Big Inning Lifts Fort Wayne to Win over Dayton

Fort Wayne 12, Dragons 0
                                                
Fort Wayne (R-H-E): 12-15-0
Dayton (R-H-E): 0-2-0
Win:  Luis Patino (4-3)
Loss: Patrick McGuff (1-1)
Save: None
 
HR: Dayton: None
HR: Fort Wayne: Kelvin Melean, 2 (1st, 2 on base in sixth inning; 2nd, 0 on base in ninth inning); Nick Feight (2nd, 0 on base in ninth inning).
 
Dayton, Ohio-The Fort Wayne TinCaps scored nine runs in the sixth inning to break open a 1-0 game as they defeated the Dayton Dragons 12-0 on Wednesday night. The game was the start to a three-game series at Fifth Third Field before a crowd of 7,484.
Dayton starting pitcher Patrick McGuff and Fort Wayne's Luis Patiño engaged in a pitcher's duel over the early innings. Neither team had a hit until Fort Wayne produced a two-out single in the top of the fourth. The two pitchers combined for nine strikeouts over the first four innings as the game remained scoreless.
But Fort Wayne pushed across an unearned run against McGuff in the fifth inning to take a 1-0 lead. In the sixth, the TinCaps got a lead-off double followed by back-to-back bunt hits, the second of which brought in a run to make it 2-0. McGuff was then replaced by Miguel Aguilar with two men on base and no one out, and Aguilar had a rough outing. Aguilar recorded two outs but gave up six hits, two walks, and saw eight runs cross the plate after he entered the game. Two of the eight were charged to McGuff, and six to Aguilar, before Cory Thompson came in to record the final out of the inning with the Dragons trailing 10-0. Fort Wayne added two more runs in the ninth, getting a home run by Kelvin Melean, his second of the game.
McGuff (1-1) was charged with the loss. His final line showed five innings of work with four runs allowed (three earned) on five hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
The Dragons finished the night with only two hits. Alejo Lopez had two hits and a walk.

In the Standings: The loss dropped the Dragons to 15-17 in the second half. They are one-half game out of the wildcard spot in the Midwest League's East Division Second Half race. Fort Wayne improved to 15-16.
Up Next:  The Dragons host Fort Wayne again on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. Hunter Greene (3-7, 4.61) will start for Dayton against Fort Wayne's Tom Cosgrove (2-4, 4.62).
Game Broadcast:  All Dragons games are broadcast on radio on Fox Sports 980 WONE and on the internet at wone.com. Games are also available on the Dayton Dragons mobile app.
For Dragons 2018 ticket information, call (937) 228-2287.