Loons Edge Dragons 3-2 in Series Opener in Dayton Tuesday

Please enjoy these next 45 seconds, once again courtesy of John Michael Faile #Dragons25 #FeelTheFire pic.twitter.com/aY0XBcquVy

— Dayton Dragons (@DragonsBaseball) May 7, 2025

Great Lakes 3, Dragons 2

Click here for the box score

Great Lakes (R-H-E): 3-10-1; Dayton (R-H-E): 2-3-1

Win: Roque Gutierrez (1-0); Loss: Nestor Lorant (0-1); Save: None

HR: Dayton: John Michael Faile (4^th, 0 on base in fifth inning). HR: Great Lakes: None

Dayton, Ohio—Great Lakes reliever Roque Gutierrez tossed five strong innings, retiring the final 11 batters of the game, as the Loons edged the Dayton Dragons 3-2 on Tuesday night. The contest was the start of a six-game series in Dayton.

A crowd of 7,390 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

Game Summary:

Each team plated one run in the first inning. After the Loons scored in the top of the inning, Dayton responded when Carlos Jorge walked, stole second, and scored on a double off the right field fence by Yerlin Confidan to tie the game at 1-1.

Great Lakes jumped ahead with two runs in the fourth before Dayton’s John Michael Faile drilled a long home run to center field in the fifth to make it 3-2. The homer by Faile was his fourth of the year.

But the Dragons could not produce another hit over the final four innings of the game against Great Lakes reliever Roque Gutierrez. Dayton’s Johnny Ascanio walked with one out in the sixth and was eventually stranded at third base in the inning. He was the last Dayton base runner of the night.

Hard-throwing Connor Phillips threw a scoreless seventh inning for the Dragons on an injury rehab assignment, reaching 99 mph with his fastball. Phillips, who played for the Dragons in 2023 before reaching the Major Leagues with the Reds in 2023, saw the first two batters of the inning reach base on an infield single and a walk, but he struck out the next three to end the inning.

Dragons starting pitcher Nestor Lorant (0-1) worked four innings, allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts to suffer the loss.

The Dragons finished with just three hits, all extra base hits, including the homer by Faile and doubles by Confidan and Ascanio.

The Dayton bullpen had an excellent night. Brody Jessee and Cody Adcock each threw two scoreless innings sandwiched around Phillips’ scoreless seventh.

Up Next: The Dragons (9-19) continue their six-game series with Great Lakes (14-14) at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District on Wednesday with the second game of the set at 7:05 pm. Jose Montero (2-1, 2.95) will start for the Dragons. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets.

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.