Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.21 vs Carolina
June 21, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Carolina Mudcats tonight at Segra Park at 7:05 pm. RHP Blake Wolters (2-1, 4.76 ERA) takes the slab for Columbia and Carolina counters with RHP Enniel Cortez (debut).
Tonight, the Fireflies are paying homage to Larry Doby. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Larry Doby t-shirt thanks to The COMET and Soda Cap Connector. Our Summer Happy Hour returns to Segra Park tonight too! Fans can enjoy $5 domestic drafts and $5 loaded bacon cheese fries at concessions stands from gates open until first pitch. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT IN 9-5 LOSS: The Fireflies rallied for five runs in the last three innings, but fell short 9-5 vs the Carolina Mudcats Thursday night at Segra Park. Columbia got all their offense from a pair of homers. Gabriel Silva launched a three-run blast, his second of the year, in the seventh to score Erick Pena and Jhonny Perdomo to cut Carolina's lead to 7-3. In the ninth, it was Blake Mitchell's turn. Columbia's backstop launched his ninth long ball of the year to right-center, scoring Erick Torres and giving us the final score, 9-5. The Mudcats got on the board first again Thursday night. Daniel Guilarte led the game off with a walk and then Yophery Rodriguez smashed his fifth homer of the season to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage.
FIRST-CLASS FIREFLIES: Columbia's pitching staff has been hot in the month of June. The club is 11-6 with a 2.71 ERA in 17 games over the month. The club has 129 strikeouts in 152.2 innings of work. In all of Minor League Baseball (120 teams), The Fireflies have the third-best team ERA over the stretch.
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.
POWERING PENA: Wednesday night, Erick Pena launched his seventh homer of the season and the 26th of his Fireflies career. He now has the most career homers in Fireflies franchise history. This season he passed Juan Carlos Negret (23 in 2021) and Dash Winningham (25 in 2016 and 2017). Pena is having the best month of his career at the plate. In 16 games in the month of June, Columbia's outfielder is slashing .340/.440/.660. He currently leads the Carolina League in OPS (1.104) in June and is tied for fourth in RBI, tied for third in homers and is first in total bases this month.
STREAKING SHORTSTOP: Daniel Vazquez is riding a seven-game hitting streak dating back to June 12. During the run, he is 9-28 (.321) with four stolen bases and three RBI. This is Vazquez's longest hitting streak this season.
TORRENTIAL TORRES: Columbia's center fielder, Erick Torres has hit safely in each of his last six games. During the stretch, he is 7-27 (.259) with six runs scored for the Fireflies.
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%.
SECOND-HALF FIREFLIES: Sunday when the Fireflies lost in 11 innings to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, they were officially eliminated from first-half playoff contention and Kannapolis clinched the South Division crown. The second-half of the 2024 season officially begins Friday, June 21.
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