DAYTON — Two bags of sunflower seeds and two bags of chewing gum — staples of any ballplayer’s diet — sat on Delino DeShields’ desk at Fifth Third Field after Friday’s game.

“Nervous food,” DeShields said.

There were a few nerve-wracking moments for the Dayton Dragons manager in the first game of the second half of the season.

The Dragons fell 9-8 to Bowling Green as the bullpen faltered, giving up six earned runs on nine hits in five innings after starter Jacob Johnson left with a blister on his finger.

Erik Miller gave up two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Ryan Kemp allowed four in one inning.

“(Johnson) was pitching well. He could at least have gone a couple more,” DeShields said.

“The bullpen wasn’t sharp tonight. That was pretty much it. Those guys have been good for the last three or four weeks. We’ll chalk it up to the time off and see what we can do tomorrow.”

The Dragons at least brought the bats out for the second half. They put up four runs in the eighth after falling behind 9-4 and were threatening in the ninth before Juan Siliva was thrown out at second on a sacrifice bunt.

The first four hitters in the lineup — Junior Arias, Juan Perez, Yorman Rodriguez and Ryan Wright — all had two hits.

Rodriguez, who was promoted from extended spring training on Friday, hit the first pitch he saw over the 402-foot sign on the center field wall.

He went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs.

“It was definitely big for him to get off to a good start,” DeShields said. “That’s what I was thinking when I saw he was coming here.”

All-Star experience

Aside from the wind blowing in, which hampered the longball show in batting practice, and the fact that he was the only Dragon in Geneva, Ill., for the Midwest League All-Star Game on Tuesday, Ryan Wright had a great time.

The Dragons second baseman went 1-for-3 with an RBI for the East in an 18-2 victory over the West.

“It was kind of lonely,” Wright said. “I had to make some new friends. I got to meet a lot of new people. We came out swinging the bats pretty well. It was great because a lot of people got to have a lot of at-bats. That’s really what you want in the All-Star game.”