is currently 2nd in the Carolina League in walks (82) and tied for the league lead in outfield assists (13). Clark is also 2nd in the CL in games (115), tied for 4th in runs (64) and 4th in stolen bases (29)… Corey Ray is tied for 8th in the CL in doubles (24) and 7th in stolen bases (21).
CLOSING TIME: Nate Griep set a new career high for saves while earning his Carolina League leading 24th save of the season last night against the Wood Ducks. Griep also matched Chris Resop of the 2005 Mudcats for the fourth most saves in club history. The Mudcats franchise record for saves in a season is 28 and was set by Chris Mobley in 2008. Matt Ryan of the 1995 Mudcats is second in saves in team history with 26 and Dave Wainhouse of the 1996 Mudcats is third with 25.
HAWAII KO: Jordan Yamamoto is currently just 6.1 innings shy of qualifying for the Carolina League pitching top-10. Yamamoto would be tied for third in the league in earned run average if he was qualified at this point in the season (0.8 IP/team game). Yamamoto will need to reach at least 110.1 innings to qualify at the end of the season.
BULLISH PEN:Wuilder Rodriguez ranks atop Carolina League relievers in several categories including AVG (1st, .145) ERA (2nd, 1.46), WHIP (1st, 0.88), LOB% (2nd, 85.0), and fewest baserunners/9ip (1st, 8.06) among CL pitchers with at least 50.0 innings pitched… Eric Hanhold is 6-3 with a 4.45 ERA overall this season, but went 6-1-1 and pitched to a 1.54 ERA over 18 consecutive relief appearances between 5/18 and 8/14 (19 G, 35.0 IP, 29 H, 10 R, 6 ER, 35 SO)... Brad Kuntz 3rd among CL relievers in lowest BB-IBB/ratio (2.65), 4th in fewest baserunners/9ip ratio (10.06) and 2-2-0 with a 2.48 ERA over his last 24 games (40.0 IP, 27 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 9 BB, 39 SO, .186 AVG).
20-20 CLUB:Monte Harrison has totaled 19 home runs and 19 stolen bases between Low-A Wisconsin (11 HR, 11 SB) and High-A Carolina this season. He is currently one of 15 MiLB players with at least 15 HR and 15 SB this season. AAA Lehigh Valley's Scott Kingery, AAA Fresno's Derek Fisher, Low-A Fort Wayne's Fernando Tatis Jr. and Potomac's Daniel Johnson are the only players in MiLB with at least 20 HR and 20 SB this season. Harrison (11 HR/ 11 SB) and former Mudcat Troy Stokes Jr. (11 HR, 14 SB) were both among the 15 MiLB players to finish with at least 10 home runs at 10 stolen bases before 6/22 this season. 
THE HAVES:
- The Mudcats have combined to hit .223 and are 23-30 in the 2nd Half (4.15 R/G, -12 DIFF, .234 AVG w/RISP).
- The Mudcats have combined to pitch to a 3.92 ERA and an 8.17 SO/9ip ratio in the 2nd Half.
- The Mudcats have combined to .191 and are 4-11 in August (3.33 R/G, 4.41 ERA since 8/1).
- The Mudcats have combined to hit 86 home runs this season; 2nd most in the club's Carolina League era.
- The Mudcats have totaled a Carolina League high 143 stolen bases this season.
- The Mudcats have won 23 of 28 (23-5) when scoring at least one run in the first inning this season.
- The Mudcats have gone 4-9-1 in series played so far in the second half.