CarL Columbia Fireflies

Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Augusta

July 22, 2021 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release


The Fireflies and GreenJackets clash in a doubleheader beginning at 5 pm at Segra Park. LHP Rylan Kaufman (1-3, 5.15 ERA) gets the ball for game one and RHP Adrian Alcantara (3-4, 4.69 ERA) toes the rubber in game two for the Fireflies. Both contests will be seven innings and will be separated by 45 minutes. Augusta will offer RHP Roddery Munoz (1-1, 6.18 ERA) for game one and one of his triplets, Rolddy Munoz (0-0, 10.80 ERA) in game two.

Tonight is a Budweiser Thirsty Thursday at Segra Park. All draft beer and fountain sodas are half-priced and fans can purchase $2 pints of Bud Light at the Budweiser Bow Tie Bar. Fans can purchase tickets at FirefliesTickets.com.

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HUGHES' HOMER DIFFERENCE IN 7-5 WIN VS AUGUSTA:The Fireflies battled back-and-forth with the Augusta GreenJackets, but emerged victorious after Gage Hughes knocked a two-run homer in the sixth in the 7-5 contest at Segra Park Tuesday evening. Hughes capped off back-to-back three run innings for Columbia (32-32). The sixth started with a one out double from Saul Garza, before Diego Hernandez doubled to score the first baseman and set the table for Hughest to give the Fireflies a 7-4 lead over Augusta (28-38). The Fireflies bullpen had given up four runs in the top of the sixth, after Marlin Willis and Chase Wallace (W, 1-2, BS 3) combined to walk four and allow six hits in two innings of relief work. The four-run frame tied the game. Columbia started the scoring in the fourth. Tyler Tolbert singled with one out and stole his league-leading 35th base of the season to claw into scoring position. Darryl Collins roped a single to center to move Tolbert 90 feet away for Kale Emshoff who bounced an infield single to third to break the scoreless tie.The next inning, Herard Gonzalez singled to score both Diego and Omar Hernandez to push the Fireflies lead to 3-0. Tolbert cleaned up against starter Joey Estes (L, 1-5) scoring Hernandez with another base knock to provide a pair of runs in the fourth and the fifth for Columbia. The Fireflies pitching staff was able to bookend some poor work from the middle relievers. Anderson Paulino rebounded strongly from a rough outing in Myrtle Beach with five scoreless innings where Paulino punched out a career-best seven batters and allowed just a pair of hits. Patrick Smith (S, 1) was able to close out the game with two scoreless frames for his first save of the season and his second of his career. Smith has now worked nine consecutive scoreless innings in July.

TOLBERT'S TUMULTUOUS JULY: The Fireflies utility player, Tyler Tolbert, struggled to start off the season, hitting .159 in 19 games in May and .170 in 17 games in June. It's safe to say that the Royals' prospect has turned the corner in July. The righty has hit .279 in 16 games in July, with four doubles and two homers. His two homers are the only two of his career and the four doubles match his May and June total. Tolbert has a .805 OPS this month, which trail only Maikel Garcia and Jake Mean's season marks (.828 and .814) while with the Fireflies. Both Garcia and Means are currently playing for Quad Cities.

REBOUNDING WITH STYLE: Last night, starter Anderson Paulino rebounded from his worst start of the season against Myrtle Beach. The righty allowed nine runs and 11 hits in the outing, both of which are season highs in that start on the road. He returned to Segra Park with a career-high seven strikeouts in five two-hit innings where Paulino did not allow a run to score.

ON THE PODIUM: Following the Major League All-Star Break, and at the half-way point of the 2021 Low-A East season, it's a good time to highlight a few individuals who are making a name for themselves around the league. Outfielder Juan Carlos Negret is proving to be one of the best sluggers in the league, pacing the Low-A East with 17 homers and tallying the third-most RBI, with 45 so far this season. Tolbert is tied with the most steals for anyone in the League. He has 34 already this year. On the mound, two pitchers have really contributed in a big way for Columbia. Cruz Noriega's 3.51 ERA is the third-lowest for any qualifying arm in the league, and although the southpaw, Emilio Marquez, has not worked enough innings this year for his 1.48 ERA to count in that category, he has punched out the eighth most batters of any individual in the Low-A East, fanning 62 opponents in 42.2 innings this season.

Check out the Columbia Fireflies Statistics



Carolina League Stories from July 22, 2021


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