Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6-24 vs Myrtle Beach
June 24, 2021 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Columbia Fireflies try to bounce back against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tonight at 7:05 pm at Segra Park. Columbia offers Royals' 15th-best prospect, righty Ben Hernandez (1-2, 4.13 ERA) on the hill tonight while Myrtle Beach goes with LHP Didier Vargas (2-2, 5.06 ERA).
Tonight is Budweiser Thirsty Thursday at the ballpark. Fans can purchase $2 Bud Light pints at the Budweiser Bow Tie Bar and fountain drinks and draft beers are half-priced all night long. It's also Pride Night at Segra Park. Fans can enjoy a game in a fun, relaxed environment where everyone is welcome.
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COLUMBIA NO-HIT FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2017: The Columbia Fireflies couldn't scratch the hit column in a nine-inning game against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Wednesday night as they lost 5-0 at Segra Park. The combined no-hitter marked the first against the Columbia Fireflies (22-18) since Nick Fanti and Trevor Bettencourt no-hit the Fireflies for the Lakewood BlueClaws May 6, 2017. Meanwhile, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (20-23) recorded their first combined no-hitter since May 19, 2012. DJ Herz (W, 1-2) walked away with his first professional win after spinning five innings and punching out seven Fireflies before handing the ball to Jeremiah Estrada. Estrada blew past Columbia with 2.2 innings from the pen. He matched Herz with seven strikeouts. Bailey Reid recorded one out in the eighth and Danis Correa closed out the ballgame wringing up a pair of batters in the ninth. The four pitchers combined to walk seven batters and one hit batter, but stranded all the Fireflies baserunners without allowing a run to score. It was the sixth time the Fireflies have been shutout in 2021.
YOU WANNA SEE SOME REAL SPEED?: The Fireflies saw Tyler Tolbert climb his way a position higher on the all-time team leaderboard. Tolbert stole a Fireflies-best three bases in Friday night's game to give him 21 on the season. That tied him for second-most in a single season for a Fireflies player with Hansel Moreno, who accomplished the feat in 2018. He's chasing Jacob Zanon, who stole 28 bags in 2017. Tolbert stole an additional two bags Wednesday night, giving him 23 on the year.
NOT A FAN OF THE PELICANS: Righty Chase Wallace has had a hard time against the Pelicans this season. The pitcher has appeared in four games for Columbia, including two against Myrtle Beach. In the two games against Charleston and Augusta, he has lasted 5.2 innings while allowing only a single run, but in his two appearances against the Pelicans, the Tennessee-native has gone 4.2 innings and has allowed seven earned runs.
HERNANDEZ LOVES HOME: After spinning a career-high five innings and wringing up a career-high seven hitters in the Fireflies third shutout of the season Friday, Ben Hernandez's home splits continue to separate from his road stats and from the rest of the pack on the Fireflies pitching staff. The Chicago-native has made four starts at home and four starts at the road this year. At Segra Park he has a 1-1 record with a 1.69 ERA through 16 frames where he has fanned 14 hitters and walked four. When the team travels, he has a 7.30 ERA in 12.1 innings where he has walked 11 and struckout 11 batters. The only Fireflies pitcher with a better home ERA with multiple appearances this season is Walter Pennington, who has a 1.04 ERA through 8.2 innings across five appearances out of the bullpen.
ROAD TO THE SHOW: Last night, Tylor MeGill toed the rubber for the New York Mets to start their contest with the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. The Long Beach California-native made his dreams come true, lasting 4.1 innings and allowing a pair of runs in his Major League debut. He is the second former-Fireflies player to debut this season, Patrick Mazeika debuted for the Mets May 5. MeGill is the 13th former Fireflies player to make a Major League appearance.MeGill spent part of the 2019 season with the Fireflies before he quickly ascended all the way to Binghamton to finish the year in AA. In 14 games, (three starts) in Soda City, the University of Arizona graduate spun spun 31 innings and maintained a 2.61 ERA while punching out 42 opponents.
Carolina League Stories from June 24, 2021
- RiverDogs Slowed by GreenJackets, Fall 7-2 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Bautista Brings Home Three, Pelicans Lose to Fireflies 6-4 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Fireflies Pull Ahead Late in Back-And-Forth Affair - Columbia Fireflies
- Cespedes' Grand Slam Leads 'Birds to Victory - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Shorebirds Slam Their Way to 6-3 Win over FredNats - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Late-Game Errors Cost Kannapolis in 6-2 Loss to Fayetteville Thursday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- First Place Mudcats Split Twin-Bill at Down East - Carolina Mudcats
- Wood Ducks Split Doubleheader with Walkoff Win in Game 2 - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6-24 vs Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
- Down East Wood Ducks Game Notes - vs. Carolina - Down East Wood Ducks
- Mudcats Add Friday Night Fireworks and More to Summer Schedule - Carolina Mudcats
- MeGill Starts for Mets, Makes Major League Debut - Columbia Fireflies
- Solesky Sits Down Eight Woodpeckers in 4-3 Ballers Win to Even Series - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Eighth Inning the Difference as RiverDogs Upend Augusta 5-3 - Charleston RiverDogs
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