Arroyo's Home Run Combines with Brilliant Pitching to Lift Dragons to 2-1 Win

Dragons 2, Cedar Rapids 1

Click here for the box score

Dayton (R-H-E): 2-3-2; Cedar Rapids (R-H-E): 1-4-1

Win: Myles Gayman (4-1); Loss: Mike Parades (2-1); Save: Jake Gozzo (5)

HR: Dayton: Edwin Arroyo (6^th, 1 on base in first inning). HR: Cedar Rapids: None

Dayton, Ohio—Edwin Arroyo hit a two-run home run in the first inning and four Dayton pitchers combined to allow just four hits as the Dragons defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels 2-1 on Wednesday night. The win was the Dragons fifth straight and was their 11^th win in their last 13 games. They are 6-2 on their current homestand that will feature 12 games.

A crowd of 7,191 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

"We've been working together since we started,” said Arroyo. “Now we've just made a couple adjustments and been keeping it going. It's been pretty good."

For the second straight night, the Dragons took a quick lead by hitting a first inning home run. Tyler Callihan walked to start the first and one batter later, Arroyo launched a two-run home run to right field to make it 2-0. The home run was the sixth of the year for Arroyo.

View the Arroyo home run here: https://twitter.com/DragonsBaseball/status/1666587124651442178?s=20

Dragons starting pitcher Chase Petty enjoyed his fifth straight outstanding outing, lowering his earned run average on the year to 0.45. He tossed four innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Petty, who missed the month of April, has tossed 20 innings in five starts for the Dragons and allowed just one earned run.

Myles Gayman replaced Petty to start the fifth inning and posted two scoreless frames, allowing just one base runner on a two out walk in his second inning of work. Braxton Roxby took over for Gayman to start the seventh and kept the Kernels from scoring over one and two-thirds innings. Roxby left the game in the eighth with runners at first and second and two outs as he was replaced by Jake Gozzo. Gozzo threw one pitch in the eighth and got an inning-ending fly out, then returned for the ninth. An error allowed the Kernels lead-off batter to reach, but Gozzo got a double play ball and then notched a strikeout to earn the save.

Gayman (4-1) was awarded the victory. The save was the fifth of the year for Gozzo.

Arroyo extended his hitting streak to seven straight games, going 2 for 4 with the home run and two stolen bases. Over the course of his hitting streak, Arroyo is batting .519 with two homers (14 for 27).

"Just being consistent with what I'm doing,” said Arroyo. “Doing my routine, my stuff. I've been pretty consistent on it and it's been helping me."

With the win, the Dragons moved into a tie for second place with West Michigan in the Midwest League East Division.

Up Next: The Dragons (28-25) host Cedar Rapids (29-24) in the third game of a six-game series at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. Javi Rivera (0-3, 4.06) is scheduled to start for Dayton. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

On the Air: All Dragons home and road games are broadcast on radio on FOX Sports 980 AM WONE. Games can be heard on smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices via the free Dragons Mobile App, or on a computer at wone.com. Games are also available on HD Radio on 104.7 WTUI HD 2.