Just in case happened, but the Dragons failed to make the most of the opportunity.
Boyd dropped the ball, Chevalier headed for home and Thompson tried to go to second. The throw didn’t come to home plate and Chevalier didn’t sprint all the way through home, expecting to score easily. However, Chevalier was a step from scoring when Thompson was easily thrown out by Boyd at second base.
Home plate umpire Daniel Bytheway immediately and emphatically signaled that the out on Thompson was recorded with Chevalier a step from home plate. And that made Lake County a 6-5 winner at Day Air Ballpark. And the Dragons and embarrassed loser.
Dragons manager Bryan LaHair sat in his office minutes after the game and said it like it was.
“Both baserunners did not hustle through their position,” he said. “J.T. didn’t have any reason to go to second. Chevalier never ran through the plate. So there’s no play at the plate if J.T. stops at first, and he’s safe at the plate if he runs through the plate. So take your pick. They both screwed up.”
Hustle and playing the game the right way have been emphasized throughout the Reds organization. And with the way the number of young players, including several rookies, are playing for the red-hot and first-place Reds, it’s what LaHair expects of the next wave of players.
“It’s what we’ve been doing for the last number of years,” he said. “The lesson is never stop running.”
For most of 10 innings, the Dragons played like that kind of team. They got an early jolt on Mat Nelson’s two-run homer for a 2-1 lead. Nelson leads the Dragons with 10 homers.
The Dragons loaded the bases with walks in the fourth and Nelson scored on a wild pitch for a 3-1 lead. But an error by left fielder Ashton Creal created opportunities for the Captains in the fifth that led to three unearned runs. The Dragons tied the score 4-4 in the fifth when Jack Rogers doubled and scored on an error.
The Dragons loaded the bases again in the ninth with two walks and a hit batter, but Austin Callahan and Edwin Arroyo struck out to end the inning. Tyler Thornton (4-1) got some swings and misses on high pitches.
“That’s the perfect situation for any of our guys,” LaHair said. “I trust any of our guys in that spot – doesn’t matter. They’re all good hitters. With two outs, bases loaded, game on the line, that’s not easy.”
A third Dragon error in the 10th allowed the Captains (30-33) to score two more unearned runs to take a 6-4 lead. Ruben Ibarra singled in a run in the bottom of the inning to get the Dragons within a run. But two outs later the Dragons lost, reminding LaHair that the team’s record is not what he says it should be,
The Dragons (32-32) have been bouncing around .500 since rallying from a slow start. They are 15-9 in their last 24 games and 25-19 since April 30. With only two games left in the first half, the Dragons will turn their attention toward trying to make a run at the second-half title for a playoff spot.
“Obviously, we’re not playing as a whole to our full potential,” LaHair said. “I think we’re a better ballclub than .500, and we’re not better than .500.”
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