FORT WAYNE 10, DRAGONS 6
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Fort Wayne (R-H-E): 10-16-1; Dayton (R-H-E): 6-5-5
Win: Abraham Parra (1-5); Loss: Ovis Portes (1-3); Save: Will Varmette (1)
HR: Dayton: Alfredo Duno (14th, 3 on base in fifth inning); Carter Graham (12th, 0 on base in sixth inning). HR: Fort Wayne: Justin DeCriscio (3rd, 3 on base in fourth inning); Rosman Verdugo (10th, 1 on base sixth inning).
Dayton, Ohio—The Fort Wayne TinCaps scored seven runs in the fourth inning and went on to defeat the Dayton Dragons 10-6 on Friday night. Fort Wayne snapped the Dragons three-game winning streak as they earned their first victory of the series.
A crowd of 7,986 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.
With the loss, the Dragons are one game behind first place Great Lakes in the East Division first half playoff race. Great Lakes leads the division with a record of 34-25. Second place Lake County is 34-26, one-half game out of first. The Dragons are now 34-27. Great Lakes and Lake County have six games to play, one more than the Dragons.
Game Recap: The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when John Michael Faile tripled and scored on Peyton Stovall’s sacrifice fly. But Fort Wayne enjoyed a big inning in the fourth, sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs against Dayton starting pitcher Ovis Portes. The first seven batters of the inning all reached base and scored, capped by a grand slam home run by Justin DeCriscio. Fort Wayne had six hits and one walk while the Dragons committed two errors in the inning.
In the Dayton half of the fifth, Alfredo Duno came to the plate after three walks in the inning and blasted a grand slam home run, his 14th homer of the year, to get the Dragons back within striking distance at 7-5.
But Fort Wayne answered with two runs in the top of the sixth on a two-run homer by Rosman Verdugo off Dayton reliever Graham Osman to make it 9-5.
Dayton’s Carter Graham hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth, his 12th homer of the year and third of the week, to make it 9-6. But Dayton could not score again, stranding six base runners over the final four innings. Fort Wayne scored one run in the top of the ninth to close out the scoring.
The Dragons had only five hits. Graham had two hits to raise his batting average to .324 on the year. Dayton was 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
The Dragons committed five errors including three throwing errors on their pitchers.
Portes (1-3) was charged with the loss. He allowed seven runs (six earned) in three and two-thirds innings, surrendering seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Portes began the game with three scoreless innings before surrendering seven runs in the fourth.
Up Next: The Dragons (34-27) continue their six-game set with Fort Wayne (25-36) with the fifth game of the series on Saturday at 7:05 pm at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Reynardo Cruz (1-2, 5.69) will start for Dayton. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.
On the Air: Dragons games on Saturday and Sunday will be televised in the Dayton market on the Dayton CW (Channel 26; Spectrum Cable channels 13 and 1013). 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.