Captains do the little things right in 4-2 win over Dayton
Jul. 15—A box score doesn't always tell the story to a ballgame.
The Lake County Captains upended the visiting Dayton Dragons, 4-2, in front of 4,626 fans at Classic Park on July 15. A handful of plays that will never show up in a box score played a big role in the victory, which allowed the home team to improve its record to 45-39 this season.
Play such as:
—Jaime Arias getting the start on short notice and giving the Captains four shutout innings.
—Milan Tolentino taking an extra base on a bobbled single to right early in the game, and then scoring on an overthrow one batter later.
—Alexfri Planez legging out a broken-bat dribbler that was overthrown to allow Tolentino to score, and
—Tolentino picking a short-hop laser beam with a runner in scoring position in the ninth inning.
PHOTOS: Captains vs. Dayton, July 15, 2022
Such plays are what manager Greg DiCenzo wants to see, plays that not only win games but can make a difference in a player's ascension up the minor league system.
That's what we're trying to teach," DiCenzo said. "We are trying to teach the game of baseball on a high level and understanding that things in the box score are overt. How you play the game when no one is looking. How you compete when no one is looking. How do you work when no one is working? How do you do the little things that don't show up in the box score, whether it's a hit down the line (and) getting two (bases) out of the box, hitting a cutoff man and holding a guy to a single instead of a double."
DiCenzo noted that hasn't been the case night in and night out, rationalizing, "that's High-A baseball for you."
But ...
"I'm really proud of the ways the guys competed tonight," he said.
The Captains took a 1-0 lead in the first when Tolentino took second on a bobble in right, then scored on Planez's broken-bat dribbler that was thrown away.
"It was a broken-bat in front of him," DiCenzo said of Tolentino. "The throw across was air-mailed and he scored. Two good hustle plays for him. That was a good read on the ball in front of him."
The lead grew to 3-0 in the second when Korey Holland doubled in Aaron Bracho, followed by Tolentino's single to score Holland.
Planez hit his 12th homer of the year in the fifth to make it a 4-0 lead.
Planez had two hits in the game to raise his average to .276. He had his 22-game hitting streak snapped on July 14, but has reached base in 24 straight. He walked on July 14 to keep that streak alive.
"He's got really good barrel-awareness," DiCenzo said of Planez. "When you see his swing, it stays in the zone a long time. That (awareness) gives him a chance even if he is fooled to stay on pitches."
The Dragons (44-40) tallied twice in the sixth, with one run scoring on a wild pitch and the other on a J.V. Martinez single that scored Ruben Ibarra, but Alaska Abney (4-2) and Zach Hart (third save) pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to wrap things up.
Arias didn't figure in the decision, but gave up only two hits and struck out four in four innings.
The win allowed the Captains to celebrate an impressive mark, as the franchise surpassed the 5 million mark for attendance in this, the organization's 20th year of existence — yet another figure that won't show up in a daily box score.
"This is our biggest dream come true," owner Peter Carfagna said. "In our wildest dreams when we started 20 years ago, to walk in five million fans is a dream come true. The people are like an extension of our family. We hope they have the time of their lives here tonight and every night."
The Captains and Dragons will meet again on July 16 with Lake County with Tommy Mace (0-4, 6.72 ERA) going against Dayton's Thomas Farr (0-4, 6.12). First pitch is at 7 p.m.
