Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Augusta
May 26, 2021 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Augusta GreenJackets tonight at Segra Park at 7:05 pm. Southpaw Emilio Marquez (1-0, 3.00 ERA) climbs the hill for Columbia. Augusta's righty Joey Estes (0-0, 1.50 ERA) gets the ball for tonight's contest.
Tonight is Trash the Poop Wag-Along Wednesday at Segra Park. Fans who purchase a berm ticket can bring their dog out to the ball game. If you're not a pet owner, you can still enjoy White Claw Wednesday where White Claws are just $5 all evening long.
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LATE EMSHOFF BLAST NOT ENOUGH IN 4-3 LOSS: The Fireflies scored three unanswered after the seventh inning stretch to force extra innings prior to falling 4-3 in the 10th to the Augusta GreenJackets Tuesday evening at Segra Park. Kale Emshoff blasted his first homer of the season to lead-off the ninth inning and tie the game 3-3 between the Columbia Fireflies (11-8) and the Augusta GreenJackets (9-10). The solo shot accounted for the backstop's team-leading 15th RBI of the season. Walter Pennington (L, 1-1) allowed Stephen Paolini to scamper home from a Ricardo Rodriguez double in the 10th to break the tie. Paolini started the inning placed at second base. In the home half of the 10th, the Fireflies were unable to score on Miguel Pena (W, 3-0, BS, 2) in extras.
MOVING ON UP: Yesterday, A.J. Block was promoted to Quad Cities after a stellar start to the season. The southpaw punched out 26 hitters in 16 innings and allowed just one run off of six hits. In his final game in a Fireflies uniform May 23 at Kannapolis, Block spun four scoreless innings and wrung up seven hitters.
MARQUEZ SETS NEW MARK: Last week, Emilio Marquez spun four scoreless innings in relief while setting down nine hitters via the strikeout. The nine punchouts passed A.J. Block's eight for most strikeouts in a single game by a Fireflies pitcher this season. Block was able to accomplish the feat a pair of times so far, once May 6 at Augusta, the other May 12 vs Charleston.
MILESTONE WATCH: The Columbia Fireflies pace the Low-A East with 247 strikeouts this season. In fact, they have the third-most strikeouts of any Minor League Baseball team. The Modesto Nuts pace the minors with 256 punchouts and the Eugene Emeralds sit two in front of the Fireflies with 249 batters set down via the strikeout this season. Last night Columbia fanned 15 hitters in 10 innings. The staff is averaging 13.50 K/9.
I THINK WE'RE CATCHING ON: Columbia has primarily utilized two catchers this season so far, Kale Emshoff and Omar Hernandez. Through the first 19 games, the two have had vastly different fortune handling the pitching staff. With Emshoff behind the dish, Columbia is 4-3 and pitchers have a 2.51 ERA in 61 innings, meanwhile, when Hernandez lines up 60'6" away from the arms on the bump, the team is 5-4 and has spun an 5.75 ERA through 76.2 innings.
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 11-2 this season. When Columbia scores three or less in a game, they are 0-6.
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 six scoreless innings and has fanned 12 batters while allowing only one hit. His opposing batting average has dropped from .231 to .133 and his season WHIP is now an incredible 0.78.
Carolina League Stories from May 26, 2021
- 'Birds Mash Hillcats for Fourth Straight Win - Delmarva Shorebirds
- RiverDogs Top Woodpeckers 2-0, Notch Third Shutout Win of Season - Charleston RiverDogs
- Pelicans Edge out Red Sox 6-5 for Third-Straight Win - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Wood Ducks Fall in Extras to Fredericksburg - Down East Wood Ducks
- Southpaws Lead Way to Second Shutout Win of Season - Columbia Fireflies
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Augusta - Columbia Fireflies
- Down East Wood Ducks Game Notes vs. Fredericksburg - Down East Wood Ducks
- Bradley, Bullpen Dominate as RiverDogs Open Series with 3-1 Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- Mudcats Set Team Record for Runs in 23-7 Victory - Carolina Mudcats
- Late Emshoff Blast Not Enough in 4-3 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
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