May 26 - Mudcats Game Notes

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MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (CHI-NL) at CAROLINA MUDCATS (MIL)
Friday, May 26, 2017 | 7:00 PM 
Game 48, Home Game 28 
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: 25-22; MB: 26-22
Streaks: CAR: L2; MB: W3
Last 10 Games: CAR: 7-3, MB: 5-5    
Home Record: CAR: 14-13; MB: 13-11
Road Record: CAR: 11-9; MB: 13-11
Division Record: CAR: 14-10; MB: 13-11    
Current Series: First game (of 4)
Season Series: First game (of 21)
CAR vs. OPP: 0-0 @CAR (8), 0-0 @OPP (13) 

UPCOMING PROBABLES:
FRI, 5/26, 7:00 PM: Myrtle Beach LHP Ryan Kellogg (1-2, 5.06) at Carolina RHP Corbin Burnes (4-0, 1.00)
SAT, 5/27, 5:00 PM: Myrtle Beach RHP Adbert Alzolay (4-1, 2.68) at Carolina RHP Conor Harber (1-4, 4.28)
SUN, 5/28, 6:00 PM: Myrtle Beach RHP Thomas Hatch (0-4, 5.45) at Carolina RHP Jordan Yamamoto (0-0, 2.08)
ICYMI: Wood Ducks starter Wes Benjamin struck out five over six scoreless frames and Brallan Perez hit a solo home run off Carolina's Freddy Peralta in the fifth as the Wood Ducks defeated the Mudcats 3-1 on Thursday night in Kinston.
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Last night's 3-1 loss clinched Carolina's first series loss (1-2) since the Mudcats dropped two out of three to start the month of May versus the Buies Creek Astros. Carolina had won four straight series before falling in Thursday's finale versus the Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium.
STARTING OFF: Corbin Burnes has the start for the Mudcats in tonight's series opener versus the Pelicans at Five County Stadium. Burnes enters tonight's game as the Carolina League's leader in earned run average (1.00), WHIP (0.93) and fewest baserunners allowed/9ip ratio (8.33). Burnes is also 2nd among CL starters in lowest average against (.189), 4th in innings pitched (54.0) and tied for 4th in strikeouts (50). He last pitched on 5/21 in Winston-Salem and finished with a career high 10 strikeouts while working through the seventh for the second consecutive start. He did not earn a decision, but scattered three hits, walked one and pitched to a season game score of 84 his last time out. 
ALL OVER THE TOP 10: Jake Gatewood is currently 9th in the Carolina League in average (.306), 9th in OBP (.385), 6h in SLG (.532), 5th in OPS (.916), tied for 4th in runs scored (33), tied for 3rd in hits (53), 1st in doubles (18), tied for 2nd in extra-base hits (25) and tied for 4th in home runs (7).
LIGHTS OUT: Freddy Peralta leads the Carolina League in strikeouts with 62 and all while appearing in just 40.0 innings this season. Peralta's 13.9 SO/9ip Ratio is currently the highest in the Carolina League for a pitcher with at least 40.0 innings pitched this season. 
THE PEN: Carolina's bullpen is 7-0 with seven saves, a 3.25 ERA and a 9.75 SO/9ip ratio since May 3 (72.0 IP, 51 H, 33 R, 26 ER, 7 HR, 14 HB, 22 BB, 78 SO).  
WHERE THEY RANK: Isan Diaz is currently tied for 8th in the Carolina League in hits (44), tied for 6th in extra-base hits (18) and 4th in home runs (8)… Nate Griep tied for the CL lead in saves (7), games (15) and games finished (14)… Cody Ponce currently leads the CL in innings pitched (58.0) and in lowest BB-IBB/9ip ratio (0.93). Ponce also leads the league in hits allowed (61), at-bats against (224) and total batters faced (235)… Luis Aviles is 2nd in the CL in steals (13)… Troy Stokes Jr. is tied for 4th in the CL in steals (11)… Trent Clark is currently tied for 2nd in the CL in walks (30)… Kodi Medeiros leads the league in hit batters (9).
OF LATE: Lucas Erceg is batting .161/.208/.288 over his last 29 games (19 H, 13 R, 3 2B, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 6 BB, 23 SO). He started the season batting .306/.342/.389 (11 H, 5 R, 3 2B, 5 RBI) before getting the flu and missing a couple of games... Isan Diaz started the season batting .208/.278/.229 over his first 14 games and before starting a 12 game hitting streak on 4/21. Diaz is batting .281/.369/.554 since 4/22 and over his last 34 games (34 H, 23 R, 9 2B, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 17 BB, 30 SO)... Trent Clark started the season batting .180/.333/.311 over his first 19 games (11-for-61, 8 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 15 BB) before going 5-for-6 with 3 RBI on 4/30 in Frederick. Clark is now batting .286/.384/.405 over his last 25 games since 4/30 (24 H, 19 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 15 BB)… Corey Ray has hit safely in six of his last seven games and is batting .419/.457/.613 (13-for-31, 6 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 7 SO, 20.0 K%) since 5/16.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Mudcats have played 27 home games so far in 2017. They are currently 14-13 at home and still have 11 home games remaining on their first half schedule. A total of 27 of Carolina's first 40 games were scheduled to be played at Five County Stadium to start the season. 
THE HAVES:
- The Mudcats have won 15 of their last 22, 13 of their last 18 and 11 of their last 15.
- The Mudcats have averaged 4.94 runs/game and are 13-5 since 5/7.
- The Mudcats have a +17 run differential and are 13-5 since 5/7.
- The Mudcats have pitched to a 3.61 ERA and are 13-5 since 5/7.
- The Mudcats have totaled five (5) triples over their last nine (9) games.
- The Mudcats have totaled a league high 68 stolen bases this season.
- The Mudcats have been intentionally walked a league high 13 times this season.
- The Mudcats have hit a league high 38 batters with a pitch this season.
QUICK HITS:
- This is the 27th season of Mudcats baseball in Zebulon & 6th season of Mudcats baseball in the Carolina League.
- The Mudcats were 2nd in MiLB and led the Carolina League with 14 doubleheaders (10-18) last season.
- The 2016 Mudcats finished the season at 52-87, matching the club record for fewest wins in franchise history.
- Milwaukee's previous High-A team (Brevard County) finished with the worst record in MiLB last season (40-97).
- The Mudcats last reached the playoffs in 2008 while a member of the Southern League (Double-A, Florida Marlins).
- Affiliates: Pirates: 91-98. Rockies: 99-02. Marlins: 03-08. Reds: 09-11. Indians: 12-14. Braves: 15-17. Brewers: 2017-