EASTLAKE, Ohio – In Game 2 of a seven-game series, the Lake County Captains (57-49, 20-22) defeated the Dayton Dragons (57-51, 18-24) by a final score of 4-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.
Tied at 2-2 in the seventh, RF José Pirela came through with an early signature moment in a Lake County uniform, blasting his first High-A home run in his second High-A game to give the Captains the decisive two-run lead. With Pirela’s long ball on Wednesday, Lake County has now slugged 14 home runs over its last 10 games.
After the Captains loaded the bases with two outs in the second, Pirela drove in his first run of the day with a bases-loaded walk, giving Lake County an early 1-0 lead.
The Dragons got on the board in the fourth inning when C John Michael Faile launched a two-run home run, his eighth homer of the year, to give Dayton its lone advantage of the afternoon.
The Dragons’ lead lasted until the sixth frame, when a two-out balk from Dayton RHP Jordan Little allowed Captains DH Anthony Martinez to score the tying run.
Lake County retook the lead for good on Pirela’s two-run shot in the seventh, as the Captains cruised to a 4-2 win. The 20-year-old also hit his first career High-A triple in the fifth inning and walked once more in the eighth, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances in the contest.
LHP Donovan Zsak (W, 4-0) earned the win for Lake County with a scoreless, hitless seventh inning of relief, issuing two walks while striking out a Dragon.
Little (L, 1-1; BS, 1) suffered the loss for Dayton, surrendering three runs (four earned) on three hits in 1.2 innings of relief, striking out three and walking two.
RHP Jogly García (S, 3) earned the six-out save for the Captains, walking two and striking out one in two scoreless, hitless innings out of the bullpen.
Games 3 and 4 of this week’s seven-game series between the Captains and Dragons are scheduled as a doubleheader on Thursday, Aug. 13, which is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader is scheduled to begin approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1. Lake County will celebrate Dawg Night presented by Thirsty Dog, where the Captains will pay special tribute to Golden Retrievers. From 6-7 p.m., the Captains will host a meet-and-greet event with Charlie the Golden Retriever, who will portray Buddy in the upcoming movie “Air Bud Returns,” and Mokoro the Bat Dog. It will be Strikeout the Stigma Night at the ballpark as well, where Lake County will partner with the Radical Hope Foundation to celebrate the importance of mental health in baseball. Lake County will also celebrate Jewish Heritage Night with festivities all night long.
Both games 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
- OF José Pirela reached base in all four of his plate appearances on Wednesday afternoon, going 2-for-2 with a home run, a triple, two walks, and three RBI. The Maracaibo, Venezuela native is batting .367 with 11 hits, two doubles, one triple, three home runs, nine RBI, and a 1.241 OPS in eight games during the month of August across Lake County (two games) and Single-A Hill City (six games).
- 1B Anthony Martinez went 1-for-4 at the plate with a double on Wednesday afternoon. The 2025 eighth-round pick out of UC Irvine has logged three doubles in the first two games of this week’s series versus Dayton.
- RHP Aidan Major (ND) did not record a decision in his High-A debut on Wednesday afternoon. The 2024 fifth-round pick out of West Virginia allowed two runs on four hits in four innings of work in his first career High-A start, throwing four strikeouts to just one walk.
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.