Fireflies Game Notes: August 2 at Kannapolis (Games 106 & 107)
August 2, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
Columbia Fireflies (16-23, 40-65) vs. Kannapolis Intimidators (19-20, 47-60)
G1: RHP Willy Taveras (5-9, 5.33) vs. RHP Devon Perez (0-2, 4.41)
G2: RHP Colin Holderman (3-1, 3.89) vs. LHP Sam Long (4-4, 4.12)
Fri., August 2, 2019 - Intimidators Stadium (Kannapolis, NC) - First Pitch 5:00 p.m. - Games 106 & 107
LISTEN: FirefliesLiveStream.com / ColumbiaFireflies.com / TuneIn App
WATCH: MiLB.TV
SO WHAT'S THE PLAN TODAY?: Thursday's game was suspended in the third inning due to rain. The game was tied 3-3 with one out in the bottom of the third. This game will be picked back up and completed on Friday at 5:00 ET. Friday's regularly scheduled finale will then be played approximately 30 minutes after. This game, though, will only be seven innings long.
LAST TIME OUT: Columbia's quickest nine-inning contest of the season took place on Wednesday and resulted in a 3-0 victory over Kannapolis. The club's fifth shut-out win of the season lasted just two hours and 13 minutes. The shortest nine-inning game in franchise history occurred back on May 27, 2018 (two hours and six minutes). Mark Vientos bashed an earlier two-run homer and the pitching took care of the rest.
HOW DID THOSE PITCHERS FARE?: The Fireflies sent four hurlers to the mound and all were locked in from the start. Jose Butto made his 19th start of the season and did not allow a baserunner. Alec Kisena (W, 2-2) was next in line and turned in one of his best performances of the season. The righty spun five brilliant frames and matched his season high with six strikeouts. Danny Hrbek needed just 16 pitches in a scoreless eighth inning. Allan Winans slammed the door with a smooth ninth to earn his eighth save of the season. This group absorbed just three hits from the Intimidators.
HITS ON HITS ON HITS: Ronny Mauricio notched another hit on Wednesday against Kannapolis. The Mets prospect now has 106 this season, good for fifth in the South Atlantic League. Mauricio is on pace for 138 hits this season with Columbia, which would smash the single-season record of 111 set by J.C. Rodriguez in 2016.
HE'S RED-HOT, TOO: The 18-year-old shortstop has now reached safely in eight straight games and is hitting .400 (12-for-30) during that span with seven runs scored and three RBI.
HE WAS NUMBER ONE: MLB Pipeline (along with Baseball America) has long been the leader in MiLB prospect rankings. It recently re-ranked the Mets' minor-league prospects and Fireflies shortstop Ronny Mauricio is now the top-rated prospect in the Mets system (and also ranks 84th across all of MiLB).
JULY LEADERS: Brian Sharp led the Fireflies with a .281 average in the month of July. Mark Vientos led the way with five home runs and 19 RBI.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 2, 2019
- Offense Drops the Hammer on Lakewood for Series Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Four-Run Sixth Lifts West Virginia to 8-5 Comeback Win - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Jackets Take Series Finale with 13-7 Friday Win - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Starting Pitching Leads the Way Once More - Asheville Tourists
- Dogs Bullpen Dominates Game Three as Charleston Wins Series - Charleston RiverDogs
- Suns Utilize Errors to Clinch Series - Hagerstown Suns
- Intimidators Sweep Columbia - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- 'Birds Win Suspended Game, Washed out at Night - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Vientos Impressive in Series at Kannapolis - Columbia Fireflies
- Drive Drop Resumed Game; Game Two Rained Out - Greenville Drive
- Hagerstown Suns: Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- Fireflies Game Notes: August 2 at Kannapolis (Games 106 & 107) - Columbia Fireflies
- Scam Jam Set for Saturday, August 3rd - Augusta GreenJackets
- RiverDogs Name Four Finalists for 'Top Dog' of the Season to be Decided by the Fans - Charleston RiverDogs
- Fireflies to Host Back to School Night School Supply Drive on August 16 - Columbia Fireflies
- Braves Use Patience, Pitching to Defeat Suns 5-3 - Rome Emperors
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