Mondile nearly perfect for Dragons

After surrendering a double to the second batter of the game, Class A Dayton starter Tyler Mondile got to take a step back from the mound to go over new, easier-to-see signs after catcher Hendrik Clementina neglected to paint his fingernails. Strange though it may seem, it turned out to be just the type of delay he needed to produce the best performance of his professional career.
The Reds right-hander did not allow another baserunner and recorded eight strikeouts en route to his first career complete game as the Dragons blanked Great Lakes, 3-0, to earn a split of Friday's doubleheader.

"Me and my pitching coach [Seth Etherton] just worked all week on just slowing the game down," Mondile said. "Breathing is a huge aspect of the game. He's been teaching me and it really helped me tonight.
"Whenever I needed to reach down and step off the mound or find something in the outfield to look at, I was just was telling myself to breathe and slow the game down a little bit. And that was huge for me tonight."
Mondile (1-3) lowered his ERA from 9.19 to 7.51 in the fifth start of his first full Minor League season and has 35 strikeouts over 38 1/3 innings.
"I let the game speed up on me a little bit [in previous starts]," Mondile said. "I got away from having that confidence out on the mound and, in my past two or three starts, I've gotten back to knowing that I've got good stuff and I can get guys out. I think it's a confidence thing for me."
A 2016 sixth-round pick out of a New Jersey high school, Mondile has made 19 appearances over the past two seasons, debuting in the Rookie-level Arizona League before pitching for Billings of the Pioneer League last summer. He was 4-4 with a 4.35 ERA and .296 opponents' batting average while fanning 48 over 68 1/3 innings for the Mustangs.
Gameday box score
Against Great Lakes, Mondile struck out leadoff batter Brandon Montgomery on three pitches before Marcus Chiu lined his first offering to right for the double. After the mound visit, the Woodbury, New Jersey, native coerced a groundout from Jared Walker and struck out Carlos Rincon to begin a streak of 20 consecutive batters retired. Mondile recorded seven outs on the ground and six through the air, throwing 58 of 77 pitches for strikes.
In addition to an effective slider and good fastball location, the 20-year-old credited Clementina, a former Dodgers farmhand, for laying out a detailed game plan that helped him get a better feel for the Loons lineup.  
Reds No. 11 prospectJose Garcia singled twice, while Leandro Santana homered, doubled and drove in two runs for Dayton. Michael Beltre doubled twice in three at-bats, raising his average to .337.

Reds No. 2 prospect Hunter Greene (0-3) got the start in the Dragons' 9-4 loss in the opener. MLB.com's No. 21 overall prospect yielded four runs on seven hits while striking out three over 3 1/3 innings as his ERA climbed to 10.06 through seven starts in his first full season. Sixth-ranked Jeter Downs doubled, singled and drove in a run for Dayton.
Chiu slugged a three-run homer for Great Lakes, while Walker was a homer shy of the cycle with two runs scored. Eric Peterson went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored.