Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes vs Fayetteville 8.2
August 2, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster moves affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster:
RHP Jarold Rosado has been traded to the Chicago White Sox (retroactive to 7/31)
RHP Julio Rosario has been added to the Fireflies active roster
Rosario will wear jersey #32.
There are 29 players on the Fireflies active roster.
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Columbia continues their series with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers tonight at Segra Stadium at 7:05 pm. RHP Mauricio Veliz (1-1, 3.75 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and Fayetteville counters with RHP Yerial Santos (4-5, 3.29 ERA).
Columbia returns home August 6 for a six-game set with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers highlighted by Nickelodeon's PAW Patrol Night Saturday, August 10 and Cane's Night presented by Nucor Friday, August 9 with a Carolina Hurricane's replica jersey giveaway. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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FIREFLIES CAN'T OVERCOME FAYETTEVILLE RALLY: The bats were hot early for the Fireflies, but they cooled off after a Fayetteville rally and move to the pen in a 4-3 loss at Segra Stadium Thursday night. Fayetteville charged ahead to get their first lead of the series in the bottom of the fifth inning. Alberto Hernandez drew a walk to start the inning, then Yamal Encarnacion lifted a double over Erick Torres' head to place runners on second and third. After that, Jonatan Bernal (L, 0-3) issued a balk that scored Hernandez and pushed Encarnacion 90 feet away while tying the game 3-3. After Jancel Villarroel was hit by a pitch with two outs, Fayetteville executed a double steal with runners on the corners to score Encarnacion and make it a 4-3 game.
BULLPEN MANIA: The Fireflies bullpen has been the highlight of the team all season. After three scoreless innings Thursday, Columbia's bullpen now has a 3.05 ERA this season, which is good for the fourth-best mark in all of full-season baseball. It trails the Frisco RoughRiders (3.02) the Midland Rockhounds (2.95 ERA) and the Harrisburg Senators (2.84 ERA). One arm the Fireflies may miss is righty Jarold Rosado. He had a 1.85 ERA across nearly 40 innings and was traded for Paul DeJong at the trade deadline.
TUMULTUOUS TORRES: Erick Torres has had a week to remember, beginning with a walk-off double Saturday to score Diego Guzman in the 11th to beat Lynchburg. The Fireflies center fielder has kept the ball rolling on the road vs Fayetteville. After a 1-4 outing with a walk Thursday, Torres has collected hits in six-consecutive games. It's the fourth time this season that Torres has had a hitting streak of at-least six games. This one began July 26 and he is 7-26 (.269) on the run with a homer and three RBI.
FIGUEROA FIGURING IT OUT: Derlin Figueroa mashed out of the gates this year, hitting .274 with six homers and 30 RBI in his first 45 games in April and May. Then, from June 1-July 25, the super utility player hit .163 with two homers and nine RBI. It appears he's snapping out of his funk though. Figueroa has an extra-base hit in three consecutive games as the calendar turns to the month of August.
STEADY PROGRESS: Mauricio Veliz has worked his way back from a finger injury this year and has been on a roll in his last few starts. Saturday, he worked his most innings in a a game since returning from the Injured List. He allowed three runs (two earned) in five frames against the Lynchburg Hillcats. He's only allowed three earned runs in his last two starts (nine innings).
THIS IS 45: Wednesday night, Austin Charles drove in an RBI, giving him 47 on the young season. In 2023 only one Fireflies hitter finished the season with 45 or more RBI: Brett Squires, who had 69 RBI. The Fireflies single-season RBI record belongs to Juan Carlos Negret, who drove in 76 runs in a shortened 2021 season thanks in part to a franchise record 23 homers in a single season.
BUYING HANSELL STOCK: Josh Hansell had an up and down start to his Fireflies' tenure, but the 6'6" righty has rounded into form the last few weeks. In Thursday's game, he worked three scoreless frames while allowing only one hit. That means over his last five appearances, Hansell has allowed only two earned runs over 17.1 innings (1.04 ERA).
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Carolina League Stories from August 2, 2024
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- Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes vs Fayetteville 8.2 - Columbia Fireflies
- 6th Annual Pecktoberfest Returns to Segra Stadium September 28th - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
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