DAYTON — Playoff baseball will return to Dayton this September, and manager Julio Morillo and the Dragons are red hot as they arrive back home today to start a 12-game homestand through Fourth of July weekend.
Morillo and Dayton will face the West Michigan Whitecaps to begin the second-half home schedule starting Tuesday through Sunday. The Dragons currently lead the season series 8-4 over West Michigan, with all 12 games so far played at the home of the Whitecaps.
Dayton claimed the First Half Midwest League East Division title for the third time in franchise history and first since 2007. The Dragons also won the division title during the first half in 2001.
The Dragons have won nine of their last 11 games, outscoring oppnents 97-35 in that span.
Tonight, right-handed pitcher Ty Floyd will match up against Whitecaps righty Zack Lee in the series opener.
According to the Dragons, the team is on pace to finish the season with 792 runs. They currently have scored 411 times, and the club record is 730 set in the team’s inaugural season in 200.
The Dragons have multiple league leaders on the team as the second half gets underway.
Infielder Carter Graham broke the Dragons club record for highest batting average in a first half with .330, according the Dayton game notes.
Graham, on May 28, tied the club record with eight RBIs against Great Lakes.
According to the Dragons, Graham leads the Midwest League with 50 RBIs since May 1. That stands as 12 more than any other player.
Dayton won the first half division title by one game. The Dragons won two elimination games on the final night of the first half, overtaking fellow High-A foes Great Lakes and Lake County.
Last week, the Dragons won the series at the Peoria Chiefs 4-1 as the final game of the series was rained out Sunday.
According to the Dragons, the team has hit 20 homers over their last six games and 32 dingers over the last 11.
Among the Dragons leaders in home runs include catcher Alfredo Duno and Graham with 15 apiece and infielder Alfredo Alcantara and outfielder Kien Vu with 12 each.
The Whitecaps are 5-1 over their last six games and coming off a five-game sweep of the Lansing Lugnuts.
Lee will make his second start of the season tonight against the Dragons. He’s seen Dayton three times in relief appearances for West Michigan so far this season.
Floyd was activated from the minor league injured list today, and he will make his first start of the season for the Dragons against West Michigan.
Floyd pitched at LSU from 2020-23 and appeared in the Men’s College World Series. The 2023 CWS All-Tournament Team honored helped the Tigers win the national championship that year.
Tuesday’s final
FINAL: Dayton 8, West Michigan 5. DAYTON DRAGONS RECAP.
The Dragons snapped the Whitecaps’ five-game winning streak that included a shortened series sweep of Lansing last week.
Shortstop Carlos Sanchez delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth inning with an RBI single to left field scoring Yerlin Confidan, who reached on a leadoff single.
After a throwing error and two-out single by John Michael Faile put Confidan on third base, Sanchez floated the ball opposite field to left for his fourth hit of the game. Finishing a home run shy of the cycle, Sanchez also had a one-out triple in the bottom of the fourth inning that gave Dayton its first lead that erased a 2-0 deficit.
Here’s the final batting line for Sanchez on Tuesday night:
SS Carlos Sanchez: 4-5, 3B, 2 2Bs, 4 RBIs, 2 Rs, 8 TBs.
Floyd was on a strict pitch limit and finished with 36 pitches, including 17 for strikes. He walked three and allowed two hits and as many earned runs across 1 1/3 innings.
Righty Beau Blanchard earned the win after a blown save by allowing a leadoff solo home run to Patrick Lee in the eighth inning. Blanchard pitched 2 1/3 innings striking out three and only giving up the home run for a hit.
Right-handed reliever Victor Diaz earned his fifth save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
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