Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Myrtle Beach
June 4, 2021 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies will resume their contest from last night with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at 5:30 pm. The game will begin with two outs in the top of the second inning with a runner at second for the Columbia Fireflies. After that game concludes, the two teams will play a seven-inning game. LHP Luis De Avila (2-0, 7.04 ERA) will get his first start of the season in that game and Myrtle Beach will toss righty Sam Thoresen (0-2, 3.45 ERA).
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EARLY OFFENSE, STELLAR PITCHING KEY IN FIREFLIES 6-2 WIN: The Columbia Fireflies offense utilized five errors from Myrtle Beach to score five unearned runs to vault over the Pelicans 6-2 Wednesday evening at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. Adrian Alcantara (W, 2-2) notched the longest outing for a Fireflies (17-9) starter this season. A five-inning appearance that included nine punchouts, also tied for a Fireflies' single-game high. The righty allowed just three baserunners on a hit and two walks before handing the ball to Cruz Noriega (S, 1). The reliever allowed two runs (one earned) over four innings to earn his first save of the season, the fourth of his career. The offense got started early once again. Juan Carlos Negret broke things open with a two-run homer off Pelicans' (13-13) starter Manuel Espinoza (L, 1-3) in the second. Later in the frame, Diego Hernandez looped a sacrifice fly to left to score Omar Hernandez to increase the Fireflies lead to 3-0. Columbia didn't stop there. They utilized a handful of errors from Myrtle Beach to score five unearned runs on the evening and three of those came in the fourth. Herard Gonzalez got things rolling, reaching off a fielding error from left fielder Matt Mervis. Diego Hernandez came around to score. After that, Darryl Collins roped a base knock into right to plate Gonzalez before Maikel Garcia laced a double to the alley to score Collins and score the Fireflies final run, increasing the lead to 6-0.
TWO FOR THE SHOW: Maikel Garcia already has the Fireflies longest hitting streak of the season, an eight-game stretch from May 11-21, where the infielder went 12-33 with seven RBI. He's climbing the Fireflies' season leaderboards again. Garcia is currently riding another eight-game hitting streak. The shortstop is hitting .471 with eight RBI since May 22 and has collected hits in 16 of his last 17 games.
COLLINS COLLECTS: Outfielder Darryl Collins is riding his second six-or-more game hitting streak of the season. In half a dozen games since May 26, the Netherlands-native is 10-25 (.400) with two homers and four RBI.
MAGIC NUMBER: The offense has come in spurts for the Columbia Fireflies in 2021, but the magic number for the team is four. When the Fireflies score four runs in a game, they are 17-2 this season. When Columbia scores three or less in a game, they are 0-7.
EVERYONE WANTS TO BE APART OF A TURNAROUND: After giving up a run in two innings of relief work at Augusta May 8, it looked like righty Nathan Webb would have another season similar to his previous four years in Minor League Baseball. The Missouri-native has a 5.86 career ERA. Since then, the righty has spun nine scoreless innings and has fanned 17 batters while allowing only three hit. His opposing batting average has dropped from .231 to .150 and his season WHIP is now an incredible 0.92.
PARITY OF DIVISION: Just .192 separates the first place Columbia Fireflies and the last place Augusta GreenJackets winning percentage this season. Through the first 26 contests, that represents five games. While that may seem like a lot, in the North division, Fredericksburg trails leader Delmarva by 14.5 games and in the Central Division, Kannapolis trails first-place Carolina by 13 games. The Fireflies are 5-1 when they play games outside of the division this season and 12-8 in the South Division.
Carolina League Stories from June 4, 2021
- RiverDogs Win 8-3 on Friday Night - Augusta GreenJackets
- Mudcats and Wood Ducks Split Friday Doubleheader - Carolina Mudcats
- RiverDogs Even Series with 8-3 Triumph over GreenJackets - Charleston RiverDogs
- Wood Ducks and Mudcats Split Doubleheader - Down East Wood Ducks
- Peña Goes Seven Strong, FredNats Win Second Straight - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Pena Walk-Off Bunt Wins First Game for Pelicans - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- 'Birds Bats Silent in Loss to FredNats - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Fireflies Finish Suspended Game, Move Doubleheader - Columbia Fireflies
- Rays Send Top 30 Prospect Basabe to Charleston - Charleston RiverDogs
- Jordan Westburg Named Orioles Minor League Offensive Player of the Month - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Down East Wood Ducks Game Notes - 06/04 at Carolina - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
- RiverDogs Return to Full Capacity, Plan to Pack the Park with Fans During Upcoming Homestand - Charleston RiverDogs
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