Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Charleston
July 7, 2021 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
Tonight the Fireflies continue their series with the Charleston RiverDogs at 7:05 pm at Segra Park. RHP Matt Stil (2-1, 5.87 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia, while Charleston opts to use lefty Ian Seymour (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
Tonight is Trash the Poop Wag-Along Wednesday, where fans who purchase a berm ticket may bring their leashed and rabies vaccinated dog with them to the ballpark. It's also White Claw Wednesday. White Claws will be available for $5 at Segra Park tonight.
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FIREFLIES UNSEATED BY FIVE-RUN SIXTH FROM RIVERDOGS: The Fireflies went to the bullpen and saw five runs come across in the first inning of relief work in a 6-3 loss to the Charleston RiverDogs Tuesday night at Segra Park. After Cruz Noriega offered five one-run innings with a career-high seven strikeouts for Columbia (27-24), Chase Wallace (BS, 3; L, 0-2) entered the game in the sixth. The righty allowed four of the first five RiverDogs (37-16) hitters to reach base safely. Abiezel Ramirez capped the frame off with a three-run homer to put Charleston up 6-1.
CHASING HISTORY: Last night, Tyler Tolbert stole his 28th base of the season, which is good for the second most in the Low-A East League this season. He trails Jayce Easley of the Down East Wood Ducks, who has 30 stolen bases this season. While chasing the top dogs of the Low-A East League, Tolbert has tied the Fireflies single-season steals record that Jacob Zanon set in 2017. Zanon played in 50 games for the Fireflies during the 2017 campaign en route to 28 steals in 31 attempts. Tolbert has been perfect in 2021 so far, with 28 steals and 0 caught stealing.
BLASTING STANDARDS: Outfielder Juan Carlos Negret has only 26 hits in 43 games this year, but when the slugger makes contact with the ball, he makes it count. Of those 26 hits, 15 are for extra bases, including a team-high 11 homers. His 11 blasts are good for second-most in the Low-A East League, trailing only Joe Gray Jr. who has 12. Negret has been swinging out of his shoes since June 1, he has nine of his 11 homers in the last 36 calendar days, which is tied for the most in all Low-A baseball. If that weren't enough, he finds himself just a pair of homers shy of Brandon Brosher, Matt Winaker and Dash Winningham, who all hit 13 homers for Columbia in 2017, for most homeruns for a Fireflies player in a single season. Winningham is the Fireflies all-time homer leader, he hit 25 blasts in the 2016 and 2017 campaigns for the Fireflies.
GOING STREAKING: Shortstop Maikel Garcia is currently riding a six-game hitting streak, the 12th streak of six-or-more games for a Fireflies hitter this season. He has three of those marks already.
STAYING HOT IN THE TOP SPOT: Shortstop Maikel Garcia has paced the Columbia roster in 2021 for top batting average this season. While on the road playing Augusta, he was able to get the average back over .300 to .304 through a 10-26 (.385) effort at SRP Park. The shortstop is hitting .308 (33-107) in 26 games where he leads off this season. In that role he has scored 22 runs while driving in an additional 10 RBI. He has only 16 strikeouts from the lead-off spot in 2021.
BOUNCE BACK WITH DE AVILA: Fireflies reliever Luis De Avila had by far his best outing of the season July 4. The southpaw worked four scoreless frames, while punching out half a dozen hitters. His ERA dropped from 7.84-to-6.57 during the game, and it helped him to rebound from a June where he held an 8.31 ERA across five outings.
SAVING JUNE: Walter Pennington was an extremely bright spot for the Fireflies in the month of June. The Southpaw entered six games for Columbia, working 11.2 frames where he fanned 12 batters and allowed just two to score. He finished the month with a 1-0 record and a save to pair with a 1.54 ERA.
Carolina League Stories from July 7, 2021
- FredNats' Furious Comeback Not Enough in 11-9 Loss - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Pelicans Use Three Homers to Down GreenJackets - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Vassalotti and Hall Lead the Way in 4-2 Victory - Carolina Mudcats
- Pelicans Ride Big First Inning to 7-5 Victory - Augusta GreenJackets
- Four Home-Run Night Powers Woodpeckers to 10-3 Win over Wood Ducks - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- 'Birds Batter Red Sox to Even Series - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Ninth Inning Balk Helps RiverDogs Shock Fireflies - Charleston RiverDogs
- Fireflies Drop Game Allowing a Pair in the Ninth in 3-2 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Down East Beaten up in Loss to Fayetteville - Down East Wood Ducks
- Down East Beaten up in Loss to Fayetteville - Down East Wood Ducks
- Down East Wood Ducks Game Notes - at Fayetteville - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Charleston - Columbia Fireflies
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