Game 4 Recap: Recurring Issues

Again, I did not attend this game. I went instead to College of Charleston's game on the other side of the Cooper River. If I had wanted to see both college and the Fireflies, I could have seen The Citadel play UNC Greensboro. And a Citadel ticket would have gotten me a general admission-level seat for the Fireflies-RiverDogs series finale. But over in Mount Pleasant was a rubber match between two Top 25 teams. And if had gone fast, perhaps I could still make my way to Joe Riley Park. But instead the game went well over 3 1/2 hours which was too late for even visiting UC Santa Barbara, leaving the game tied at 6 after 9. It was the first sporting event in over 10 years outside of soccer that I have seen end in a tie/draw.

So as I departed the Charleston area, this game got under way. Once again, the Fireflies got off to a good start and led 3-0 after 3 1/2 innings. But trouble started when starter Kevin Canelon barely kept the lead in the bottom of the 4th, forcing him out after 78 pitches. In the top of the 5th though David Thompson would continue to remain the hottest Firefly with a triple to score Dash Winningham, and scored himself as RiverDog second baseman Thairo Estrada threw the ball away trying to get Thompson at third. It would be again up to the Firefly bullpen, with a 5-2 lead halfway home. Unfortunately, that can't be trusted yet.

Seth Davis was again solid for a guy who a few years ago was pitching at the non-scholarship level of college baseball. But Davis was a bit shaky as he went past two innings this time, and let the RiverDogs back in it with two runs in the bottom of the 7th. Meanwhile, the Firefly hitters couldn't handle Travis Hissong and later Andrew Schwaab. It was up to Witt Haggard, who had lost the game Friday after the Fireflies tied it in the top of the 9th. Haggard started in the 8th inning and dominated. But the 9th inning was yet another Firefly disaster. Much like Alex Palsha in the Firefly Opener, Haggard couldn't throw strikes and loaded the bases with RiverDogs with nobody out. That would be a challenge to escape, and unlike Gamecock closer Josh Reagan back in Columbia Haggard couldn't get it done. After his big error earlier, Estrada saved the RiverDogs with a hit to give Charleston a 6-5 win and a 3-1 series victory. Not a good start to the season to lose to your local rivals (and even the parent clubs are local rivals too!).

So why can't the Fireflies close these games out? Being on the road obviously hurts. But it's also probably because the Mets want their pitching prospects to come out starting games. The Fireflies are actually starting the season with a six-man rotation of Ingram-Conlon-McIlraith-Canelon-Badamo-Shaw. That limits the bullpen, and most guys in the bullpen are there because they aren't good enough to be starters. The one exception might be Palsha, who had a horrible first outing before he did solid Saturday night.Until bullpen stability is established, the Fireflies will need to get out to big leads, not just small (or even mid-sized) leads. As Sparky Anderson once said, you "can't run out the clock in baseball. You have to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance". Once that can be done and the other guys can be stopped, the Fireflies have a good chance at being successful. They actually outscored the RiverDogs this week 22-16, yet lost three of four!

Here is an updated list of all-time Fireflies, with one series complete and the team headed to Rome prior to Spirit Communications Park's debut Thursday. All Fireflies on the active roster have played except tonight's starter in Tyler Badamo and tomorrow's in Joe Shaw. Three Fireflies listed in my preview are starting on the DL: catchers Tyler Mazeika and Natanel Ramos as well as outfielder Tucker Tharp. Pitcher Cameron Griffin has been assigned to the Fireflies once he gets off the DL. Griffin is not a major prospect, having been drafted in the 34th round three years ago out of Peach Belt member Columbus State. Eudor Garcia is on the Fireflies' restricted list after being suspended for half the season due to PED use. I did not mention Garcia in my preview as he has never been on the active roster.

Player	Position	TB	R	RBI	BB/HBP	SB	CS	0 for 1	SO	Outs	K	R	ER	H	BB/HBP	W	S	L	Score
Thomas McIlraith	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	6	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	132
David Thompson	3B	11	3	6	4	0	0	9	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	91
Chase Ingram	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	7	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	68
Vinny Siena	2B	8	4	1	4	0	0	7	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	59
Seth Davis	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	15	6	2	2	2	3	0	0	0	54
P.J. Conlon	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	14	0	1	1	4	2	0	0	0	34
Joe Tuschak	LF	5	2	1	1	0	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	33
Tyler Bashlor	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	5	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	32
Dash Winningham	1B	4	5	0	3	0	0	11	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	31
Kevin Canelon	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	6	2	2	5	2	0	0	0	27
Johnny Magliozzi	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	24
Kevin Kaczmarski	RF	5	3	2	1	0	0	13	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	22
J.C. Rodriguez	DH	2	1	1	3	1	0	8	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	21
Jeff Diehl	DH	2	2	0	3	0	0	5	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17
Milton Ramos	SS	3	0	4	0	0	0	9	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	13
Craig Missigman	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	3	1	1	1	4	0	0	0	12
Vicente Lupo	LF	2	1	1	1	0	0	6	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7
Tyler Moore	C	1	1	1	1	0	0	6	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
Jose Garcia	C	1	0	0	2	0	0	6	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-4
Alex Palsha	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	5	4	3	1	4	0	0	1	-7
Christian Montgomery	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2	3	2	2	3	0	0	0	-13
Ivan Wilson	CF	4	0	1	2	0	2	15	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-17
Witt Haggard	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2	3	3	3	3	0	0	2	-58