Rome Braves @ Columbia Fireflies
August 21, 2017
Teams
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
R
|
H
|
E
|
|
Rome
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
5
|
8
|
1
|
|
Columbia
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
6
|
12
|
3
|
W: Aldridge (1-1,
5.14 ERA); L: Schlosser (0-6, 7.65 ERA)
The Stats:
Pitchers
Colin Holderman
(4.94 ERA) – 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 2B, 7 TB, 3 BB, 2 K (2 K/Sw), 1 HBP, 8
GB: 4 FB: 3 LD: 2 PU, 89 Pitches (52 Strikes), 7 Swinging, 12 Called, 7.9%
SwStr, 17.5% Whiff/Swing, 17.8 Pitches/IP, 23 BF
Ryder Ryan (H, 2, 3.38 ERA) – 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (2 K/Sw),
1 GB: 1 FB: 1 LD: 1 PU, 32 Pitches (18 Strikes), 4 Swinging, 3 Called, 12.5%
SwStr, 26.7% Whiff/Swing, 16 Pitches/IP, 7 BF
Jay Jabs (H, 1, 0.00 ERA) – 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K (1 K/Sw), 1
GB: 1 FB, 16 Pitches (9 Strikes), 1 Swinging, 0 Called, 6.2% SwStr, 11.1%
Whiff/Swing, 16 Pitches/IP, 3 BF
Keaton Aldridge (BS, 1)(W, 1-1, 5.14 ERA) – 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R
(0 ER), 3 TB, 1 K (1 K/Sw), 4 GB: 1 LD, 37 Pitches (23 Strikes), 3 Swinging, 3
Called, 8.1% SwStr, 15% Whiff/Swing, 37 Pitches/IP, 7 BF
Table 1 – Holderman pitch stats by inning
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
Total
|
|
Total
|
21
|
11
|
21
|
23
|
13
|
89
|
Strikes
|
11
|
8
|
10
|
13
|
10
|
52
|
Swinging*
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
7
|
*7.9% Swinging strike rate; 17.5% Whiff/Swing rate
Batters
CF - Gene Cone - 0-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 5.3% SwStr, 25%
Whiff/Swing, 3.8 Pitches/PA
SS - Luis Carpio - 0-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 18.8% SwStr, 42.9%
Whiff/Swing, 3.2 Pitches/PA
2B - J.J.
Franco - 3-4, 1 R, 1 SAC, 1 CS, 7.7% SwStr, 11.1% Whiff/Swing, 2.6
Pitches/PA
LF - Ian Strom - 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB, 3.6% SwStr,
10% Whiff/Swing, 5.6 Pitches/PA
C - Brandon Brosher - 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K,
12.5% SwStr, 33.3% Whiff/Swing, 3.2 Pitches/PA
DH - Natanael Ramos - 1-4, 1 GIDP, 16.7% SwStr, 22.2%
Whiff/Swing, 3 Pitches/PA
SS - Andres Gimenez - 1-1, 1 RBI, 4 Pitches/PA
3B/RP - Jay Jabs - 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K, 5 Pitches/PA
1B - Reed Gamache - 2-4, 5.6% SwStr, 11.1% Whiff/Swing, 4.5
Pitches/PA
RF - Arnaldo Berrios - 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K, 10% SwStr, 16.7%
Whiff/Swing, 2.5 Pitches/PA
Recapish
The
Columbia Fireflies set a Spirit Communications Park record with a paid
attendance of 9,629 Monday afternoon, and while many were there just to see the
eclipse, the Fireflies fed off their energy for an exciting 6-5 win. The
scheduled eclipse break came during the middle of the 4th inning, so
Rome was only able to get three innings out of their starter the day after a
16-inning game. Most of the excitement in the game happened before the eclipse,
but these two teams saved the best for last, as both rallied in the 9th,
and the Fireflies walked off with a win.
Cola
starter Colin Holderman is still working his way back from a shoulder problem
earlier this year, so the five innings he gave Columbia after Sunday night’s
marathon game was huge. Unlike Rome’s starter, Holderman worked an extra inning
after the eclipse, which was huge for the depleted Fireflies pen. He finished
the 1st inning with a strikeout of Drew Lugbauer to strand a pair of
base runners.
 |
| K #1 |
The
Fireflies then put together a mini-rally to give their starter a 2-0 lead in
the bottom half of the 1st. Gene Cone and Luis Carpio worked walks
to start the frame and then Ian Strom singled them both home after a sac bunt.
 |
| Strom |
 |
| Ramos |
Holderman’s
best frame was a perfect 2nd, which featured a strikeout of Kevin
Josephina. Bradley Keller greeted him with a double in the 3rd and
then the Braves rallied for two runs with two outs later in the frame. Three
straight Rome batters reached with two outs – walk, HBP, RBI single – and
suddenly this game was tied at two.
 |
| K #2 |
The
Fireflies were quick to respond and jump back on top in the bottom of the 3rd.
