BY TIMOTHY W. SHIRER SPORTS EDITOR (EASTLAKE, OH)- Friday night at Classic Park it was the first fireworks night of the season. The Lake County Captains have been hot, winning 12 of their last 17 games. The Dayton Dragon have been miserable lately, losing 10 of their last 11 games and the first two of the current series with the Captains. The tables were turned however on Friday night as Dayton provided just a little more fireworks then the Captains defeating Lake County 5-4 in front of the season's largest crowd of 5,417.
The Dragons took the lead with three runs in the fourth inning off Dayton starting pitcher Stalin Gerson. The Dragon then added a fourth run in the fifth inning to take a 4-0 advantage.
The Captains then began to chip away. Stalin Gerson left the game after the fifth inning and was replaced by Ryan Kemp to start the bottom of the sixth and that's when the Captains offense began their work. Alex Lavisky led off the inning with a double to left center field. Jerrud Sabourin followed with a single on the infield and Lavisky scored on a throwing error. That was the only run the Captains managed in the inning as the score was 4-1 after six.
The bottom of the seventh looked like it might be the inning that the struggling Dragons allowed another game to get away. The Captains scored three runs to tie the game 4-4. Luigi Rodriguez led the inning off with a single to center field. Jordan Casas then reached base on a fielding error by Dayton shortstop Brandon Dailey. With men on first and second Alex Monsalve grounded into a fielder's choice and Casas was retired at second, Mosalve was safe at first and Rodriguez moved to third base. Jordan Smith then followed with a single and Rodriguez came home pulling th Captains to within two runs at 4-2. Dayton manager Delino DeShields had seen enough from his reliever and decided to make a pitching change. Kyle McMyne entered the game for the Dragons. McMyne promplty delivered a wild pitch and Monsalved moved from second to third and Smith went to second. Lavisky then popped out in foul territory to the first baseman and the runner had to hold. Sabourin followed Lavisky and reached base on another Dayton throwing error, Monsalve came home making the score 4-3 Dayton. The inning was not yet complete. Todd Hankins followed Sabourin and delivered the game tying blow with a single to right field and Smith came home with the Captains fourth run. The Captains could not push the lead run across as Leonardo Castillo grounded out to end the rally and the inning with the score tied 4-4.
The Captains bullpen that had been so good lately could not keep the game tied, when in the top of the eighth inning reliever Francisco Valera entered the game and gave up a lead off double to Juan Silva. After the double Valera added to his problems by throwing a wild pitch, moving Silva to third base. Steve Selsky then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, Silva tagged up at third base and came home with what ended up being the winning run giving the Dragons the 5-4 lead.
Valera took the loss for the Captains he falls to 1-3 with a 4.22 ERA. Kyle McMyne blew the save in the seventh inning and ended up picking up the win for the Dragons as he improves to 3-2 with a 1.56 ERA. Brooks Pinkard pitched a scoreless ninth for Dayton and picked up his second save of the season.
The Captains fall to 15-19 with the loss and remain in sixth place in the Midwest League's Eastern Division, eight games behind the first place Lansing Lugnuts and four and a half games behind the Great Lakes Loons for the wild card spot.
Speaking of the Great Lakes Loons they will be visiting Classic Park starting Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. for the first game of a four game series. Right hander Felix Sterling will be on the mound for the Captains. Sterling is 1-1 with a 3.03 ERA. Left hander Jerret Martin will take the mound for the Loons. Martin is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA. . tshirer@lakecounty-sentinel.com or follow Tim on Twitter @TimothyShirer POSTED 05/11/2012 23:48
