Dragons Win Sixth Straight Game, Pull to Within One Game of First Place

Dragons 4, Great Lakes 3

Click here for the box score

Dayton (R-H-E): 4-9-0; Great Lakes (R-H-E): 3-3-1

Win: Jose Acuña (7-1); Loss: Maddux Bruns (0-3); Save: John Murphy (2)

HR: Dayton: Austin Callahan (6^th, 1 on base in third inning); Jay Allen II (1^st, 0 on base in fourth inning). HR: Great Lakes: None

Midland, Mich.—Austin Callahan hit a two-run home run, Jay Allen II added a solo shot, and three Dayton pitchers combined to allow only three hits as the Dragons defeated the Great Lakes Loons 4-3 on Thursday night. The win extended the Dragons winning streak to six consecutive games, matching their season high for 2023.

The win left the Dragons just one game behind first place Fort Wayne in the Midwest League’s East Division.

The Dragons trailed 2-1 in the top of the third inning when Edwin Arroyo began the inning with a sharp single to center field. After Arroyo stole second, Callahan followed with an opposite field home run to left to give the Dragons a 3-2 lead. The homer was Callahan’s sixth of the year.

Allen II blasted a long home run to left field in the fourth. The towering drive was estimated at 461’ and gave the Dragons a 4-2 lead. It was Allen’s first home run of the year.

Meanwhile, Dragons starting pitcher Jose Acuña settled down after allowing two walks and two runs in the first inning. Acuña allowed just two base runners, both on walks, over the next five innings as he kept the Loons from scoring. He left the game after the sixth with a 4-2 lead. Acuña (7-1) allowed just one hit and two runs in his six innings with four walks and three strikeouts to earn the win.

Mac Sceroler entered the game on a Minor League injury rehabilitation assignment in the seventh. Sceroler, who pitched for the Dragons in 2018 and appeared in five Major League games with the Baltimore Orioles in 2021, is on the injured list with Double-A Chattanooga. Sceroler worked a perfect seventh inning before allowing hits to the first two batters in the eighth. A pair of ground outs brought in one run, but Sceroler got out of the inning with a 4-3 lead, stranding runners at first and third.

John Murphy entered the game to pitch the ninth inning. He struck out the lead-off batter, issued a walk, got another strikeout, and then gave up another walk to put men at first and second with two outs. Murphy got the Great Lakes lead-off hitter, Taylor Young, to fly out to right field to end the game and notch his second save.

The Dragons finished with nine hits. Both Austin Hendrick and Ruben Ibarra had two hits and two walks for Dayton. The Dragons stole five bases including two by Allen and Arroyo and one by Hendrick.

Notes: Over the Dragons six-game winning streak, they have held their opponents to an average of just 4.2 hits per game, following three straight losses to Wisconsin in which the Timber Rattlers averaged 16 hits per contest. Dragons opponents have not had more than five hits in any of the six Dayton wins.

Up Next: The Dragons (15-12, 48-45) battle the Loons (14-13, 59-33) in the fourth game of the series at Dow Diamond in Midland on Friday at 7:05 p.m. Hunter Parks (2-4, 3.79) is scheduled to start for Dayton.

The Dragons next home game at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District is Tuesday, August 1 when they host the Beloit Sky Carp at 7:05 p.m. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

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.