MWL1 Dayton Dragons

4-Run Seventh Lifts Dragons to Comeback Win

Published on May 6, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, Ohio-The Dayton Dragons battled back from a 5-3 deficit with four runs in the seventh inning to defeat the Clinton LumberKings 7-5 on Wednesday night. The win snapped the Dragons four-game losing streak and improved their record to 7-19.

The Dragons built a 3-0 lead in the second inning before Clinton scored three runs in the third to tie the game and then two more in the top of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead.

Dayton's Stephen Chapman worked a walk with one out in the bottom of the seventh to start the winning rally. Chapman stole second and went to third on Kevin Coddington's single to left. Carlos Mendez walked to load the bases, and Miguel Rojas followed with a single to center to drive in Chapman and make it 5-4. Dave Sappelt walked with the bases loaded to force in Coddington and tie the game, and Cody Puckett drew a walk to bring in Mendez and give Dayton a 6-5 lead. Kyle Day followed with a single to center to score Rojas and make it 7-5.

Dayton's Leonardo Astorga, who had been ineffective in four starts this season, pitched well out of the bullpen. He entered the game in the sixth inning and started the ninth with the two-run lead. Astorga allowed a lead-off single in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate, but got the next two hitters. He then issued a walk and was replaced by Jordan Hotchkiss with two men on and two outs. Hotchkiss got Nate Tenbrink to fly out to center field to end the game and earn his first save of the season.

Astorga (1-3) earned the win. In three and two-thirds innings, he two hits and two runs (one earned) with two walks and four strikeouts.

Dayton took the lead in the second inning. Coddington tripled with one out and scored on Mendez's single to center. Mendez went from first to third on Rojas' hit-and-run single to right. Sappelt followed with a ground ball to first that was fielded by Tenbrink, who made a low throw to second that bounced away for an error as Mendez scored from third. One batter later, Day grounded to second, but Clinton's Luis Nunez threw wildly to first, allowing Rojas to score to make it 3-0.

Clinton tied the game against Dayton starting pitcher J.C. Sulbaran in the third. Denny Almonte belted a two-run home run, his third homer of the series and sixth of the year, to make it 3-2. The next batter, Scott Savastano, homered to left to tie the game.

Kris Sanchez drilled a home run to right-center field leading off the top of the seventh inning to give Clinton a 4-3 lead. The LumberKings took advantage of two throwing errors by Astorga later in the same inning to score an insurance run and go ahead 5-3, setting the stage for the Dragons comeback.

Sulbaran, in the second start of his professional career, worked five innings and allowed three hits and three earned runs with four walks and eight strikeouts. He was not involved in the decision.

Dayton finished with 11 hits. Coddington went 3 for 4 with two runs scored to raise his batting average to .370. Day went 3 for 5 and Rojas had two hits. He has hit safely in five straight games.

The Dragons and LumberKings will wrap up the three-game series on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at Fifth Third Field. Matt Fairel (1-2, 3.20) will start for Dayton against Clinton's Walter Suriel (0-2, 5.54). The Dragons remain home to open a three-game set with Kane County starting Friday night. The game on Friday will be televised on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2.

Notes: The start of the game was delayed by rain for one hour, 10 minutes.

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Midwest League Stories from May 6, 2009


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