The All-Star break is here. The Flyers have played 90 games and are currently sitting 10 games over .500 at 50-40. That puts them right in the thick of things in the playoff hunt, as they are 5 games out of the division lead but only 1 game out of a wildcard spot. The team’s offense (2nd in the JL in runs scored) and starting rotation (5th in the JL in ERA) have settled in nicely. However, the bullpen currently has the 13th ranked ERA in the JL. The Flyers are hoping that their recent acquisition of All-Star closer Alejandro Chavez will help with that.
Speaking of All-Stars, joining the team’s new closer will be their two starting middle infielders. Dallas Dixon is slashing .363/.410/.476 with 25 stolen bases. This is the second time he has been selected to the All-Star team in his career. Robert Menzies is making his ninth trip to the All-Star Game. He is slashing .313/.397/.486 with 10 home runs and 14 stolen bases.
As for the games on the field this week, the Flyers won 4 of the 6 games they played. They began the week by earning a series split with Boise after dropping the first two games of the set last week. The 7-2 win was highlighted by a grand slam hit by Fawwaz Amin. The 7-1 game featured a home run by Chris McFadden in his return from a long stint on the injured list.
The Flyers then traveled to San Antonio for a 4 game set. The opener was a 4-3 Outlaws win that Charlotte lead 3-0 in the 4th. Game 2 was a 7-5 Charlotte victory that featured 4 solo home runs and a solid starting effort by Andres Gonzales. Game 3 was a 14-4 Flyers win. Robert Menzies, Manny Toledo, and Tadataka Yoshikawa each homered in the game. The series finale was a 6-1 win for San Antonio despite a quality start by Little Johnny Rasmussen.