CarL Columbia Fireflies

Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes 4.30 at Augusta

Published on April 30, 2023 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release


The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster moves affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster:

* RHP Adrian Alcantara has started his rehab assignment for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and has been placed on Columbia's roster * RHP Mauricio Veliz has been placed on the development list

Alcantara will wear jersey #36.

Columbia's active roster now sits at 28 players with one player on a rehab assignment.

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The Fireflies close out their series with the Augusta GreenJackets today with a doubleheader at SRP Park slated for 1:35 pm. Columbia will toss RHP Shane Panzini (1-1, 1.72 ERA) in game one and RHP Adrian Alcantara (0-0, 0.00 ERA) in game two. Augusta will counter with RHP Didier Fuentes (0-1, 6.75 ERA) in game one and RHP Jared Johnson (1-0, 1.29 ERA) in game two.

After the week on the road, Columbia returns home to face the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in a six-game set from May 2-7 at Segra Park. The week will see the return of Human Cannonball night, presented by Columbia College May 4 and our annual Star Wars Night, presented by Blanchard Machinery with a Mandalorian Jersey Auction May 6. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.

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TWO HOMER FIFTH LEADS FIREFLIES OVER GREENJACKETS: The Fireflies held on to beat the Augusta GreenJackets 5-3 in a rain-shortened contest at SRP Park Saturday night. In the top of the fifth, Jean Ramirez bounced an inside-the-park homer off the right-center wall to give the Fireflies a 3-2 lead. It was Columbia's first inside-the-park round-tripper since Mark Vientos had one against Charleston at Segra Park July 12, 2019. Two batters later, Lizandro Rodriguez smacked his second homer of the season down the right field line to put the Fireflies up 4-2. Columbia scored their final run in the top of the seventh, when Ramirez came around on an Omar Hernandez double off the third baseman's glove.

CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARD: Frank Mozzicato etched eight punchouts vs the Augusta GreenJackets Saturday to reclaim the Carolina League lead in punchouts this season with 34 in his first four performances. He nabbed the number one spot from his teammate, David Sandlin, who sits at 31 heading into the end at April.

CHICKS DIG THE LONG BALL: Last night, the Fireflies had their first multi-homer inning of the season, as Jean Ramirez led-off the frame with the Fireflies first inside the park homer since Mark Vientos's sprint around the basepaths in 2019. Later in the inning, Lizandro Rodriguez launched his second homer of the season to the Tax Slayer Terrace to give the Fireflies a 4-2 lead.

IT'S THE IMPLICATION: Columbia heads into Sunday's doubleheader 0.5 games behind the Kannapolis Cannonballers for first place in the South Division. That means if Columbia sweeps the twin bill, they will be at worst case scenario tied for first heading into their series with Myrtle Beach, who they're currently tied with in the standings.

FRANKIE CURVEBALL: Kansas City's 2021 first-round pick has allowed only three runs in four starts for the Fireflies in 2023, fanning 34 hitters in 19 innings while holding opponents to a .125 average. Mozzicato set a franchise record with 13 strikeouts in a single game last Tuesday, breaking the previous record of 11 held by Tony Dibrell since April 26, 2018.

GLOWING ARMS PAVING PATH: The Fireflies team ERA through the first 19 games of the season is 3,00, which is the fourth-best mark in all of Minor League Baseball. Dunedin leads the way with an absurd 2.25 ERA in their first 19 games. The Fireflies find themselves tied for first place in the Carolina League, matching Down East's 3.00 mark on the campaign.

FIRST ONE FOR McMILLON: In his third season with the Columbia Fireflies, April 15, John McMillon came into game two of the doubleheader with a one run lead in the bottom of the seventh and closed out the game for his first professional save. It was the reliever's 41st appearance in professional baseball. Since earning the save, he has been able to add a win and a second save in consecutive appearances. This season he has worked six innings, striking out 11 hitters without ceding a run. If that weren't enough, in his save opportunity April 26, he wrung up four hitters in an inning, becoming the second Fireflies player to do so, joining Marlin Willis, who accomplished the feat in the eighth inning vs Myrtle Beach August 17, 2022.

Check out the Columbia Fireflies Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from April 30, 2023


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