Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.7 vs Salem
May 7, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies kick-off a series with the Salem Red Sox tonight at Segra Park at 7:05 pm. RHP Felix Arronde (2-1, 2.63 ERA) gets the ball for Columbia and Salem counters with RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (1-2, 3.20 ERA).
Tonight is a Miller Lite $2 Tuesday. Fans can purchase hot dogs, popcorn, fountain sodas and 12 oz cans of Miller Lite for just $2. It's also Pink Night. We will have eight warriors of the inning and the players will be wearing pink jerseys that'll be auctioned off post-game to help benefit Breast Cancer Research. Buy your tickets at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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FIREFLIES INHERIT TWO GAMES AT SEGRA PARK FROM MUDCATS: The Fireflies and Mudcats were able to play another pair of innings before heavy rain started again Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium. Columbia had a 1-0 lead with one out and nobody on in the top of the fifth when the game was called. Both the suspended game and the scheduled second game of the doubleheader will be played at Segra Park when the Mudcats come to visit June 18-23. The date of the doubleheaders has yet to be determined. More information will be available through social media and at ColumbiaFireflies.com. The two teams picked back up in the third inning and Emmanuel Reyes was able to spin two additional scoreless frames off the back of what Logan Martin started Saturday evening. Over two days, the Fireflies were able to complete four innings of play.
GET HIM ON AND BRING HIM HOME: With a lead-off double Friday, Erick Torres clinched his longest hitting streak of the season, a six-game set that started April 27. Torres' streak is tied for the seventh-longest active hitting streak in the Carolina League. The center fielder has found his home in the lead-off spot this season. Overall, he is ninth in the league in average and on-base percentage and seventh in hits and runs scored. He's been playing even better over the last six-games where he is 9-22 (.409) with five runs scored.
IT'S ALL ROSES HERE: Jarold Rosado has been great out of the bullpen this season. He has a 2.25 ERA after allowing a 10.38 ERA in 2023. His success continued in two appearances (3 IP, 5 K) last week. On the season, the young pitcher has worked 12 innings in eight games. He has allowed three earned runs and punched out 15. The real secret to his success this year is that his walk rate is down from 16.7% in 2023 to only 6% in 2024.
SPOILING QUALITY PRODUCTS: Wednesday, Felix Arronde worked six, one-run innings for his first quality start of the season. He held the Mudcats hitless through five innings, but it didn't end up being enough. The bats couldn't add some run support and the Fireflies lost 2-1 in 12 innings. So far this season, the Fireflies pitching staff has spun two quality starts. The other belongs to Ethan Bosacker. The Fireflies record is 0-2 in those two games.
POWERING PENA: Saturday night, Fireflies outfielder Erick Pena mashed his Carolina League-leading fourth round tripper of the season. He's currently eighth in the Carolina League with a .485 on-base percentage. Pena has had a storied career with Columbia. He made the Opening Day Roster in 2022 and started his career with a bang, launching a walk-off homer against the Augusta GreenJackets on Opening Night. All-in-all he has mashed 23 homers in the neon and navy, nine in 2022, 10 in 2023 and four this year. It places him second on the Fireflies all-time homer leadboard, behind Dash Winningham (25 in 2016 and 2017) and tied with Juan Carlos Negret (23 in 2021).
SKID: After an electric start to the 2024 campaign, Columbia has grinded to a halt the last eight games, finding themselves 1.5 games behind the Fayetteville Woodpeckers for first in the South Division. The Fireflies have dropped six of their last eight games after an 11-5 start to the campaign.
COMING HOME: The Fireflies are 5-7 on the road and 8-4 at home this year and return to Segra Park Tuesday for a 13-game homestand.
Carolina League Stories from May 7, 2024
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- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.7 vs Salem - Columbia Fireflies
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