EASTLAKE, Ohio – In Game 6 of a seven-game series, the Lake County Captains (59-51, 22-24) fell to the Dayton Dragons (59-53, 20-26) by a final score of 6-5 on Saturday night at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.
Dayton used a five-run second inning to propel themselves out in front early before holding off a late Lake County rally. The Captains made it a one-run game going into the ninth inning, but stranded the bases loaded to end the ballgame.
The Dragons wasted no time in the second, loading up the bases with one out before DH Eric Becker, MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 Reds prospect, was hit by a pitch to drive in a run. One batter later, SS Justin Lebron, MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 Reds prospect, cleared the bases with his first career pro grand slam to make it a five-run inning for the visitors.
The Captains got a run back in the bottom of the inning when 3B Juan Benjamin hit an opposite-field RBI single.
After a lull in scoring, Dayton added another run in the fifth on an RBI single from CF Mason Neville.
From there, the charge was on for Lake County as they began to pull themselves back into the game.
First, LF José Pirela drove in a run in the sixth with an RBI single. Then, a wild pitch in the seventh inning allowed 2B Garrett Howe to score. Dayton, however, got a massive out on the play. When the attempted throw to get Howe got away, 3B Tyson Lewis, MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 Reds prospect, quickly collected it and fired a dart to the plate to get Benjamin, who tried to score from second base.
The Captains made it a one-run game in the eighth on an RBI single from 1B Riley Nelson, who was thrown out at second base trying to stretch the hit into a double. Despite loading the bases in the inning, Lake County’s rally fizzled in the ninth as Dragons RHP Trent Hodgdon slammed the door to secure the win for Dayton.
RHP J.P. Ortiz (W, 5-1) earned the win for the Dragons, giving up just one run on two hits in five innings of work, striking out six and walking three.
RHP Will McCausland (L, 1-4) suffered the loss for Lake County, allowing six runs on eight hits in five innings pitched, striking out five and walking a pair.
Hodgdon (S, 10) earned his 10th save of the season for Dayton, surrendering just one hit in 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, striking out two and walking two.
The finale of this week’s seven-game series between the Captains and Dragons is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, Aug. 16, at 1 p.m. Lake County will celebrate 2016 AL Champions Day at the ballpark, where the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Jason Kipnis Bobblehead Box presented by Minutemen. The Captains will also be partnering with Busy Bees Pottery & Arts Studio to host activities at the ballpark for I Love Art Day. Additionally, Lake County will host Wellness Day presented by Power Yoga Collective. Finally, it will be Family Fun Sunday presented by Classic Auto Group, which will feature pregame catch on the field and player autographs on the concourse, plus postgame kids run the bases presented by Akron Children’s Hospital.
The game will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App, the MiLB App, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.
NOTES TO KNOW
- INF Welbyn Francisca, MLB Pipeline’s No. 21 Guardians prospect, extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a double and a single on Saturday night. The 20-year-old is batting .439 with 18 hits, seven doubles, five home runs, eight RBI, five walks, and a 1.476 OPS during this span.
- 1B Riley Nelson reached base three times with an RBI single and two walks on Saturday night. The 2025 fifth-round pick out of Vanderbilt is batting .333 (5-for-15) with one double, three RBI, five walks to just two strikeouts, and a .500 on-base percentage in his first five High-A games.
- LHP Luis Flores, LHP Melkis Hernández, and LHP Donovan Zsak combined to pitch four scoreless innings of relief on Saturday night. The Captains’ bullpen has logged a 0.82 ERA in the first six games of this week’s series versus Dayton, allowing just two runs in 22.0 innings pitched.
About the Lake County Captains:
The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.