Dunn's Home Run Lifts Dragons to Comeback Win on Saturday
Dragons 3, West Michigan 2 Click here for the box score Dayton (R-H-E): 3-6-0; West Michigan (R-H-E): 2-9-0 Win: John Murphy (2-0); Loss: Blake Holub (5-1); Save: Braxton Roxby (2) HR: Dayton: Blake Dunn (8th, 2 on base in eighth inning). HR: West Michigan: None Dayton, Ohio—Blake Dunn blasted a
Dragons 3, West Michigan 2
Click here for the box score
Dayton (R-H-E): 3-6-0; West Michigan (R-H-E): 2-9-0
Win: John Murphy (2-0); Loss: Blake Holub (5-1); Save: Braxton Roxby (2)
HR: Dayton: Blake Dunn (8th, 2 on base in eighth inning). HR: West Michigan: None
Dayton, Ohio—Blake Dunn blasted a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning and Braxton Roxby pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth as the Dayton Dragons defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps 3-2 on Saturday night. The Dragons have won eight of their last 10 games.
A crowd of 7,595 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.
West Michigan scored single runs in the first and fifth innings and held a 2-0 lead going to the bottom of the eighth. The Dragons had been limited to just three hits in the game over the first seven innings. Michael Trautwein opened the eighth inning with a hit to center field and Justice Thompson followed with a single to left to move Trautwein to second. With one out, Dunn belted a home run over the Drone Express Dragons Lair in left field to give the Dragons the lead. The homer was Dunn’s eighth of the season.
View Dunn’s home run here: https://twitter.com/DragonsBaseball/status/1665166416373325825?s=20
Braxton Roxby entered the game to pitch the ninth inning for Dayton. He walked the lead-off man and allowed a one-out double to put runners at second and third. The Dragons intentionally walked Chris Meyers to load the bases before Roxby struck out Brady Allen for the second out of the inning, and then got Izaac Pacheco to ground out to second baseman Tyler Callihan to end the game.
Dragons starting pitcher Jose Acuña battled through four innings, allowing four hits and three walks but only one run. Reliever Brooks Crawford worked the next two innings, allowing one run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout. John Murphy (2-0) tossed two strong innings, allowing just one base runner before giving way to Roxby in the ninth. The save was the second of the year for Roxby.
The Dragons finished the night with six hits including two each for Trautwein and Thompson.
The Dragons have won three of five games in the series with West Michigan and can jump above the .500 mark for the first time in 2023 with a win on Sunday.
Up Next: The Dragons (25-25) will host West Michigan (28-22) in the last game of the six-game series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Thomas Farr (0-2, 3.46) is scheduled to start for Dayton. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.
On the Air: The Dragons game on Sunday will be televised locally on Dayton’s CW (Channel 26, Spectrum Cable channels 13 and 1013). 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.