Lansing Lugnuts at Dayton Dragons


April 12th, 2004

Lugnuts
Name POS AB R H RBI
Ryan Fitzgerald CF 4 0 3 0
Robinson Chirinos 2B 5 0 1 0
Brian Dopirak 1B 5 1 1 1
Kevin Collins LF 4 1 2 0
Tony McQuade LF 1 0 0 0
Kyle Boyer RF 4 0 0 0
Jake Fox C 4 1 2 0
Cliff Medlin DH 5 1 2 2
Alfredo Francisco 3B 4 1 0 0
Carlos Rojas SS 4 0 1 1
Dragons
Name POS AB R H RBI
Chris Dickerson CF 4 0 2 0
Luis Bolivar SS 3 1 0 0
Joey Votto DH 4 0 1 0
Kyle Smith LF 2 1 1 1
Ben Himes RF 3 0 1 0
Habelito Hernandez 2B 3 0 0 1
Walter Olmstead 1B 4 0 0 0
Miguel Perez C 2 0 0 0
Evan Conley C 1 0 0 0
Troy Cairns 3B 3 0 0 0

Lansing 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 5 12 2
Dayton 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 5 1

E-Fitzgerald, Fox, Hernandez, LOB LAN-11, DAY-5, 2B-Collins, Fox, Medlin, HR-Dopirak (Farfan), SACF-Hernandez, SB-Boyer, Himes, CS-Dickerson

Lugnuts
Name IP H R ER BB SO Decison
Billy Petrick 5 3 1 1 3 4 W (1-0)
Reid Willett 1 1 1 0 1 1 ND
Wes O'Brien 1 0 0 0 0 0 ND
Clay Rapada 1 1 0 0 0 3 ND
Adalberto Mendez 1 0 0 0 0 0 SV (3)

Dragons
Name IP H R ER BB SO Decison
Tyler Pelland 4 3 0 0 1 8 ND
Alex Farfan 2.2 7 5 5 2 3 L (0-1)
Trey Rice 1.1 2 0 0 0 2 ND
Brad George 1 0 0 0 0 1 ND

WP-Pelland 3, Farfan 2, SO-Fitzgerald, Chirinos 3, Dopirak, Collins, Boyer 2, Fox 2, Medlin 2, Francisco, Rojas, Dickerson, Bolivar 2, Votto 2, Smith, Olmstead, Perez, BB-Fitzgerald, Boyer, Fox, Bolivar, Smith, Himes
T-2:56, A-7,565
HP-Greg Tucker, BS-Cory Blaser

Lansing State Journal

The Detroit Tigers aren't the only hot baseball team in Michigan. The Lugnuts improved to 4-0 for the first time in their nine year history with a 5-2 victory over the Dayton Dragons on Monday night.

Starting pitcher Billy Petrick (1-0) allowed three hits and an earned run in five innings. He struck out four batters. Four relievers-Adalberto Mendez, Reid Willett, Weston O'Brien and Clay Rapada combined to limit Dayton to four hits in a game that was relayed two hours by rain and ended about midnight.

Mendez retired the side in order in the ninth for his third save of the season.

C.J. Medln led the offense with a 2 for 4 night and two RBI. Medlin drove in the Lugs' first run in the sixth inning with an RBI double to left field that scored Kevin Collins and tied the score.

The Lugnuts took a 2-1 lead later in the inning when Medlin scored on a wild pitch. They extended their lead to 3-1 on and RBI single to right field by shortstop Carlos Rojas.

Dayton closed to 3-2 with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Lugnuts responded with two runs in the seventh inning.

First baseman Brian Dopirak gave the Lugnuts a 4-2 lead with a 430 foot home run to center field. And Medlin finished the scoring with a two out single that drove in Jake Fox, who had doubled.

The Lugnuts can extended their undefeated start with a victory tonight at Dayton. The game begins at 7pm. The previous best start for a Lugnuts' team was 4-1 in 2002.

Dayton Daily News
by Marc Kratz

Tyler Pelland said he used to shovel snow away from the backstop before some games in high school. That's the way it was in Bristol, Vermont.

That's almost the way it was Monday night at Fifth Third Field, too, when rain held up the Class A game between the Dayton Dragons and the Lansing Lugnuts and tempuratures dipped to 37 degrees (27 wind chill) as play began two hours late at 9:03 pm.

Only a few hundred of the 7,565 who help tickets showed up, but those who watched Pelland pitch his four innings saw some quality baseball.

It wasn't quite enough, as the Dragons lost 5-2 to the Lanisng Lugnuts, but Pelland left with a 1-0 lead.

"I heard they don't like rainouts, so I was ready." Pelland said. He laughed when asked if the weather was like home, then said. "We've been in Florida for a month, so our blood is still thin."

That means he was cold, but he still allowed only three hits and a walk while striking out eigh. He also threw three wild pitches, but maybe that's because he's only 20 years old nad left handed.

Dayton led 1-0 when Pelland left, scoring in the second on a Kyle Smith walk, Ben Himes single and Habelito Hernandez sacrifice fly. Unfortunately Alexander Farfan, the second "starter" for the Dragons didn't fare as well, allowing five runs, one of them on a Brian Dopirak homer that landed on Sears Street, beyond the right field fence in 2.1 innings as the Dragons lost in a game that finished at midnight.

Pelland didn't get in amny games in Vermont because of the late winer. Those he did get in got him noticed, and he was taken in the ninth round of the 2002 free agent draft by Boston, signed late and played for the first time in rookie ball last summer.

He joined the Reds orginization last year in a trade that send pitcher Scott Williamson to the Red Sox.

Dragons Tales
Right hander Justin Gillman had some stiffness in his throwing should following his first start Thursday and was pit on the disabled list, with another right hander Jon George who was at extended spring training, taking his place.

Also, catcher Jeff Urgelles will be joining the team, taking the place of either Miguel Perez (quad) or Chris Kroski (hamstring). That decision will be made today.

Dragons management pointed out even though most fans didn't get to use their tickets to Monday, those four games with Quad City next Tuesday through Friday were free to season, split season and quarter season ticket holders. Quad City is refurbishing it's stadium and isn't quite finished.