Bullpen Blasted Late in 12-4 Loss to Fireflies

Jesus Chirinos homered and Tayden Hall extended his hit streak to 14 games in the loss

Jesus Chirinos - Carolina Mudcats (Credit: Neal Hock)

August 25, 2023

COL: 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 6 12 17 1
CAR: 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 4 8 1

WP: Emmanuel Reyes (1 - 4) LP: Tyler Wehrle (8 - 6) SV: Nicholas Regalado (2)

ZEBULON, N.C. - Jesus Chirinos hit a solo home run in the second, Dylan O’Rae had a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth and Tayden Hall extended his hit streak to 14 games with a RBI double in the eighth, but relievers Tyler Wehrle and Jeison Pena combined to allow 10 runs over the final three innings as the Carolina Mudcats fell 12-4 to the Columbia Fireflies on Friday night at Five County Stadium.

The Mudcats (31-21, 64-51) originally led 1-0 after Chirinos launched his fifth home run of the season in the second. The Fireflies (25-27, 60-57) came back with a run off starter Patricio Aquino to tie at 1-1 in the fifth, but O’Rae followed with his two-out RBI single in moments later to put the Mudcats up 2-1.

After working a scoreless sixth to hold the lead, Wehrle (L, 8-6) went on to allow five runs on seven hits in the seventh as the Fireflies took a 6-2 lead. Carolina eventually pulled within two of the lead with Hall’s double and a wild pitch in the eighth, but a six run and seven walk ninth would put the game out of reach as Columbia took a 12-4 lead in the final frame.

Hall's RBI double in the eighth extended his hitting streak to 14 games; one shy of Carolina's 2023 season high set by Daniel Guilarte earlier in the season. Blayberg Diaz also had a hit while extending his hitting streak 10 games.

Aquino started for the Mudcats and gave up just one run despite allowing a career-high nine hits. He left the game with Carolina leading 2-1, but ended up without a decision.

Columbia’s Brett Squires, Jared Dickey, Hayden Dunhurst and Roger Leyton all had run-scoring hits off Wehrle in the seventh. Squires also had a RBI single and the only run scoring hit in the six-run ninth. The other runs all scored on bases loaded walks from Pena and reliever Jose Chavez. Pena walked six batters and Chavez walked one.

Despite the loss, the first-place Mudcats remained 2.0 games ahead of the Lynchburg Hillcats and 3.5 games ahead of the Fredericksburg Nationals in the Carolina League North second half standings.

The loss, however, did even Carolina’s series with the Fireflies at 2-2. The series will continue on Saturday night with Souvenir Saturday featuring a souvenir backpack giveaway for the first 1,000 fans with paid admission. Saturday’s game will also feature the start of Negro Leagues Weekend with the Mudcats playing as the Raleigh Grays at Five County Stadium.

HOME RUNS:
Carolina: Chirinos (5, 2nd inning off Reyes, 0 on, 1 out).

STOLEN BASES:
Columbia: Roccaforte (8, 3rd base off Wehrle/Diaz); Squires (28, 2nd base off Wehrle/Diaz).
Carolina: O'Rae (10, 2nd base off Reyes/Salon); Barrios (25, 2nd base off Reyes/Salon).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Roccaforte, CF (Columbia): 2-for-5, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Squires, 1B (Columbia): 2-for-6, 1 R, 3 RBI
Dickey, LF (Columbia): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
Leyton, RF (Columbia): 1-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Avina, RF (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 2B
Hall, LF (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Diaz, C (Carolina): 1-for-4

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Reyes (W, 1-4) (Columbia): 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
Regalado (S, 2) (Columbia): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO
Aquino (Carolina): 5 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

