Fireflies Game Notes: May 2 vs. Delmarva (Game 26)
May 2, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
Columbia Fireflies (8-17) vs. Delmarva Shorebirds (19-4)
RHP Jose Butto (0-3, 6.16) vs. RHP Blaine Knight (2-0, 0.87)
Thurs., May 2, 2019 - Segra Park (Columbia, SC) - First Pitch 7:05 p.m. - Game 26
LISTEN: FirefliesLiveStream.com / ColumbiaFireflies.com / TuneIn App
WATCH: MiLB.TV
LAST TIME OUT: Columbia walked a season-best nine times on Wednesday afternoon but fell to Delmarva, 8-5. The Fireflies once trailed 8-0, but stormed back with two runs in the sixth and three more in the eighth. Columbia had the tying run on deck twice in the eighth but eventually dropped the middle game of the series. Hayden Senger was impressive at the plate. The catcher reached base four times: he singled 2x, walked, was hit and wound up driving in a run.
NINNNNE TIMES: The Fireflies drew a season-best nine walks on Wednesday. The franchise record for walks in a game is 12, set on May 15, 2016 against Asheville.
GOIN' YARD: Brian Sharp bashed his team-best third homer of the season on Wednesday. Sharp leads the team with nine extra-base hits.
MOUND MOJO: Over the last seven games, Columbia's pitchers have combined for 70 Ks and have walked just 14. Columbia has walked the second-fewest batters in the league (67), sitting only behind Hickory (62).
UP NORTH: The Mets double-A affiliate in Binghamton, New York - the Rumble Ponies - defeated the Akron RubberDucks on Wednesday, 8-0. Five former Fireflies - Andres Gimenez (the top-rated Mets prospect), Patrick Mazeika, Ali Sanchez, Michael Paez and Kevin Kaczmarski - were all in the lineup and all recorded at least a hit or an RBI. 2018 Firefly pitcher Anthony Kay is expected to start for the Ponies on Thursday. Kay has been unhittable this season over five starts: 1.85 ERA, 29 K, 24.1 IP.
EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH: Ronny Mauricio (.286) led all hitters in batting average and Simeon Woods-Richardson led all starters in ERA (1.23) in the month of April. Mauricio led the team in hits (26) and tallied three doubles. Woods-Richardson didn't walk a single batter in five starts (14.2 IP). The right-hander posted 22 strikeouts also.
FOLLOW THE LAW: Keith Law, senior baseball writer at ESPN, ranked Columbia's roster as the 7th-most "Loaded Roster" in all of Minor League Baseball. Law recognized the fact Columbia's roster includes the Mets' third, fourth and fifth-rated prospects (infielders Ronny Mauricio, Mark Vientos and Shervyen Newton, respectively), New York's past two second-round draft choices (RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson, Vientos) and the system's ninth-rated prospect, left-hander Thomas Szapucki (drafted in the fifth round in 2015). The roster also features 26th (Baseball America) and 27th-rated prospects Chris Viall and Christian James. The prospect rankings are according to MLB.com unless otherwise noted.
South Atlantic League Stories from May 2, 2019
- Adon, Four-Run 7th Put Tourists Away in Finale - Hagerstown Suns
- Knight Dazzles, 'Birds Blank 'Flies for Sweep - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Bush Battles, But Tourists Unable to Complete Sweep - Asheville Tourists
- Defense Optional as GreenJackets Sweep Lexington - Augusta GreenJackets
- Bies, Higgins Combine for Two-Hit Shutout to Finish Sweep of Kannapolis - Charleston RiverDogs
- Butto Brilliant But Columbia Blanked - Columbia Fireflies
- Power Blanked by BlueClaws in Series Finale - Charleston Dirty Birds
- BlueClaws Bats Burst out in 10-0 Thursday Win - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Fireflies Game Notes: May 2 vs. Delmarva (Game 26) - Columbia Fireflies
- Hagerstown Suns Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- Game Notes (May 2) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Greensboro Takes Series with 8-3 Win over Rome - Rome Emperors
- Greenville Falls to Hickory on Wednesday - Greenville Drive
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