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Hits keep coming for Lugnuts

Three pitchers and both managers are ejected during a 12-7 rout of the Dragons.

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By Marc Katz, Staff Writer Updated 2:26 AM Thursday, June 18, 2009

DAYTON — Dragons pitchers J.C. Sulbaran and Andrew Bowman said they weren’t trying to hit Lansing batters Wednesday night, June 17.

Home plate umpire Matt Neuhold decided they were, ejecting each during a 12-7 Lugnuts rout of Dayton at Fifth Third Field in a battle of teams trying to stay out of last place in the Midwest League’s East Division.

While Lansing won, the Lugnuts remained a half game behind the Dragons.

Sulbaran, who is prone to wildness and has not been effective in two starts since being given a nine-day rest by the Reds organization recently, was down 6-2 when Johermyn Chavez led off the fifth.

In his previous at-bat in the third, Chavez drilled a grand slam to left following a triple and two Sulbaran walks.

Sulbaran already led the Dragons with seven hit batsmen this season, and while he didn’t hit Chavez, he did sail his first pitch to him about two feet behind his head.

Chavez pointed his bat at Sulbaran as Neuhold gave Sulbaran the thumb.

“I had a blister on my (index) finger,” Sulbaran said. “That was probably going to be my last inning anyway. I wasn’t trying to hit him.”

Just one inning later — with the Dragons trailing 8-3 — Andrew Bowman, who replaced Sulbaran, hit Justin McClanahan in the back with a 2-2 pitch.

In McClanahan’s previous at-bat, he had smashed a two-run homer off Sulbaran, but it didn’t matter to Neuhold, who immediately tossed Bowman.

“I wasn’t trying to hit a guy during a 9-pitch at-bat,” Bowman said. “The umpire said he had to toss me.”

Not to stand idly by, Lansing pitcher John Anderson hit Kyle Day with the first pitch of the sixth, getting himself and both managers ejected.

A four-run Dragons seventh couldn’t change the outcome of this one.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.