Winningham Walkoff In Columbia Sends Everyone Home Happy

Greensboro Grasshoppers @ Columbia Fireflies

July 13, 2017

Kolton Mahoney @ Thomas McIlraith

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Greensboro	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0		1	7	1
Columbia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1		2	9	0

W: Blackham (4-1, 2.21 ERA); L: Bugg (2-2, 4.41 ERA)

Boxscore

The Stats:

Pitchers

Thomas McIlraith (2.22 ERA) – 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 2B, 1 3B, 8 TB, 1 BB, 5 K (1 K/Sw), 1 GIDP, 13 GB: 2 FB: 4 LD: 1 PU, 88 Pitches (55 Strikes), 7 Swinging, 22 Called, 8% SwStr, 21.2% Whiff/Swing, 12.6 Pitches/IP, 26 BF

Matt Blackham (W, 4-1, 2.21 ERA) – 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 TB, 4 K (3 K/Sw), 1 FB: 2 LD, 31 Pitches (23 Strikes), 5 Swinging, 8 Called, 16.1% SwStr, 33.3% Whiff/Swing, 15.5 Pitches/IP, 7 BF

Table 1 – McIlraith pitch stats by inning

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	Total
Total	12	10	9	10	16	20	11	88
Strikes	6	8	7	9	8	11	6	55
Swinging*	1	1	0	1	2	2	0	7

*8% Swinging Strike rate; 21.2% Whiff/Swing rate

Batters

SS - Andres Gimenez - 1-2, 2 SAC, 3.5 Pitches/PA

LF - Jacob Zanon - 1-3, 1 BB, 1 GIDP, 2 SB, 3.25 Pitches/PA

CF - Desmond Lindsay - 2-4, 2 K, 23.1% SwStr, 50% Whiff/Swing, 3.25 Pitches/PA

3B - Jay Jabs - 0-4, 1 K, 4.8% SwStr, 11.1% Whiff/Swing, 5.25 Pitches/PA

DH - Ian Strom - 0-4, 1 R, 1 K, 13.3% SwStr, 40% Whiff/Swing, 3.75 Pitches/PA

1B - Dash Winningham - 1-4, 1 RBI, 3 K, 14.3% SwStr, 27.3% Whiff/Swing, 5.25 Pitches/PA

RF - Arnaldo Berrios - 2-3, 1 2B, 5.9% SwStr, 11.1% Whiff/Swing, 5.67 Pitches/PA

C - Dan Rizzie - 0-3, 1 K, 33.3% SwStr, 50% Whiff/Swing, 2 Pitches/PA

2B - Vinny Siena - 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 2.33 Pitches/PA

Recapish

            The Columbia Fireflies came back from down 1-0 after seven to even their series with the Greensboro Grasshoppers Thursday night. Thomas McIlraith was very sharp over his seven innings of work, but he left down 1-0 after the Grasshoppers got to him for a run in the 6^th. Meanwhile, the Fireflies recent trend of doing nothing with runners in scoring position continued, as they went just 1-8 with runners in scoring position Thursday, although that’s technically an improvement over their 1-12 Wednesday. With some help from the Grass Hoppers, Columbia scored a run to tie things up in the 8^th and then walked off on a Dash single in the 9^th.

            Thomas McIlraith was making his fourth start for the Fireflies this season and he turned in his third sparkling performance. Actually, of the eight starts he’s made this year – three with St. Lucie (not including the one that lasted 0.1 IP), one with Brooklyn, and now four with Columbia – McIlraith has held his opponent to one run or less in six of them. He’s looked too good for the SAL, so hopefully he can find his way back into the St. Lucie rotation soon.

            McIlraith struck out the first batter of the game but then issued his only walk. That base runner would be erased on a double play, and Greensboro wouldn’t have another base runner until James Nelson connected for a two out single in the 4^th. McIlraith struck out Bryan De La Rosa and Aaron Knapp between base runners, and he made sure to strand Nelson at first base to end the 4^th inning.

K #1

543

K #2

Siena at second

K #3

Jabs at his natural position of third base

            Andres Gimenez and Desmond Lindsay singled for Columbia in the 1^st, but their hits were separated by a double play. Also shown below is Arnaldo Berrios’ two out single from the 2^nd inning.

Gimenez

Lindsay

Berrios

            Vinny Siena and Lindsay singled in the 3^rd, but Siena was thrown out trying to score to end the frame.

Siena

Lindsay

            After allowing just one hit over the first four innings, McIlraith allowed four over his final three frames. Brian Miller’s triple in the 6^th proved to be the biggest hit, as the Grasshoppers were able to get him home for a 1-0 lead. Tommy Mac also struck out Rony Cabrera and De La Rosa during his final stretch, which pushed his strikeout total to five.

K #4

Siena at second

Miller

Dash at first

K #5

Cabrera double

Gimenez at SS

            The Fireflies put together another pair of fruitless threats in the 5^th and 6^th innings. Berrios doubled leading off the 5^th, but never advanced. Jacob Zanon led off the 6^th with a single, went to second on a wild pitch, and then stole third with two outs, but Columbia couldn’t get the tying run home. After this game, Zanon is up to 13-16 on stolen base attempts in 23 games with the Fireflies after going 20-22 in 44 games with the Cyclones last year. It’s one thing to have good speed, but Zanon is actually using his to put pressure on opposing pitcher’s every time he gets on. Stolen base numbers in A-ball or lower can be misleading, so let’s not jump to conclusions here, but it’s nice to potentially have another base stealer in the system.

Berrios

Zanon

            Although his starters pitch count was at just 88, Manager Jose Leger chose to go to his bullpen for the 8^th in a 1-0 game. Matt Blackham took over for McIlraith and worked two scoreless frames in relief. He struck out the final four batters in a row, which puts him at 11 K: 0 BB over his last 6.2 IP.

CS for Rizzie

K #1

K #2

K #3

K #4

            Columbia finally broke through in the 8^th. Vinny Siena started the frame with a double, moved up to third on a sac bunt, and then came home on a passed ball.

            Ian Strom reached on an E5 to start the 9^th. Strom was running when Dash Winningham smoked a single into center, and he didn’t stop running until he came around and scored the game winning run.

Dash

Celebrations are dangers

            Looking ahead, the Fireflies will give the ball to Blake Taylor (1-8, 4.77 ERA) in the rubber match, which is scheduled for Friday night at 7:05 PM. Taylor’s last two starts have been polar opposites: 8 shutout innings with 5 K two starts ago, followed by 0 K over 3.1 IP with 11 runs allowed (all earned) his last time out.

  

For millions of years, these shape-shifting fronds dominated the oceans. And then they all disappeared: https://t.co/wabfJiR7Zr pic.twitter.com/u65CVhMdMh

— Discover Magazine (@DiscoverMag) July 13, 2017