Dayton Dragons Hang on to Beat Lansing Lugnuts 3-2 - Advanced A, Midwest League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Lansing, Mich.—Denis Phipps' run-scoring single with one out in the top of the eighth inning broke a 2-2 tie and Terrell Young pitched out of a tough jam in the bottom of the eighth as the Dayton Dragons held on for a 3-2 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts on Tuesday afternoon.  The Dragons improved their season's record to 21-14 and remained in first place in the Midwest League's Eastern Division.  They are 13-6 over their last 19 games.

 

Dayton took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Jason Bour doubled with two outs and scored on Michael McKennon's single.  Lansing tied the game in the third with an unearned run against Dragons starting pitcher Enerio Del Rosario.

 

In the seventh, Dayton briefly regained the lead when Jake Long doubled and scored on Bour's second double of the game to make it 2-1.  But Lansing tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by Yohermyn Chavez against Dragons reliever Tyler Rhoden.

 

Keltavious Jones led off the Dayton half of the eighth with a walk and Angel Cabrera sacrificed him to second.  Phipps following with a line drive single to left-center to bring in Jones and make it 3-2.

 

Lansing's Moises Sierra led off the bottom of the eighth with a double against Rhoden and after Justin Jackson walked, Young entered the game with two on and no outs.  But Young retired Kevin Ahrens on a foul pop to the catcher and got Darin Mastroianni to fly to right.  The next hitter, C.J. Ebarb, hit a low liner to right that Phipps caught with a sliding, lunging grab to end the inning and keep the Dragons in front.  Young pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to close out the Dragons win.

 

Rhoden (1-0) was credited with the win despite allowing the tying run in the seventh.  Young earned his first save, retiring all six batters he faced.

 

Del Rosario was outstanding in a starting role but received no decision.  He worked six innings, allowing just four hits and one unearned run while walking no one and striking out five, lowering his earned run average to 1.13.

 

The Dragons collected 10 hits.  Bour and Brandon Waring each had two doubles.  Cabrera also had two hits, both singles.

 

The Dragons meet the Lugnuts on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Matt Klinker (2-1, 3.38) will start for Dayton. 

 

The next home game is Friday at 7:05 p.m. against Great Lakes.  The Dragons also host Great Lakes in a day-night doubleheader on Saturday with games at 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m.  Both games are nine inning games.   Tickets for Sunday's (May 11) postponed game will be honored at the noon game on Saturday.  For more information, call (937) 228-2287.

 

Notes:  The Dragons are seven games above the .500 mark for the first time this season…Dragons starting pitchers have allowed only two unearned runs in the series in 12 innings of work…The Dragons are 8-3 this season in one-run games…Tuesday's win marked the eighth time this season in 35 contests that Dayton has won despite scoring three runs or less.

 

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