Myrtle Beach Pelicans (10-15) vs. Carolina Mudcats (11-14) vs. THE MUDCATS 2018 vs. Mudcats .................................................................2-2 Wednesday, May 2, 2018 - 7:05 p.m. in Myrtle Beach ..........................................................1-0 Game No. 26 • Home Game No. 13 in Carolina...................................................................1-2 TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark • Myrtle Beach, S.C. All-Time vs. Carolina ......................................... 85-53 (.616) MiLB.tv • MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast • MiLB First Pitch • TuneIn 2017 Regular Season vs. Carolina ..................................8-13 in Myrtle Beach ..........................................................6-7 RHP Tyson Miller (2-2, 3.15 ERA) vs. LHP Cam Roegner (2-0, 0.83 ERA) in Carolina...................................................................2-6 PEREDA WALK-OFF LEADS PELICANS IN SET OPENER MAN OR MACHIN? PELICANS BY THE NUMBERS Down 4-2 in the ninth inning Tuesday, Jhonny Pereda laced Pelicans infielder Vimael Machin got off to slow start on Record ...............................................................................10-15 a bases-clearing double for the Pelicans to walk-off over the season, posting just one hit in his first six games (1-for- Home Record .......................................................................5-7 Carolina in their series opener. The Mudcats jumped out to 23, .043). However, the San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico native Road Record .........................................................................5-8 a big advantage with two runs in the first inning and two has reached base in each of his 15 games since, including Current Streak .....................................................................W3 more in the second to go up 4-0. Myrtle Beach got on the 10 contests with multiple trips on the basepaths. Over board with a Vimael Machin RBI single in the third inning. this 15-game stretch Machin is for 17-for-49 with seven Runs Scored ..................................... 112 (4.5 per game)/6th Runs Allowed ................................... 135 (5.4 per game)/9th The score remained 4-1 until the sixth, when Tyler Alamo doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs and 18 walks, slashing Run Differential...........................................................-23/10th bashed a solo home run to cut the deficit to 4-2. Thanks to .347/.522/.612 (1.134 OPS). Impressive considering his Pythagorean Record .......................................................10-15 the solid relief work of Tyler Peyton, who struck out three batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is just .281, well Southern Division Standing/GB..................................5th/6.0 to work around three hits in two innings, and Jordan Minch, below the baseball-wide average of .300, Machin leads Current Standings Streak ...................................5th, 23 days who whiffed three more Muddies in two perfect frames, the Pelicans in both wRC+ (143) and wOBA (.398). He has Long Standings Streak ................5th, 23 days (4/9-present) the Pelicans kept the game close until Pereda’s heroics in walked 19 times this season against only 13 strikeouts. Series Record ....................................................................2-4-1 the ninth. Behind this contact-oriented approach is a 6.5 percent Series Streak .........................................................................W1 swinging strike rate, the sixth-lowest in the Carolina League, Pelicans’ Sweeps ...................................................................... 0 BECAUSE YOU’RE MINE, WE WALK THE LINE with a 28.6 line drive percentage that places as the Sweeps of the Pelicans ..............2 (3-game, 4/16-18 at BC) Myrtle Beach walked a staggering 11 times in Tuesday’s seventh-highest in the circuit. series-opening win over Carolina. The Birds, who had a high Batting Average/Rank ................................................ .237/6th On-Base Percentage ................................................. .324/5th of just eight free passes in a game last season, last posted CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN BARELY LOSE Slugging Percentage ................................................... .354/7th 11 walks in a game on April 11, 2016 against Heading into play on April 20, the Pelicans had lost nine of OPS .............................................................................. .678/7th Winston-Salem. The Pelicans mustered just six hits in their their previous 11 games to drop their record to 3-12. How- BABIP .................................................................................. .298 contest against the Mudcats, but due to their parade down