Echavarria sooths Dragons, 5-1

DAYTON, OH – Steven Echavarria added the latest chapter in a breakthrough season, hurling five scoreless innings to drive the Lansing Lugnuts (31-24) past the Dayton Dragons (18-37), 5-1, on a rainy Friday night at Day Air Ballpark.

The Lugnuts have won three of the first four games of the series, clinching a series split at least, and have won five of their last six games.

The 19-year-old Echavarria, the A’s No. 12 prospect, scattered four hits and a walk while striking out three Dragons, picking up his second career victory.

His run support came early, thanks to a Nate Nankil RBI double and Rodney Green, Jr. RBI groundout in the first inning, and a Joshua Kuroda-Grauer two-run single and Davis Diaz RBI single in the fourth, all off of Dayton starter Jose Montero.

Jake Christianson’s 12-appearance scoreless streak came to an end in the sixth courtesy of a Cam Collier RBI single, but the Lugnuts right-hander recovered to strand the bases loaded.

Henry Gómez then blanked the Dragons in the seventh and eighth innings before Blaze Pontes pitched around a walk in a hitless ninth.

Kuroda-Grauer went 3-for-5 to lead the offense, giving him 16 hits in his last 39 at-bats spanning the last nine games, a .410 average. Diaz finished 1-for-2 with two walks alongside his RBI single.

A Nuts win in the fifth game of the six-game series would give the visitors a series win; right-hander Grant Judkins draws the assignment, taking on Dayton right-hander Nestor Lorant at 7:10 p.m.

The Lugnuts play in Dayton through Sunday, returning home from June 10-15 vs. West Michigan. Tickets are available for purchase at the stadium box office, (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.

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