Root K’s 11 in Loons 4-2 Series Opening Win

MIDLAND, Mich. – Great Lakes Loons (47-32) (11-4) pitching struck out 14, 11 by starter Zach Root in a 4-2 win over the Dayton Dragons (46-35) (7-8) on an 85-degree partly cloudy Tuesday night at Dow Diamond.

- Zach Root had his most dominant outing of 2026. The left-hander struck out 11 and permitted only three baserunners over six innings. The Dodgers No. 12 prospect punched out three in the fifth and sixth inning. He now has 12.59 K/9 over 49.1 innings.

- Great Lakes had four in a row reach base in the fifth inning. Eduardo Quintero earned his third time aboard with a five-pitch walk. Logan Wagner next-up rifled an RBI double that rolled to the wall in right field. Wagner’s double ousted Dragons’ starter Ovis Portes. Emil Morales greeted newly inserted pitcher Beau Blanchard by connecting on a 0-2 pitch for an RBI double up the left field line.

- Chuck Davalan extended the lead to 4-0 and the Loons consecutive games with a home run streak to 12, with a 403-foot solo shot in the sixth. Davalan now has 10 longballs in 72 games played.

- Dayton cut the lead in half in the eighth. Alfredo Alcantara doubled and Victor Acosta walked. Peyton Stovall sliced a 2-1 pitch up the first base line that bounced into and then stopped in the Great Lakes bullpen. Stovall finished at third base with his third triple of the year.

- Davis Chastain earned the save, collecting the final five outs. The Dragons put the potential tying run on base, but Chastain struck out Marcus Smith to end the game.

Rounding Things Out

Emil Morales now has eight games in a row with an RBI. It matches Jose Meza’s streak from May 20th to May 30th, 2026, as the longest in franchise history.

Up Next

Wednesday, July 8th is a Hometown Heroes night presented by Meijer. It is also Cancer Awareness Night dedicated to raising awareness and showing support for those affected by cancer. The first pitch is at 7:05 p.m. ET.

The Great Lakes Loons have been a partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and Sports Radio 100.9 The Mitt. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.