Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.14 at Charleston
Published on July 14, 2024 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies close out their series with the Charleston RiverDogs tonight at 5:05 pm at Joe Riley Park. RHP Logan Martin (1-3, 4.35 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Charleston counters with RHP Santiago Suarez (5-5, 4.25 ERA).
The Fireflies return home Friday, July 19 for the start of Dino Weekend! Join us as we have a Mason Triceratops Bobblehead giveaway July 19, Jurassic World Night July 20 and we'll bring back Ed's Dinosaurs real life interactive dinosaurs Sunday, July 21. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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COLUMBIA FALLS IN WALK-OFF FASHION IN CHARLESTON: The Fireflies got three hits from Austin Charles and three scoreless frames in relief from Ben Hernandez, but it wasn't enough as Columbia fell 5-4 in walk-off fashion to the Charleston RiverDogs Saturday at Joe Riley Park. Odalys Pegeuro reached on a fielder's choice with one out before stealing second and third to set the table for Enzo Paulino. Paulino grounded out to second, but it was good enough to score Peguero to win the game for Charleston in the bottom of the ninth. The Fireflies bullpen had gone 4.2 innings without allowing a run. First, Ben Hernandez worked three, one-hit frames and then Elvis Novas (L, 0-1) worked a scoreless eighth before allowing the run in the ninth.
GOING STREAKING: Catcher Dionmy Salon is riding a hot streak for Columbia. He is on his longest hitting streak of the season, an 11-game stretch that began June 9 and is the longest active hitting streak in the Carolina League. Salon is 13-30 (.433) on the run and has six RBI. Salon has increased his batting average from .165 to .239 during the strech which encapsulates over one quarter of his games played this season. Columbia's backstop has also scored a run in four-straight games, which is the longest active streak for a Fireflies player.
SCUFFLING AT THE DISH: The Fireflies bats have had some trouble in the month of July. The team has scored one run or less in three of their last four games and have a suspended game where they're being outscored 6-0 by the Augusta GreenJackets in the fourth inning. The Fireflies are hititng .217 in the month of July as a team, which is a start contrast to their season average of .229, which qualifies for the fourth-best average in the Carolina League..
I CAN SEE THE FUTURE: Tuesday, Major League Baseball announced their All-Star Future's game rosters, which contained a pair of former Fireflies player. RHP Ben Kudrna was Kansas City's second rounder in 2021 and after spinning a 3.48 ERA in 17 starts in 2022, he was named the Columbia Fireflies Pitcher of the Year by the Royals. Gavin Cross was also named to the roster. The outfielder was selected in the first round of the 2022 draft out of Virginia Tech and reached base safely in his final 22 games with the Fireflies that same season.
THIS IS 40: Thursday night, Austin Charles drove in three RBI, giving him 43 on the young season. In 2023 only three Fireflies finished the season with 40 or more RBI: Brett Squires (69), Lizandro Rodriguez (44) and Daniel Vazquez (43). The Fireflies single-season RBI record belongs to Juan Carlos Negret, who drove in 76 runs in a shortened 2021 season thanks in part to a franchise record 23 homers in a single season.
ROCKING ROSADO: Columbia's reliever has paced the way for the bullpen. After a strong showing in June, he's kept the ball rolling in July to bring his season ERA down to 2.00. Rosado has allowed just one run in his last 15.2 innings (0.57 ERA). In his last 11 outings, he has 19 punchouts compared to just seven walks. His biggest improvement has been reducing his walk rate. Last year, Rosado walked 16.7% of batters faced. This year, he's at a 7.6% walk rate.
ROLLING THROUGH JULY: Ben Hernandez has gotten better each month in his tenure as a reliever for the Columbia Fireflies, but in July he has been lights out. The righty has made three appearances without allowing an earned run over eight frames in July. Opponents are hitting just .125 against Hernandez in July.
Carolina League Stories from July 14, 2024
- Pelicans Score Six Unanswered, Beat Cannon Ballers 6-4 in Series Finale - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Santander Hits Inside-The-Park Home Run in Woodpeckers' Loss to GreenJackets - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Olsavsky's Strong Day Leads Jackets over Woodpeckers - Augusta GreenJackets
- Finale at the Joe Suspended Sunday Afternoon - Columbia Fireflies
- Mudcats Beat Nationals - Carolina Mudcats
- Shorebirds Earn Series Split with Complete Performance - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Mudcats Outlast Nats 7-4 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.14 at Charleston - Columbia Fireflies
- Wood Ducks Drop Series Finale - Down East Wood Ducks
- Wood Ducks End Doubleheader Split with No Hitter - Down East Wood Ducks
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