SCORING:
Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 1, Fireflies 0) -- Luke Adams strikes out swinging. Jesus Chirinos hits a home run to left-center field on a 1-2 pitch. Jace Avina doubles to left field. Blayberg Diaz grounds out, Austin Charles to Brett Squires. Gregory Barrios strikes out swinging. (1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Fireflies 5th (Fireflies 1, Mudcats 1) -- Lizandro Rodriguez flies out to Reidy Mercado. Carson Roccaforte singles to right field. Wild pitch by Patricio Aquino, Carson Roccaforte to 2nd. Austin Charles singles to left-center field, Carson Roccaforte to 3rd. Brett Squires strikes out swinging. Trevor Werner singles to right field, Carson Roccaforte scores; Austin Charles to 3rd. Jared Dickey grounds into a force out, fielded by Gregory Barrios, Trevor Werner out at 2nd. (1 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Mudcats 2, Fireflies 1) -- Blayberg Diaz grounds out, Trevor Werner to Brett Squires. Gregory Barrios singles to left-center field. Gregory Barrios steals 2nd base. Reidy Mercado struck out looking. Dylan O'Rae singles to right field, Gregory Barrios scores; Dylan O'Rae out at 2nd on the throw, Jared Dickey to Brett Squires to Austin Charles to Brett Squires. (1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Fireflies 7th (Fireflies 6, Mudcats 2) -- Lizandro Rodriguez singles to right-center field. Carson Roccaforte singles to center field, Lizandro Rodriguez to 2nd. Austin Charles flies out to Reidy Mercado. Brett Squires singles to right-center field, Lizandro Rodriguez scores; Carson Roccaforte to 2nd. Trevor Werner strikes out swinging, Carson Roccaforte steals 3rd base, Brett Squires steals 2nd base. Jared Dickey singles to left-center field, Carson Roccaforte scores; Brett Squires scores. Wild pitch by Tyler Wehrle, Jared Dickey to 2nd. Dionmy Salon singles to shallow center field. Hayden Dunhurst singles to left field, Jared Dickey scores; Dionmy Salon to 3rd. Roger Leyton singles through the hole at second base, Dionmy Salon scores; Hayden Dunhurst to 2nd. Lizandro Rodriguez grounds out, Gregory Barrios to Jesus Chirinos. (5 Runs, 7 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 8th (Fireflies 6, Mudcats 4) -- Dylan O'Rae hit by pitch. Wild pitch by Chazz Martinez, Dylan O'Rae to 2nd. Jadher Areinamo walks. Tayden Hall doubles to left field, Dylan O'Rae scores; Jadher Areinamo to 3rd. Pitcher Change: Nicholas Regalado replaces Chazz Martinez. Wild pitch by Nicholas Regalado, Jadher Areinamo scores; Tayden Hall to 3rd. Luke Adams strikes out swinging. Jesus Chirinos hit by pitch. Passed ball by Dionmy Salon, Jesus Chirinos to 2nd. Jace Avina struck out looking. Blayberg Diaz strikes out swinging. (2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Fireflies 9th (Fireflies 12, Mudcats 4) -- Defensive switch from 2nd to center field for Dylan O'Rae. Defensive Substitution: Daniel Guilarte replaces left fielder Tayden Hall, batting 3rd, playing 2nd. Defensive switch from center field to left field for Reidy Mercado. Trevor Werner walks. Jared Dickey walks, Trevor Werner to 2nd. Dionmy Salon hits a sacrifice bunt, Trevor Werner scores; Jared Dickey to 2nd; Dionmy Salon to 1st; throwing error by Jesus Chirinos. Hayden Dunhurst walks, Jared Dickey to 3rd; Dionmy Salon to 2nd. Roger Leyton walks, Jared Dickey scores; Dionmy Salon to 3rd; Hayden Dunhurst to 2nd. Lizandro Rodriguez struck out looking. Carson Roccaforte walks, Dionmy Salon scores; Hayden Dunhurst to 3rd; Roger Leyton to 2nd. Austin Charles walks, Hayden Dunhurst scores; Roger Leyton to 3rd; Carson Roccaforte to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Jose Chavez replaces Jeison Pena. Brett Squires singles to right-center field, Roger Leyton scores; Carson Roccaforte scores; Austin Charles to 2nd. Trevor Werner walks, Austin Charles to 3rd; Brett Squires to 2nd. Jared Dickey grounds into double play, Gregory Barrios to Daniel Guilarte to Jesus Chirinos, Trevor Werner out at 2nd, Jared Dickey out at 1st. (6 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB)