Siri Leads Dragons to 5-2 Win over West Michigan

Dayton, Ohio-Jose Siri belted a home run and drove in three runs to lead the Dayton Dragons to a 5-2 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps on Saturday night. The Dragons pulled back to within one game of first place with the win and evened the four-game series with the Whitecaps at one win apiece.<o:p>
 
Dragons starting pitcher Ty Boyles (1-0) was outstanding in just his second start with the team this season. He worked six and one-third innings, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts to earn the win. Joel Kuhnel pitched a perfect ninth inning for his seventh save.<o:p>

The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Luis Gonzalez scored from third on Siri's two-out infield single. The Whitecaps tied the game with a run in the top of the fifth.<o:p>
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Gonzalez singled to start the inning and was still at first base with two outs when Siri blasted a home run to right-center field, his second homer of the year, to make it 3-1. The Dragons added two more runs in the sixth. Bruce Yari singled with one out, went to third on John Sansone's double, and scored on Brantley Bell's sacrifice fly. Sansone scored on a two-out single by Gonzalez to make it 5-1.<o:p>
 
West Michigan scored one run in the eighth inning but could never get the tying run to the plate over the final four frames.<o:p>
 
The Dragons improved their record to 32-16 with the win while West Michigan fell to 33-15. The Dragons and Whitecaps both rank among the top three in all of Minor League Baseball in victories.<o:p>
 
The Dragons collected nine hits in the game. Siri was 3 for 4 with two singles and the home run. Gonzalez was 2 for 2 with two runs scored and an RBI. Tyler Stephenson had a double to extend his hitting streak to nine straight games. The Dragons touched up West Michigan starter Greg Soto for five runs in five and two-thirds innings. Soto had allowed only five earned runs all season in seven previous starts and brought a 1.26 earned run average into the game.<o:p>
 
Up Next: The Dragons host West Michigan in the third game of the four-game series at Fifth Third Field on Sunday night at the special start time of 7:07 p.m. Andrew Jordan (3-3, 4.33) will start for the Dragons against West Michigan's Spenser Watkins (2-1, 1.59).<o:p>
 
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.<o:p>
 
For Dragons 2017 ticket information, call (937) 228-2287.