J.J. Franco started the frame with a single and then Brandon Brosher put a
charge into one for his 12th homer of the year. There was a
collective gasp from the crowd as Brosher’s homer sailed for the Bojangles
berm, as they probably didn’t expect to see an A-ball hitter crush a baseball
with such authority. Columbia wasn’t done with the 3rd inning yet
though, as a Jay Jabs double two batters later started a little two out rally.
Reed Gamache and Arnaldo Berrios followed with singles to get Jabs around and
make it a 5-2 game.
 |
| Franco |
 |
| Brosher |
 |
| Jabs |
 |
| Gamache |
 |
| Berrios |
 |
| Strom congratulates Berrios |
 |
| Franco |
Things
got a little heated right before the eclipse delay in the top of the 4th.
Holderman issued a leadoff walk in the frame and Rome eventually got that
runner around on a sac fly to cut their deficit to 5-2. Cola right fielder
Arnaldo Berrios made a great catch at the wall on the sac fly, but he fell down
after the catch, which allowed the runner at first to tag up and score. The
footage doesn’t show whether the runner actually went back and tagged up at
first, but it looks like he was starting to before the camera’s panned away
from him. However, Jose Leger and the Fireflies players were watching that
situation closely, and they said he never went all the way back to first base.
Leger came out to argue the call and didn’t leave until he had been ejected and
he had a chance to voice his opinion of the call – in short, he really didn’t
agree with it. He left to a lot of applause from the packed audience.
 |
| Berrios in RF |
The
eclipse delay was a good time for everyone to calm their jets, forget about
stupid baseball disagreements and to just enjoy nature and each other’s company
for a bit. Sadly, many of the fans left after the eclipse, which was a bad
decision on their part, because this game still had some excitement to come.
However,
before there was more excitement, there was a stretch of good pitching from
both sides. Between the eclipse and the 9th, Columbia scratched out
just three singles and the Cola pen combined for three scoreless. The hits: J.J.
Franco singled as soon as the game resumed, Reed Gamache connected on a single
in the 5th, and the Franco singled again in the 6th.
 |
| Gamache |
 |
| Franco |
Holderman
worked around a leadoff double allowed in the 5th for a scoreless
final frame. He faced the minimum in the frame thanks to Brandon Brosher, who
caught a runner trying to steal third for the final out of the inning.
Ryder
Ryan took over for Columbia in the 6th and worked two scoreless
frames. He might’ve been pushed for a third had he been more efficient, but
certainly can’t complain when a reliever retires six of seven batters faced.
 |
| K #1 |
 |
| Cone in CF |
 |
| K #2 |
The
Fireflies made a surprise pick to replace Ryan on the mound for the 8th,
as third baseman Jay Jabs was tasked with the secondary role of setup man in
this game. Jabs threw a fastball that got up to 91 MPH and tried to mix in a
breaking ball that wouldn’t break while working a perfect frame with a
strikeout. I think that just goes to show what a well-placed fastball can do in
this league.
 |
| Franco |
 |
| K |
Unfortunately
for Columbia, while their surprise position player/setup man worked out, Keaton
Aldridge struggled with his first SAL save opportunity. It didn’t help that
there was an error committed behind him, but Aldridge allowed a pair of
unearned runs, which allowed Rome to tie things up.
 |
| K |
 |
| Franco |
 |
| Gimenez |
After
the blown save, the first two Cola batters went down to start the bottom of the
9th, and so it looked like this game was going to extras, which the
Fireflies would’ve been unprepared for. Fortunately, Ian Strom kept the inning
alive with a two out single, which sparked the game-winning rally. Strom stole
second ahead of a Brosher walk, which brought Andres Gimenez to the plate for
the first time. He was initially given the day off after a busy night at
shortstop over 16 innings Sunday, but he entered the game when Jabs took over
on the mound. Gimenez came through by ripping an RBI single into the right
field corner for a walkoff win.
 |
| Strom |
 |
| Gimenez |
Despite
the finale win, Columbia still lost this series 3-2, not like records matter
for either club at this point – second place Rome has a chance at the second
half division title, but it’s not a very good chance right now. Looking ahead,
the Fireflies hit the road for series with Greenville and Hickory over the next
week before they return home for their final home series of the year. Cola’s
season ends with four games in Rome over the first four days of September.
@BBCStargazing @nasa @BritAstro @AstronomyNow @VirtualAstro @SkyandTelescope @skyatnightmag Total Eclipse closeup sequence pic.twitter.com/2gdRa5Sc2J— James West (@ejwwest) August 24, 2017
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