DRAGONS 6, LANSING 3
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Dayton (R-H-E): 6-10-1; Lansing (R-H-E): 3-8-2
Win: Brady Afthim (1-0); Loss: Riley Huge (0-2); Save: Trent Hodgdon (4)
HR: Dayton: Tyson Lewis (1st, 0 on base in third inning); Marcus Smith (2nd, 0 on base in third inning). HR: Lansing: Pedro Pineda (2nd, 0 on base in sixth inning).
Dayton, Ohio—Ryan McCrystal had two hits including a two-run double and Tyson Lewis connected on his first High-A home run as the Dayton Dragons defeated the Lansing Lugnuts 6-3 on Friday night.
The Dragons have won three straight games after the Lugnuts took the first game of the six-game series.
A crowd of 7,736 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.
Cincinnati Reds gold glove-winning third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes played the first five innings for the Dragons on an injury rehab assignment. He had three plate appearances, going 1 for 3 with a hard single, two groundouts, and a run scored. He handled four defensive chances effectively. Hayes told the media that he expects to play seven innings for the Dragons on Saturday and play all nine innings on Sunday in Dayton.
Recap: The Dragons took the lead with three runs in the third inning. Tyson Lewis led off the frame with a long home run to center field with an exit velocity of 108 mph off the bat. The homer was the first in the Midwest League for Lewis in just his third game with the Dragons. The very next batter, Marcus Smith, also belted a home run, a long drive to right field. It was Smith’s second home run in just his seventh at-bat since joining the Dragons. The homers by Lewis and Smith marked the fifth time this season that two Dragons hitters have connected on back-to-back home runs.
Later in the third inning, Ke’Bryan Hayes, on a Major League injury rehab assignment, restarted the rally with a base hit to center field. Ryan McCrystal blooped a single to center to move Hayes to third, and Julio Carreras lined a base hit to left to drive in Hayes and make it 3-0.
Dragons starting pitcher Kyle McCoy was brilliant after being selected as the Cincinnati Reds Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June. McCoy worked five scoreless innings, allowing two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. He left the game with a 3-0 lead.
Lansing tied the game in the top of the sixth inning, collecting five hits to score three runs. Pedro Pineda hit a solo home run with two outs to even the score.
But the Dragons jumped back in front in the seventh. Peyton Stovall began the inning with a base hit to center field, and Victor Acosta followed with a single to left. An error on the left fielder on the play allowed Stovall to take an extra base and go to third while Acosta went to second. McCrystal followed with a double to the gap in left-center field to drive in both runners and give the Dragons a 5-3 lead. One batter later, Jacob Friend lined a double to right field to bring in McCrystal and make it 6-3.
Lansing put two runners on base to get the tying run to the plate with two outs in the eighth, but Dayton reliever Trent Hodgdon came out of the bullpen to get a strikeout and end the threat. In the ninth, the Lugnuts again got the tying run to the plate with two outs, but Hodgdon again notched a strikeout to end the game and earn his fourth save.
McCrystal talked about his tie-breaking hit: "Really tough lefty to pick up. I was sitting slider off of him. I had faced him a few times before. He's got a really good fastball and it's just one of those left-on-left matchups where I'd rather pick a pitch to sit on than try and pick an area to sit on. I took (a strike) 2-0. I didn't feel there was any need to ground out 2-0 or anything like that with the infield in. (He) threw a heater that I was able to fight off 3-2. Just grind out at bats and eventually you'll get something to hit."
The Dragons finished the night with 10 hits. Smith had two hits including a home run. McCrystal also had two hits. Stovall had a hit and a walk to extend his hitting streak to six straight games.
McCrystal is now 11 for 16 (.688) in four games since returning to the Dragons from Chattanooga on Tuesday, a move that corresponded to five Dragons players moving up the ladder to Double-A. He took a positive attitude about the move.
"I realized so much that I'm not Ryan McCrystal the baseball player, I'm Ryan McCrystal the person. Anything that happens baseball-wise is just a bonus. I get to go home to my fiancée and my dog every single night. I get to play the game that I've loved since I was two years old. My family supports me. No matter where you are, I'm playing professional baseball in the Reds organization and every day is a blessing."
Up Next: The Dragons (7-5, 46-32) host the Lugnuts (2-11, 31-46) in the fifth game of the six-game series on Saturday at 7:05 pm at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. J.P. Ortiz (4-1, 5.46) is scheduled to start for the Dragons against Lansing’s Nathan Dettmer (3-3, 3.53). 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.