Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Myrtle Beach
July 15, 2021 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
Tonight, the Fireflies will try to rebound against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Stadium at 7:05 pm. Southpaw Rylan Kaufman (1-2, 4.91 ERA) gets the call for Columbia and Myrtle Beach sends righty Jose Miguez Gonzalez (2-3, 4.88 ERA) to the hill.
Columbia returns home Tuesday, July 20 to open up a seven-game set against the Augusta GreenJackets. The Fireflies will be celebrating Frontline Workers Appreciation Night, brought to you by T-Mobile, Princess Knight, presented by Lowes Foods and will have a t-shirt giveaway during the series. To purchase tickets for the event, visit FirefliesTickets.com.
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STARTER PAULINO LAMBASTED BY PELICANS BATS: Columbia Fireflies starter Anderson Paulino couldn't hold the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at bay as he was tagged for nine runs in 3.1 innings in a 10-3 loss to the Pelicans Wednesday night at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. Following a Juan Carlos Negret solo shot in the second to break the scoreless tie, Paulino (L, 4-3) gave up nine consecutive runs in the home half of the second through fourth innings. The starter was around the strike zone all night, issuing zero walks, but allowed a career-high 11 hits, including homers to Ed Howard and Matt Mervis before his night ended. Columbia (30-28) didn't give up there. Gage Hughes lifted his second homer of the season beyond the right field porch to plate Rubendy Jaquez against Maneul Espinoza (W, 4-5) in the fifth to draw Columbia within six of the Pelicans (27-34), but the rally was halted there.
SAVE-ORING HIS RETURN: Last night, reliever Ismael Aquino made his first appearance in a Fireflies uniform since May 29. He was activated off the injured list last week following a stint in rehab in the ACL where he pitched in three games, allowing six runs in 3.1 innings. The righty has converted both of his save opportunities with Columbia after working a 1-2-3 ninth inning last night. He has fanned nine batters in 7.2 innings across six games while in the Low-A East League.
REELING WITH RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION: This season the Columbia Fireflies are hitting .206 with runners in scoring position, a mark that is last in the division. That wasn't helped much through the last homestand, where the team finished 11-71 (.155) with runners threatening. They got five of those 11 hits in Thursdays 20-run offensive onslaught with 16 opportunities.
OPPOSING AVERAGE SOARS: After Anderson Paulino's start Wednesday, where the righty allowed a career-high 11 hits in 3.1 innings against the Pelicans, opponents this year are hitting .305 against him. During his three-season career, opponents are averaging .303 against him and his 2019 mark matched his 2021 opposing average. To put that in perspective, the highest average in the league this season is .258, a mark owned by the Woodpeckers and RiverDogs.
WILLIS RESURGENCE: After lefty Marlin Willis had a rough May, where the reliever had a 8.31 ERA across six outings, he has found his way for the Fireflies. In Willis's last five outings he has spun 10 innings, punching out 18 batters while only allowing a single run. A big part of what Willis has done well in the last few weeks has been decreasing his walk rate as the season has progressed. In his first eight innings, of the season, he walked 13 batters and hit another pair, but in his last 7.1 innings, he has walked only three batters while striking out 16. Opponents are averaging .080 against Willis in that time.
WEBB GEM ON THE BUMP: Nathan Webb dominated out of the pen Friday. The righty grinded through 3.1 innings where he inherited six runners. Three came from Luis De Avila, who left the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth, and three more from the runner placed on second in each of the 10th, 11th and 12th innings. Webb pulled a Houdini act, keeping each of those runners from scoring and giving the Fireflies bats a chance to win the game in front of the fans at Segra Park.
Carolina League Stories from July 15, 2021
- RiverDogs Sneak by Augusta 6-5 for Fourth Straight Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- Well-Rounded Performance Drives Pelicans to Shutout Win against Fireflies - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Late Runs Not Enough in Ballers Third Straight Loss to Carolina - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Zamora Homers and McGee Doubles Twice in 7-3 Victory - Carolina Mudcats
- Five-Run Seventh Powers Wood Ducks to Win over Shorebirds - Down East Wood Ducks
- 'Birds Rue Missed Opportunities, Fall to Wood Ducks - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Sánchez, Vega Lead FredNats Rout of Hillcats - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Fireflies Bats Stunned in 5-0 Loss to Pelicans - Columbia Fireflies
- Down East Wood Ducks Game Notes - vs. Delmarva - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
- RiverDogs Outlast Augusta 10-8 in Four Hour Contest - Charleston RiverDogs
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