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Green homers twice in 8-7 Opening Day loss

By David Powell
April 2, 2026

LANSING, Mich. – In the bottom of the sixth inning on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™, the Lansing Lugnuts (0-1) were in control of their season opener, leading by four runs. The seventh and eighth innings proved to be the difference-makers, however, as the Dayton Dragons (1-0) won on Opening

LANSING, Mich. – In the bottom of the sixth inning on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™, the Lansing Lugnuts (0-1) were in control of their season opener, leading by four runs. The seventh and eighth innings proved to be the difference-makers, however, as the Dayton Dragons (1-0) won on Opening Night, 8-7.

“Overall it was a pretty good game, you know, and we just fell short at the end,” manager Javier Godard said. “But it was a good game, close game, so it was good.”

A pair of RBI singles in the top of the first gave Dayton a quick 2-0 lead against Lugnuts starting pitcher Steven Echavarria. But Echevarria was able to settle the game down, giving up four hits and only those two runs over 4 2/3 innings while striking out four, and his offense struck back.

“Just finding the zone was kind of key,” Echavarria said. “Settling in with the off-speeds and the fastball was vital those next few innings. They got some good hitters on that team, but once I got back in the zone and executed my pitches, it was definitely a lot easier to throw out there.”

Dylan Fien supplied an RBI single and a solo home run and Rodney Green, Jr., homered twice, leading the Lugnuts’ offense to six unanswered runs and a 6-2 lead. It was the second straight season that Green had slugged a pair of home runs in the Lugnuts’ home opener.

“Everything was going my way today,” Green Jr. said. “The biggest thing was my guys keeping me in there and stuff like that, you know, keeping me motivated and stuff like that.”

“He’s (Green Jr.) been working really hard over spring training and since we got here, and just watching him have some success, it was good,” Godard said.

Despite the surge on offense, the Dragons tied the game with four runs in the seventh off reliever Samuel Dutton before taking the lead on an Esmith Pineda two-run homer in the eighth. Dutton finished four innings and gave up nine hits and six runs while striking out four.

“I just wasn't executing my pitches really,” Dutton said. “I just gotta get down in the zone. I was just leaving some pitches up in the zone that cost me a little bit. (I) also made some good pitches that they also had good swings on too. So it's part of the game, but it's one of the things that I gotta fix.”

The Lugnuts rallied in the bottom of the ninth, drawing within a run on a Nate Nankil RBI single. With runners at first and second, Cody Adcock induced Davis Diaz to fly out to center field, thwarting the comeback effort.

The second game of the three-game season-opening homestand is set for 6:05 p.m. Friday, with top prospect Zane Taylor making the start in his Lugnuts debut. For tickets or more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.