Columbia Fireflies Game Notes September 6 vs Charleston
September 6, 2022 – Carolina League (CarL) – Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies start up their final home series of the regular season vs the Charleston RiverDogs at 7:05 pm at Segra Park tonight. RHP Jonatan Bernal (1-1, 2.87 ERA) takes the slab for Columbia and Charleston sends out RHP Cole Wilcox (0-1, 1.80 ERA).
Columbia starts their final push to the playoffs tonight on a Miller Lite $2 Tuesday. Fans can purchase $2 hot dogs, popcorn, fountain sodas and 12 oz cans of Miller Lite at concession stands as they vie for the final spot in the playoffs. If the Fireflies win five of six games, they will clinch their first post-season berth in franchise history. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES BATS SILENCED IN FINAL VS MUDCATS: The Fireflies bats were shut down as they fell to the Mudcats 6-0 in the finale at Five County Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Fireflies split their final road series of the campaign to stay alive for post-season contention.
BERNAL EARNS CAROLINA LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS: The Columbia Fireflies, in conjunction with the Carolina League and Minor League Baseball, announced today that RHP Jonatan Bernal has won Carolina League Player of the Week honors for the week of August 30-September 4. Bernal started August 30 vs the Carolina Mudcats and spun seven scoreless innings of work, allowing only three base runners as Columbia shut out the Mudcats 9-0 Tuesday. Bernal fanned a trio of Carolina batters in the contest. Since the Royals acquired Bernal in exchange for LHP Foster Griffin in a trade with the Blue Jays July 16, the Mazatlan, Mexico native is 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in seven games, three of which he started.
CROSS IS CRUISING: Gavin Cross has the third-longest on-base streak in the Carolina League currently, as he has reached safely in 20-consecutive games. The Virginia Tech product’s streak began in his third game in the Carolina League August 13. During the run, Cross has scored 20 runs and has drawn 19 walks to the tune of a .440 on-base percentage.
THE SITUATION: The Fireflies face the first-place Charleston RiverDogs in a six-game series at Segra Park Tuesday-Sunday. As it stands, Columbia would have to win five of those six games to punch their ticket to the 2022 Carolina League Playoffs.
OMAR HERNANDEZ, RBI MACHINE: The Fireflies backstop has had at least one RBI in six consecutive contests, which is the second-longest active streak in Class-A ball, the longest streak in the Carolina League. The seven RBI Hernandez has had on the stretch has put him at 31 RBI this season, which is a career-high in his three seasons in professional baseball. Hernandez has had an incredible season of growth in his second season with Columbia, increasing his average 51 points while playing in 83 games compared to 69 last season.
SECOND-HALF FIREFLIES?: After trudging to the finish line of the first-half of the season with a Carolina League-worst 18-48 record, the Fireflies burst onto the scene in the second-half, sweeping Augusta after taking two of the first three games with the RiverDogs to begin the second slate 8-1. Since then, the Fireflies have a 25-25 record (.500) and are 3.5 games back of first place. Columbia’s elimination number is 4 with 6 games remaining. Columbia has now won four series this season, and all four series (at Augusta June 28-July 3, at Myrtle Beach August 9-14, vs Kannapolis August 16-21 and vs Salem August 23-28) have come in the second half.
100 CLUB: Last Sunday, Luinder Avila became the first pitcher since 2019 to spin 100 innings in a single campaign. Last season, Adrian Alcantara was the closest, as he worked 97.1 innings. In 2019, Willy Taveras, Christian James and Jose Butto all spun at least 100 innings for the Fireflies. Currently, Avila has 95 strikeouts, making him five shy of becoming the first Fireflies pitcher to notch 100 strikeouts in a season since Butto had 109 in 2019.
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