Columbia Fireflies Roster Move and Game Notes
September 14, 2021 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster moves affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster:
LHP Marlin Willis has been added to the Columbia Fireflies active roster
LHP Luis De Avila has been activated from the Columbia Fireflies injured list
Willis will wear jersey #19. De Avila will wear jersey #18. The Fireflies active roster now sits at 29 with five on the injured list.
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The Fireflies open up as six-game series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at 7:05 pm at Segra Park tonight. RHP Adrian Alcantara (5-9, 5.46 ERA) gets the nod for Columbia and RHP Sean Burke (0-1, 3.38 ERA) will start for Kannapolis.
Tonight is a Miller Lite $2 Tuesday at Segra Park. All hot dogs, popcorn, fountain sodas and 12 oz cans of Miller Lite are only $2 all evening long. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES REVEL IN SLUMP-BREAKING WIN: The Columbia Fireflies staved off a late rally to beat the Augusta GreenJackets 7-6 to snap the Fireflies' 11-game losing streak Sunday evening at SRP Park. The Fireflies took the lead for the final time in the fourth. Darryl Collins blasted a single up the gut to score Peyton Wilson for a second time in the game to put Columbia up 6-5. Enrique Valdez homered to right the next inning to add an insurance run. The bullpen had it figured out Sunday evening. After Chase Wallace allowed a single run in 2.2 innings, Anthony Simonelli (W, 1-0) went three perfect innings before handing the ball to Patrick Halligan (S, 1) who closed out the game with two scoreless innings prior to giving up a single run in the ninth to make it a one-run ball game. The bats started early again Sunday. The Fireflies had their first two hitters reach base safely before Darryl Collins punched a sacrifice fly to center to score Peyton Wilson to break the scoreless tie. Prior to the end of the inning, Burle Dixon scampered home on a wild pitch that put Columbia in front 2-0.
LUCKY NUMBER 11?: Prior to Sunday's win, the Fireflies had lost 11 consecutive games and 15 of their last 17. Of those 15 losses, Columbia has only been within three in five games. The Fireflies were outscored 101-34 during their 11-game losing streak.
CHALLENGING LEAGUE TOP MARKS: Fireflies outfielder Juan Carlos Negret has established himself as an all-or-nothing hitter during the 2021 campaign. The slugger leads the Low-A East League with 22 homers, which is the most in a single season in Fireflies history. He trails just Dash Winningham, who hit 25 homers between the 2016 and 2017 campaigns for the most all-time homers in Fireflies history. Negret has also done an excellent job at producing RBI this season. Despite having a sub-.200 batting average, Negret has driven in 74 RBI, which is good for the second-best in the league in the 2021 campaign. He only trails Charleston's Diego Infante, who has sent home 80 RBI for the RiverDogs this season.
TOUGH SKATING FOR KAUFMAN: Left-handed starter Rylan Kaufman has struggled in his last few starts, giving up 17 earned runs in 2.2 innings across three starts since the first of September. The starter has seen his ERA rise three ticks to 6.18 since the start of the trek, his worst of the season. He is scheduled to pitch one more time prior to the conclusion of the season.
FINISHING THE RACE STRONG: If nothing else, Saul Garza has been a consistent bat in the middle of the line-up for the Fireflies since he got the call-up from the Arizona Complex League. Garza is hitting .277 in 40 games with the Fireflies and he has slapped three homers while driving in 23 RBI. Across his last 10 games though, the LSU-produce has been hitting particularly well. Garza is 12-38 (.316) with four doubles and four RBI in his last 10 games played.
SIMMERING SIMONELLI: Of all the new pitchers Columbia has gotten in the last month, Anthony Simonelli has made the best first impression. The righty has allowed only a single run to score in his first eight innings with the team. In that time, he has also punched out 12 hitters. He continued his hot stretch Sunday against Augusta when he spun three hitless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Carolina League Stories from September 14, 2021
- FredNats Return Home in 5-3 Loss - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Binelas, Bello and Martinez Hit Solo Homers in Series Opening Victory - Carolina Mudcats
- Negret Homer Not Enough to Beat Kannapolis - Columbia Fireflies
- Acuña Powers Wood Ducks to Win Over Charleston - Down East Wood Ducks
- Acuna's Walk-Off Slam Shocks RiverDogs in Extras - Charleston RiverDogs
- 'Birds Postseason Hopes Extinguished in Loss to Red Sox - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Roster Move and Game Notes - Columbia Fireflies
- Down East Wood Ducks Game Notes - vs. Charleston - Down East Wood Ducks
- Hoffmann Brings Home Low-A East Pitcher of the Week for September 7-12 - Augusta GreenJackets
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