Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Fredericksburg 8.21
Published on August 21, 2024 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Fredericksburg tonight at Segra Park at 7:05 pm. RHP Mauricio Veliz (1-3, 7.01 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and Fredericksburg counters with LHP Alex Clemmey (1-4, 4.81 ERA).
Tonight is a Trash the Poop Dog Days of Summer at Segra Park. Fans can bring their leashed dog with them to the game for free with their purchase of a lawn ticket. Fans at the game can also enjoy $5 Wihte Claw seltzers at concession stands during the game tonight. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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BULLPEN TOSSES FOUR SCORELESS IN 6-4 LOSS: The Columbia Fireflies bullpen tossed four scoreless, but it wasn't enough as the team lost 6-4 Tuesday night to the Fredericksburg Nationals at Segra Park. Elijah Green made the difference in the fifth. With one out and Brenner Cox and Jorgelys Mota on the basepaths, Green smashed a three-run blast to right-center field to break the 3-3 tie and push Fredericksburg in front 6-3.
BULLPEN MANIA: The Fireflies bullpen has been the highlight of the team all season. After working four scoreless innings Tuesday, Columbia's bullpen now has a 3.07 ERA this season, which is the second-best mark in all of full-season baseball. It trails only the Midland Rockhounds (2.97 ERA). The Fireflies are the only team in the top five bullpens who have tossed at least 475 innings this season.
MISSING MICHEL: Ismael Michel has stepped up in a big way over the last month for Columbia. The righty hasn't allowed a run in his last eight outings (13.1 IP) which has pushed his ERA down from 3.27 on July 21 to 1.54 today, but what's been truly impressive is that he's allowed just two hits over his last seven outings. On the run he is 4-0 with 13 strikeouts in 13.1 innings pitched in relief for Columbia.
THIS IS 50: Sunday, Austin Charles drove in two RBI, giving him 54 on the young season. In 2023 only one Fireflies hitter finished the season with 50 or more RBI: Brett Squires, who had 69 RBI. The Fireflies single-season RBI record belongs to Juan Carlos Negret, who drove in 76 runs in a shortened 2021 season thanks in part to a franchise record 23 homers in a single season.
THE RACE INTENSIFIES: Tuesday, Columbia lost to Fredericksburg and Charleston beat Myrtle Beach for the Fireflies to lose a game on first place in the standings. They currently sit 4.0 games behind Charleston and 3.5 games in front of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in second in the division. As Kannapolis continues their second-half slide after their first-half division crown, the Fireflies have the best record in the South Division for the entire season. Columbia has the best overall record in the division by 2.5 games.
AWESOME ARRONDE: Friday, Felix Arronde led the way with six two-run innings to earn his seventh quality start of the season for Columbia. It's the second time in his career that he has worked back-to-back quality starts. The righty also leads the Fireflies with 92 punchouts on the season. Since 2020, Shane Panzini and Adrian Alcantara lead the way with 98 strikeouts in a single season in the neon and navy.
MITCHELL'S MISSILES: Last night, Blake Mitchell blasted his Carolina League leading 18th homer of the season. Mitchell is the first Fireflies player to lead the league in homers since Juan Carlos Negret slapped 23 homers in a pandemic-shortened 2021 season. Mitchell is just one round-tripper shy of Ariel Almonte, who plays for the Daytona Tortugas, for the most round trippers in Single-A in 2024.
RACING ROSARIO: Julio Rosario is one of the new additions to Columbia's bullpen and the righty hasn't missed a beat. Rosario has allowed only one run in his first four appearances with Columbia spanning nine innings (1.00 ERA).
Carolina League Stories from August 21, 2024
- Red Sox' Rally Falls Short in 3-2 Loss to Lynchburg - Salem Red Sox
- Huge Six-Run Inning Vaults Fayetteville to Victory - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Ninth Inning Errors Too Much to Overcome for RiverDogs on Wednesday - Charleston RiverDogs
- Big Inning Lifts Mudcats Past Augusta - Carolina Mudcats
- Columbia Arms Stifle Nats - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Walks, Errors Prove August's Undoing in 9-4 Loss - Augusta GreenJackets
- Smith Homers Again, Pelicans Battle Back for 8-6 Win over RiverDogs - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Pitching Staff Shuts Down FredNats in 4-1 Win - Columbia Fireflies
- Dominant Pitching Leads Delmarva to Second-Straight Win - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Wood Ducks Score Late, But Fall to Delmarva - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Fredericksburg 8.21 - Columbia Fireflies
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