Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.16 at Myrtle Beach
June 16, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies wrap up their series at the beach tonight at 6:35 pm. RHP Felix Arronde (3-5, 4.11 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans counter with RHP Nico Zeglin (2-0, 2.70 ERA).
Columbia returns home June 18 to play eight games in six days against the Carolina Mudcats. The Fireflies are kicking out all the stops with Miller Lite $2 Tuesday, Budweiser Thirsty Thursday and our new Friday and Saturday happy hours where fans can enjoy $5 drafts prior to first pitch. Saturday is also Bluey at the Ballpark night, presented by Cassell Brothers Home Services. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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FIREFLIES RALLY IN NINTH TO UPSET PELICANS: The Fireflies rallied with a pair in the ninth to beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5-4 Saturday night at Pelicans Ballpark. Columbia tied the game in the top of the ninth inning. Austin Charles started the frame off with a single before stealing second and scoring on a fielding error from shortstop Christian Hernandez to tie the game 4-4. Columbia loaded the bases for Blake Mitchell with a pair of outs before Kenyi Perez hit Columbia's catcher to push the Fireflies in front 5-4.
FIRST-CLASS FIREFLIES: Columbia's pitching staff has been hot in the month of June. The club is 10-3 with a 2.31 ERA in 13 games over the month. The club has 98 strikeouts in 117 innings of work while maintaining a 1.10 WHIP and a .199 opposing average. In all of Minor League Baseball (120 teams), The Fireflies have the best ERA and the second-best WHIP of all 120 teams and are ranked eighth in opposing batting average. Myrtle Beach leads Minor League Baseball with a .178 opposing average during the run. The team's ERA has decreased from 3.80 to 3.48 during the run. The bullpen has been particularly good, working a 3.00 ERA this season. that's the fifth-best bullpen ERA in Minor League Baseball, trailing Rocket City with a 2.35 mark.
ROCKING WITH REYES: After a difficult April, where Emmanuel Reyes recorded a 6.04 ERA in 25.1 innings across five starts, the righty has shut down his opponents. Emmanuel Reyes hasn't been scoreless, but he has been an innings eater in June, working 15 frames to the tune of a 2-0 record and a 1.80 ERA. Both Reyes and Martin have been fantastic since the Calendar turned to May. Reyes has spun 36 innings to the tune of a 2.25 ERA and not to be outdone, the former Kentucky Wildcat, Logan Martin has a zany 1.69 ERA across his last 32 innings.
TOUGH LUCK: Tuesday, Felix Arronde became the first Fireflies pitcher to lose five games this year. All-in-all, he's gotten some bad luck in the run support column. Arronde has three quality starts this season and an 0-2 record to go along with it. In the righty's 11 starts this year, the Fireflies have scored 10 runs across the 53 innings where he's been on the mound. In other words, Arronde has been averaging 1.70 runs of support per nine innings of work this season. That's the lowest mark in the starting rotation this year by a significant margin. The next lowest belongs to Hunter Patteson, who averaged 3.35 runs of support over 51 innings in 11 starts.
POWERING PENA: Thursday night, Fireflies outfielder Erick Pena mashed his fifth round tripper of the season. 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 24 homers in the neon and navy, nine in 2022, 10 in 2023 and five this year. It places him second on the Fireflies all-time homer leaderboard, behind Dash Winningham (25 in 2016 and 2017).
ROSADO RAISES THE BAR: Fireflies reliever Jarold Rosado has been on a roll. The righty hasn't allowed a run in five outings dating back to May 26. The stretch goes 7.1 frames and he has 10 punchouts while allowing one hit and three walks. Rosado's success can trace back to his walk rate year-over-year. Last season, he walked 23 of the 138 hitters he faced (16.7%) and this year he has lowered that rate to 5.7%.
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Carolina League Stories from June 16, 2024
- Kannapolis Clinches Playoff Spot for First Time Since 2018 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Bowser's Walk-off Double Gives Pelicans 11-10 Victory Over Fireflies - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Fireflies Ousted 11-10 in Zany, 11-Inning Game - Columbia Fireflies
- Woodpeckers Spin Shutout on Father's Day - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Mudcats Run Past Nationals in Series Finale - Carolina Mudcats
- GreenJackets Survive Late Push for 7-6 Win to End Week in Lynchburg - Augusta GreenJackets
- Hillcats Edged, 7-6 - Lynchburg Hillcats
- FredNats Eliminated from Playoff Chase after Loss - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Cannon Ballers Shutout Shorebirds in Series Finale - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Greens Bats Shut Down - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.16 at Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
- RiverDogs Return to Charleston on Heels of 4-0 Shutout Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- Wood Ducks Fall Despite Allowing Just Three Hits - Down East Wood Ducks
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