MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dragons Gameday For Thursday, May 6

Published on May 6, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Thursday, May 6, 2010 Games # 26 & 27

Classic Park * Eastlake, Ohio * 5:30 p.m

Radio: 1410 ESPN Radio WING-AM

Dayton Dragons (13-12) at Lake County Captains (18-8)

Suspended Game Doubleheader

RH J.C. Sulbaran (2-0, 3.94) vs. Danny Salazar (0-1, 6.62)

Today's Game: The Dragons (affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds) meet the Captains (affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) in a suspended game doubleheader to wrap up a three-game series. The suspended game will be picked up at the start of the fourth inning with no score.

Season Series: Lake County 3, Dayton 1.

Last Night: Dayton and Lake County were suspended due to rain and lightning with no score at the end of the third inning. Neither club has a hit in the game.

Today's Starting Pitcher: J.C. Sulbaran is the scheduled starting pitcher for Dayton tonight and will make his fourth start of the season. He has not pitched since winning on April 21st vs. West Michigan (6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO). He has missed his last two starts due to a blister problem on the middle finger of his right hand. Sulbaran is a 20-year-old native of Willemstad, Curacao. He spent the entire 2009 season with the Dragons, going 5-5 with a 5.24 ERA. Sulbaran is rated as 25th best prospect in Reds organization by Baseball America. He pitched for Team Netherlands in 2009 World Baseball Classic, striking out former all-star catcher Ivan Rodriguez on three pitches. He also pitched for the Netherlands in the Olympics in Beijing in 2008. He is one of three players from his high school team to be drafted in 2008. Sulbaran moved with family to Plantation, Florida during his high school career and was the Miami-area pitcher of the year in 2008 as he helped American Heritage High School to state championship, going 11-0 with a 1.40 earned run average. Sulbaran had signed a National Letter of Intent to play at the University of Florida before signing with Reds.

Skipper: Todd Benzinger is in his second season with the Dragons and in the Reds organization as a manager in 2010. Benzinger enjoyed a nine-year major league playing career from 1987-1995 with the Reds, Red Sox, Royals, Dodgers, and Giants. Todd is a former first baseman who recorded the final putout of the 1990 World Series with the Reds to complete their four-game sweep of the Oakland A's. Benzinger is a native of the Cincinnati area and currently resides in West Chester, Ohio.

Individual Notes (not including suspended game stats)

Josh Garton is 4 for 9 (.444) with a home run and triple in his first two games with the Dragons.

Kevin Coddington is 6 for 13, .462 since returning from the disabled list.

Frank Pfister is batting .310 over his last 16 games.

Chris Richburg is batting .306 with three home runs including a grand slam home run, five doubles, and 15 RBI over his last 19 games.

Mark Fleury is batting .303 over his last 11 games and hit his first home run of the year Saturday night.

Donnie Joseph has allowed just one run in 11 relief appearances covering 12.1 innings. He has struck out 21 and ranks second among all Midwest League relievers in strikeouts per nine innings at 15.32. Joseph is second in the league among relievers in fewest baserunners/9 innings at 6.57 and tied for first in lowest opponents batting average at .122. He is also tied for first in games pitched with 11.

The Dragons roster includes three players who are ranked among the Reds top 30 prospects by Baseball America. They include shortstop Didi Gregorius (#15), pitcher Donnie Joseph (#21), and pitcher J.C. Sulbaran (#25).

Team Notes (not including suspended game stats)

The Dragons are batting .323 as a team over their last four games.

In four games vs. Lake County this season, the Dragons are batting .195 as a team and they are averaging 2.5 runs per game.

The Dragons have been a good comeback team this season. They have come from behind to win in eight of their 13 victories. They have scored the first run of the game in only seven of 25 games (tied for fewest in the league) but have trailed at the end of the fifth inning in only nine games. They have held the lead in 20 of their 25 games this season.

The Dragons are 10-5 at home; 3-7 on the road. They are batting .265 at home; .240 on the road. The team ERA is 3.11 at home; 4.93 on the road. Dragons opponents are batting .251 in Dayton; .300 on the road. Dragons pitchers have a 45-127 walk-strikeout ratio at home; 36-61 on the road.

The Dragons are 5-1 in one-run games at home; 0-3 in one-run games on the road. Dayton won seven one-run home games in all of 2009.

The Dragons have four "walk-off" wins this season, matching their total for all of 2009.

The Dragons roster includes 14 players who have previously played for the club. Catcher Kevin Coddington spent the entire 2009 season with the Dragons. Pitchers Ezequiel Infante, Mark James, Donnie Joseph, Junior Martinez, Josh Ravin, J.C. Sulbaran, Justin Walker, and Chase Ware; catcher Jordan Wideman; infielders Kevyn Feiner, and Frank Pfister; and outfielders Andrew Means and Alex Oliveras all spent part of 2009 with the Dragons. Coddington, Wideman, Pfister, and Ravin were all on the Dragons '09 opening night roster.

Upcoming Probable Pitchers (All game times are Dayton time)

Friday (6:30 p.m.): Dayton RH Josh Ravin (1-1, 1.82) at South Bend RH Chase Anderson (1-3, 3.20)

Saturday (5:30 p.m.): Dayton LH Justin Walker (1-2, 6.12) at South Bend LH Dan Taylor (1-2, 4.56)

Sunday (2:00 p.m.): Dayton RH Jacob Johnson (0-3, 5.79) at South Bend LH Mike Belfiore (1-2, 3.49)

Check out the Dayton Dragons Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from May 6, 2010


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