Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes August 12
August 12, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster moves affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster:
INF Dayton Dooney has been placed on the 7-day Injured List
LHP Cooper McKeehan has been added to the Fireflies roster
RHP Ben Sears has been added to the Fireflies roster
Shane Panzini has changed his jersey to #15. McKeehan will wear jersey #36. Sears will wear jersey #38.
The Columbia Fireflies active roster now sits at 30 with one on the development list and one on the injured list.
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The Fireflies continue their series with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tonight at TicketReturn.com Field at 7:05 pm. RHP Ben Hernandez (1-6, 4.23 ERA) toes the rubber for the Fireflies and Myrtle Beach counters with LHP Luis Angel Rodriguez (6-1, 3.06 ERA).
The Fireflies return home for a two-week homestand against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and the Salem Red Sox August 16-28. The Fireflies will host Marvel Defenders of the Diamond Night and wear special Black Panther Jerseys, host two fireworks shows and giveaway two shirts on the homestand. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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LATE SURGE DIFFERENCE IN 2-1: The Fireflies scored a pair of runs in the eighth inning to bounce back and earn a 2-1 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Thursday night at TicketReturn.com Field. Columbia's (19-19) offense came alive with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Erick Peña drew a lead-off walk and David Hollie singled to place runners on first and second with no one out. After Frankie Scalzo retired the next two batters, Daniel Vazquez legged out an infield single to plate Peña and tie the game 1-1. The next batter, Gavin Cross, struck out, but on the wild pitch and throw down to first, Hollie was able to motor home to give the Fireflies their first lead of the game. Jack Aldrich (S, 3) entered the game in the eighth and ceded a lead-off triple to Alejandro Rivero. The southpaw then forced a groundout and fanned back-to-back hitters to end the inning and keep the Fireflies one-run lead intact. Pitching was a key to the game for the Fireflies again. Ben Kudrna spun 4.1 innings, allowing a single earned run before Luis Barroso (W, 4-6) came in to strand a pair of inherited runners. Barroso spun 2.2 scoreless before giving way to Aldrich.
NOT GOING TO GET THE JOB DONE: Last night, the Fireflies again struggled to hit with runners in scoring position. After a 1-7 performance with runners threatening, the Fireflies are now 4-30 (.133) with runners in scoring position in this series.
JUMP STARTING JENSEN: Backstop Carter Jensen has been on a tear this series vs Myrtle Beach. Wednesday, Columbia's catcher went 3-4 with two doubles and a homer. On the series, he is now 5-8 with three doubles and a home run. He has scored two runs and has two RBI in the two games so far.
POISED PENA: After a rough start to the 2022 campaign, outfielder Erick Peña has been making significant strides in the month of August. Following a 1-3 performance with a run scored Thursday night, the outfielder has hit safely in three consecutive games. In the month of August, Peña has played in eight games, hitting .269 and striking out in only 30% of his at-bats. His next lowest monthly strikeout rate was 40% in the month of July.
STERLING STARTERS: In the first three games of the Fireflies series vs Myrtle Beach, the starting pitching has been phenomenal. Luinder Avila, Frank Mozzicato and Ben Kudrna have combined to spin 16.1 innings while allowing only a pair of earned runs (1.10 ERA). During the stretch, Avila became the first Fireflies pitcher to work seven innings in a single game this year and the Fireflies have held their opponent to one run in a game twice. They've now held opponents to one run or less in seven games this season.
NOT THE NAVY: The Fireflies have not played well while wearing their navy jerseys this season. After dropping the first two games of this series wearing blue jerseys, Columbia is 8-26 while wearing the navy jerseys. To put that into perspective, the club is 14-16 when donning the road greys.
SECOND-HALF FIREFLIES?: After trudging to the finish line of the first-half of the season with a Carolina League-worst 18-48 record, the Fireflies burst onto the scene in the second-half, sweeping Augusta after taking two of the first three games with the RiverDogs to begin the second slate 8-1. Since then, the Fireflies have a 11-18 record (.379) and are five games back of first place.
Carolina League Stories from August 12, 2022
- GreenJackets' Bullpen Slams Door for Ninth Win of the Road Trip - Augusta GreenJackets
- Wallace Drives in Four in 6-5 Win - Columbia Fireflies
- Greenjackets Pull Away From Frednats Late on Firework Friday - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Mudcats Held to One Hit in 2-0 Loss in Delmarva - Carolina Mudcats
- Juan de Los Santos and Yaqui Rivera Sizzle as Scrapple One-Hit Mudcats - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes August 12 - Columbia Fireflies
- McKenzie and Wood dazzle, FredNats split doubleheader with Augusta - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Early Offense from Salem Bats Too Much for Kannapolis in 10-1 Loss Thursday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Augusta Survives Late Rally in Game Two to Regain Series Edge - Augusta GreenJackets
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