ever, since that point, the Birds have gone 7-3, their best Strikeouts ........................................................211/5th-Fewest the first base line, the club’s on-base percentage rose six 10-game stretch of the season, outscoring their opponents K% (MLB avg: ~22.0%)....................................................22.9% points from .318 to .324. Myrtle Beach’s season walk rate 47-36. Not coincidentally, the only two series Myrtle Beach Walks ................................................................................97/5th BB% (MLB avg: ~8.5%) ....................................................10.5% ballooned from 9.8 percent to 10.5 percent, and the Birds has won have come over this 10-game run, with one more Hits ................................................................................. 189/5th went from second-to-last in the Carolina League in free victory in this set against the Mudcats netting the Birds Doubles ............................................................................33/9th passes to fifth. another series win. Over this span, the Pelicans rank in the Triples ............................................................................. 6/T-5th top 10 in High-A in fewest walks (21, 2nd), runs allowed Home Runs .................................................................. 16/T-5th WHAT’S LUCK GOT TO DO WITH IT? (36, T-6th), ERA (3.39, 7th) and hits allowed (71, T-7th). The Stolen Bases................................................................. 23/T-5th Birds’ offense is slashing .249/.345/.350 over the past nine Myrtle Beach’s staff has gotten off to a slow start, as the Defensive Efficiency (MLB avg: ~.705) ......................... .659 club ranks at or near the bottom of the Carolina League in games, which ranks 15th, 11th and 20th, respectively. Errors .........................................................................34/T-Most several pitching categories including ERA (4.73, 9th), hits allowed (223, second-most) and runs allowed (135, 9th). YOUR FRIEND AND MINE FIP ..........................................................................................3.19 However, there may be a sign for optimism through a tough Myrtle Beach outfielder Connor Myers is riding a six-game ERA ............................................................................... 4.73/9th first month of the year. The Pelicans’ Fielding Independent on-base streak, just one shy of a career-high. Over this BABIP .................................................................................. .341 Strikeouts ...................................................................... 211/5th Pitching, or FIP, an ERA estimator based on the factors most current run, Myers is 7-for-19 (.368) with a double, two K% (MLB avg: ~22.0%)....................................................22.5% within a pitcher’s control like walks, strikeouts and home home runs, seven RBIs and three walks. In 2018, Myers Walks .........................................................................80/Fewest runs, is a strong 3.13. The huge gulf in the Birds’ FIP and ERA has more than doubled his walk rate from last season (4.8 BB% (MLB avg: ~8.5%) ......................................................8.5% can partially be explained by poor luck: Opposing hitters percent to 10.1 percent) while also swinging and missing at Hits Allowed ......................................................223/2nd-Most are posting a .341 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) fewer pitches (14.6 swinging strike rate in ‘17 vs. 12.4 this Home Runs .......................................................11/2nd-Fewest against Myrtle Beach, far above the baseball-wide mark of season). The Middletown, Md., native is also making quality WHIP ............................................................................ 1.45/6th .300. Therefore, as the club’s BABIP regresses towards the contact, with his 32.5 line drive percentage placing second mean, the Pelicans should see their ERA fall down towards in the Carolina League, just ahead of teammate Jhonny FIRST HALF STANDINGS their FIP. Pereda’s 31.1 percent rate. SOUTHERN Buies Creek 16-9 -- Down East 13-12 3.0 UPCOMING PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS AND GAME TIMES Winston-Salem 13-12 3.0 Carolina 11-14 5.0 DATE TIME OPPONENT PELICANS STARTER OPP. STARTER Myrtle Beach 10-15 6.0 Thu. May 3 7:05 ET Carolina LHP Bryan Hudson (2-2, 6.16) TBA Fri. May 4 6:30 ET at Lynchburg RHP Alex Lange (1-0, 3.43) RHP Jake Paulson (2-2, 4.71) NORTHERN Sat. May 5 6:00 ET at Lynchburg RHP Matt Swarmer (2-2, 1.74) LHP Sam Hentges (2-0, 2.13) Potomac 15-10 -- Sun. May 6 2:00 ET at Lynchburg LHP Jose Paulino (0-3, 10.59) RHP Zach Plesac (1-2, 5.81) Salem 15-10 -- Mon. May 7 7:00 ET at Down East RHP Keegan Thompson (0-2, 4.44) TBA Lynchburg 12-12 2.5 Tue.