Columbia Fireflies Game Notes and Roster Move July 31
Published on July 31, 2022 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster move affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster.
LHP Marlin Willis has been activated off the development list.
There is no corresponding move. The Fireflies active roster now sits at 30 with two on the injured list and two on the development list.
Willis will wear jersey #19.
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The Fireflies close out their series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers today at Atrium Health Ballpark at 1 pm. RHP Ben Hernandez (1-5, 4.44 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and Kannapolis counters with RHP Jared Kelly (0-4, 3.47 ERA).
The Fireflies return home to Segra Park August 2, where they'll face the Charleston RiverDogs at home for the first time in the 2022 season. We have a week jam-packed with promotions, including Paw Patrol Night August 6! Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES BACK IN FIRST FOLLOWING 3-2 WIN: The Fireflies rallied behind six scoreless innings from starter Ben Kudrna, as they outdueled Kannapolis 3-2 at Atrium Health Ballpark Saturday night. Kudrna (W, 2-4) collected his first quality start of his career, fanning six hitters in as many innings, while allowing four hits and two walks, but no runs. The righty collected a career-high in innings pitched and tied a career-high six strikeouts for a third time this season. After roping together five scoreless innings out of the chute, Kannapolis' (17-12) second reliever, Hunter Dollander (L, 3-1) surrendered a run in the sixth. With runners on the corners and no one out, Jaswel De Los Santos laid a bunt down the first base line to plate Erick Peña, garnering the Fireflies a 1-0 lead.
ONE-TWO PUNCH: In the last two games, Ben Kudrna and Frank Mozzicato have combined to spin 11 innings, while allowing just a single run. It's the first time the two have both claimed a win in one trip through the rotation.
POSITIVE STRIDES IN THE PEN: Righties Shane Connolly and Luis Barroso have found their grooves in the month of July in the bullpen. The two have combined to allow just one earned run in 14.2 innings across the month. Connolly's ERA has dipped from 9.67 after his outing vs Carolina June 18 to 7.34 following his 1.1 innings yesterday. For Barroso, he's seen his ERA drop from 7.54 after his loss to Charleston June 23 to 5.05 after a pair of scoreless frames yesterday.
STERLING STARTERS: After Frank Mozzicato spun five innings, allowing just one run in his first career win Friday vs Kannapolis, the starting pitching has a 5-5 record in the second half, to pair with a 3.77 ERA. That's compared to a 4-25 record with a 4.85 ERA in the first half.
HERNANDEZ HEATING UP: Backstop Omar Hernandez's bat has been heating up the last 12 games. During the run, which began July 4, Columbia's catcher has seen his batting average rise from .205 to .223 and he has had three of his five multi-hit games on the season. Hernandez has gone 1-4 with a pair of RBI in each of his last two games. He has eight of the 16 RBI he has hit on the season in his last 11 games (he has played 60 games this season).
RALLY FIREFLIES: Columbia is outscoring opponents in only one inning this season, but it's an important one: the ninth. In the final frame of regulation, Columbia is outscoring opponents 34-27 this season. That really helps in late and close situations, and after scoring three runs in the seventh and eighth last night, Columbia is 14-11 in 25 one-run games throughout the 2022 season.
UPCOMING STRETCH: The Fireflies are in the midst of an important part of their schedule. The top four teams in the South Division are separated by only 1.5 games. After Columbia wraps up their current series with the second place Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, they'll play Charleston at home for the first time this season before visiting the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and then Kannapolis again. That's 20-consecutive games against the top four teams in the division to close out July and start August. The Fireflies are currently half a game in front of Kannapolis, 1.5 games in front of Myrtle Beach and one game ahead of Charleston. Columbia will also close out the season with a six-game set at Segra Park vs the Charleston RiverDogs. The Fireflies magic number to clinch the first playoff berth in franchise history is 36.
Carolina League Stories from July 31, 2022
- 'Birds Wrap July with Fourth Straight Win over Hillcats - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Hillcats Lose Fourth Straight - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Myrtle Beach Wins Series over Augusta - Augusta GreenJackets
- RiverDogs Close out Huge Homestand with 5-2 Win over Wood Ducks - Charleston RiverDogs
- Carolina Gets Series Split with 5-4 Victory in Extras - Carolina Mudcats
- Gladney Hits Two Home Runs, Kelley Shuts Down Fireflies' Bats in Kannapolis' 9-0 Shutout Win Sunday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Fireflies Drop Finale 9-0 to Kannapolis - Columbia Fireflies
- FredNats and Red Sox Rained out on Sunday - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes and Roster Move July 31 - Columbia Fireflies
- Tightly Contested Ballgame Finds Kannapolis on Wrong End of 3-2 Matchup Saturday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
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