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MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dragons Gameday For Wednesday, May 5

May 5, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Wednesday, May 5, 2010 Game # 26

Classic Park * Eastlake, Ohio * 6:30 p.m.

Radio: 1410 ESPN Radio WING-AM

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

RH Pedro Villarreal (0-2, 4.33) vs. RH Joe Gardner (1-0, 3.68)

Today's Game: The Dragons (affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds) meet the Captains (affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) in the second game of a three-game series. This is game two of a six-game road trip for Dayton that will also include a visit to South Bend.

Season Series: Lake County 3, Dayton 1.

Last Night: Lake County starting pitcher Trey Haley fired seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out nine, as the Captains defeated the Dragons 8-3 in the first game of the series on Tuesday. Chun Chen went 4 for 4 to lead a 12-hit Captains attack. The Dragons committed five errors leading to five unearned runs. Dayton collected eight hits. Josh Garton led the Dragons with a home run and a triple. Didi Gregorius added two hits and a stolen base. The Dragons loss snapped their three-game winning streak.

Today's Starting Pitcher: Pedro Villarreal is a 22-year-old native of Dallas, Texas. Villarreal makes his sixth start of the season tonight. In his last start Thursday against Lake County, Villarreal was a hard-luck loser (6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO). He played at Howard College in Texas and was selected by the Reds in the seventh round of the 2008 draft. Villarreal played last season with the Rookie-level GCL Reds (1-2, 1.47 in five starts) and Advanced-A Sarasota (0-3, 5.46 in nine games with three starts).

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

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 second in lowest opponents batting average at .122. He leads the league 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

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 (second 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)

Thursday (6:30 p.m.): Dayton RH J.C. Sulbaran (2-0, 3.94) at Lake County RH Danny Salazar (0-1, 6.62)

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)

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