Bailey Bedazzles Loons

DAYTON, Ohio - Right-hander Homer Bailey pitched six nearly-perfect innings, and the Dayton Dragons defeated the Great Lakes Loons by a 4-2 score for the second game in a row at Fifth Third Field on Wednesday night.
Bailey, the Reds first-round draft choice in 2004, made his first rehab appearance with Dayton since 2010. The native of La Grange, Texas underwent surgery in February to remove bone spurs in his elbow.
With a rehab appearance at Double-A Pensacola under his belt, Bailey faced two over the minimum through six innings. He hit Cody Thomas in the first inning, and did not allow a hit until lefty Saige Jenco doubled in the sixth with one out. The 10-year Major Leaguer, who has two no-hitters on his resume, struck out six and did not walk a Loon.
Dayton (40-26) pounced on the Loons (34-32) and right-handed starter Jordan Sheffield (L, 1-4) in the first inning. A walk and an error on third baseman Gersel Pitre put two men on with no outs, and back-to-back singles quickly made the score 2-0 Dayton. Sheffield threw 31 pitches in the first inning and faced eight batters as Dayton scored three runs (one earned) in the frame.
The offense awakened against Dayton's right-handed reliever Jesse Stallings. Midwest League All-Star Brendon Davis hit his seventh home run of the season as part of a two-run inning, but the Loons drew no closer. Righty Aaron Fossas picked up his second save for Dayton.
The Loons can salvage a series split in Thursday's finale from Fifth Third Field. A pair of Midwest League All-Stars start for their respective teams: right-hander Dustin May (3-3, 3.90) for the Loons versus fellow righty Tony Santillan (4-2, 2.63) for Dayton. First pitch is at 7 p.m.
The 2016 Midwest League Champions and hosts of the 2017 MWL All-Star Game presented by GoGreat.com have been a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team's inception in 2007. For tickets and more information about the Great Lakes Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.