Pelicans' Flete earns feast with career night

Well aware of the team tradition that accompanies a certain feat, Bryant Flete did not hesitate Wednesday in letting his coach know he was going to get what he deserved.
"I'm always screaming out four hits, that if you go 4-for-4, you get steaks," Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach hitting coach Guillermo Martinez said. "This time, he was 5-for-5, so as soon as he got the hit, he looked at me and made the munching gesture. So because of that, I'm going to take him out to a steakhouse."
Flete earned the free meal by recording his first career five-hit game, going 5-for-6 in the Pelicans' 8-7, come-from-behind win over Buies Creek at TicketReturn.com Field. The Cubs prospect also drove in a run.

"I've been with him every single year since I've been working with the Cubs, so I really do know him well," Martinez said. "He's come a long way and he's been really searching for his swing and his approach. This year, he's stuck with one thing, both mentally and physically, and I think that's been the biggest thing for him."
All five hits were singles for the 24-year-old second baseman, who collected three of them on line drives to right field.
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"He tends to be on top of the plate, so he actually knows that he's looking to pull," Martinez said. "But what he's really done well for us this year is the fact that he's laying off pitches and he knows his strength. If they make good pitches on him, then he tips his cap, but for the most part, he doesn't go out there chasing pitches out of the zone. He looks for what he's good at and he makes the best out of it."
The Venezuela native drove in his lone run in the fifth with an infield single, helping trim the Pelicans' deficit to 6-5. The only time the Astros were able to retire him came in the seventh when Flete grounded into a forceout against reliever Sean Stutzman.

"He's had a good strike zone discipline and he's been controlling his body and his leg kick," Martinez said. "He used to be an early-strike guy, so he would stick to contact. But now he's been able to stay in motion with that leg kick, and I think controlling his body and his head has helped him recognize pitches and make good decisions."
Myrtle Beach tied it in the sixth when ninth-ranked Cubs prospectEddy Martinez delivered an RBI triple. Connor Myers put the Pelicans ahead with a two-run single in the eighth and Flete would've extended the lead with his fifth hit, but Zack Short was thrown out at the plate.

"He does a lot of things for this lineup," the hitting coach said. "Not only does he get on base swinging the bat, but even from the bottom of the lineup, once they get on, he's able to stroke the ball, get doubles and get RBIs. He's done it all this year. It's a really impressive thing to see because he's come a long way."
Eddy Martinez finished with two hits and two RBIs, while top Cubs prospect Eloy Jiménez was 1-for-2 before exiting in the fifth after injuring his leg sliding into third base. No immediate update was available on Jimenez's status.