
Dayton Dragons Game Notes for Saturday
August 21, 2021 - Midwest League (MWL)
Dayton Dragons News Release
Saturday, August 21, 2021 l Game # 95
Day Air Ballpark l Dayton, Ohio l 7:09 p.m.
TV: Dayton's CW (26) l Radio: 980 WONE Fox Sports
Lake County Captains (50-44) Dayton Dragons (50-44)
RH Daniel Espino (0-4, 5.48) vs. RH Christian Roa (1-0, 4.15)
Attached: Today's complete Game Notes packet and Stat packet
Today's Game: The Dayton Dragons (affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds) meet the Lake County Captains (affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) in the fifth game of a six-game series. 2021 Season Series: Lake County 10, Dayton 6 (At Dayton: Captains 6, Dragons 4). Current Series: Dragons 2, Captains 2.
Last Game: Friday: Dayton 2, Lake County 0 (7 innings). Eduardo Salazar tossed a three-hit shutout and Victor Ruiz belted a home run. Salazar did not allow a runner past first base while striking out 10 to match the team's season high and walking only one. Michael Siani had two doubles for Dayton. The game was played in one hour, 47 minutes, the quickest seven-inning game of 2021, after a rain delay of one hour, 58 minutes.
Current Series vs. Lake County: The Dragons are 2-2 in the six-game series. They are batting .194 as a team with 10 runs scored. They have an ERA in the series of 2.81. They have two errors through four games.
Last Series at Lansing: The Dragons went 4-2 in the six-game series at Lansing that ended Sunday, outscoring the Lugnuts 50-23. The Dragons had their best offensive series of the year at Lansing. They scored 50 runs in the set, hit 12 home runs, batted .382 with runners in scoring position, and collected 26 extra base hits, all season highs for a series. They hit .293 in the series. The team ERA was 3.74. They committed three errors in the six games.
High-A Central League Playoffs: Major League Baseball has announced that leagues at three classifications, including the High-A Central League, will conduct playoffs in September. The top two teams in each league, regardless of division, will meet in a best-of-five series.
Playoff Race: The Dragons are three games behind Cedar Rapids in the race for the #2 seed in the 2021 post-season.
Player Notes
Quin Cotton is hitting .346 over his last seven games, going 9 for 26 with two homers and three doubles.
Juan Martinez is batting .310 over his last eight games with a home run, two doubles, and a triple.
James Free has six doubles in his last 11 games. He is 13 for 43 (.302) over that period beginning July 28.
Jack Rogers has played in five games since joining the Dragons. In his second game, he hit a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning. In his third game, he hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning.
Carson Spiers over his last six starts: 3-1, 2.10 ERA, 30 IP, 16 H, 7 R, 8 BB, 40 SO.
Eduardo Salazar over his last six starts: 2-2, 2.08 ERA, 34.2 IP, 22 H, 8 ER, 9 BB, 42 SO.
Andy Fisher over his last four relief appearanwces: 6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 SO.
Team Notes
The Dragons are 11-1 in one-run games at home. They are 17-2 when scoring first at home.
Dragons pitchers have posted a 3.40 ERA in the month of August to rank second in the High-A Central League (Beloit is first at 3.18).
The Dayton bullpen over the last 15 games has tossed 61.1 innings and allowed just 17 earned runs, a 2.49 ERA.
Dragons pitchers are on pace to break the club record for most strikeouts per game. They have averaged 10.2 strikeouts per game this season (961 SO in 94 G). The club record is 9.2 per game in 2011 (1,292 SO in 140 G).
After scoring 50 runs in the six-game set at Lansing (12 home runs; .293 batting average; 382 with runners in scoring position; 26 extra base hits), the Dragons have been held to 10 runs in the first four games of the series and have gone 2 for 25 with runners in scoring position.
Dayton has held at least a share of first place after 62 of the 94 games they have played this season.
The Dragons roster includes several players ranked among the best prospects in the Reds organization. In the recently-updated MLB.com rankings, Matt McLain is the #4 prospect in the Reds system; Mat Nelson is #11, Michael Siani is #13, Lyon Richardson is #15, Christian Roa is #16, and Ivan Johnson is #18. In the mid-season update of Reds top-10 prospects by Baseball America, McLain is #4, Nelson is #11, Roa is #14, and Johnson is #15. Siani was listed by Baseball America as the "Best Athlete" and "Best Defensive Outfielder" in the Reds organization entering the season.
Rule on Start Times after Rain Delays: In accordance with a new rule for the High-A Central League in 2021 put in place by Major League Baseball, any game that starts at 9:00 p.m. or later will be scheduled for seven innings. Any game on "getaway day" that has a rain delay of two hours or more before the first pitch will be scheduled for seven innings.
Upcoming Probable Pitchers (Game times are Dayton time) (All games on WONE 980 AM and www.daytondragons.com)
Sun., August 22 (2:09 p.m.): Lake County RH Mason Hickman (6-6, 4.97) at Dayton RH JC Keys (3-1, 4.70) TV: Dayton's CW (26)
Midwest League Stories from August 21, 2021
- Kernels Tie Home Run Record Saturday - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Wisconsin Pulls Away Late for Big Win in Cedar Rapids - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Espino and Valera Power Captains to Win - Lake County Captains
- January Grand Slams, Scores Six in 12-5 Victory - Great Lakes Loons
- Lugnuts Smash Three Home Runs in Defeat - Lansing Lugnuts
- Windham Homers and Espinoza Dazzles in Cubs Win - South Bend Cubs
- Chiefs Outfielder Tommy Jew Propels Peoria to Win Saturday - Peoria Chiefs
- Captains Top Dragons 9-2; Series Concludes on Sunday - Dayton Dragons
- Offense Held to Three Hits in Loss to Cubs - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Perez Makes Snappers Debut in Front of a Packed ABC Supply Stadium - Beloit Sky Carp
- Fort Wayne Tops 'Caps, 2-1 - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Dayton Dragons Game Notes for Saturday - Dayton Dragons
- TinCaps Game Information: August 21 at West Michigan - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Matt Canterino, Breckin Williams Go on Injured List - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- River Bandits Sweep Doubleheader from Cubs - South Bend Cubs
- Little Homers, Kopps Debuts in Win - Fort Wayne TinCaps
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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