Dayton starting pitcher Joe Boyle, who began the day with a 17-inning scoreless streak to start the season, worked into the fifth inning with the 3-0 lead.
Boyle issued a pair of walks in the fifth and reached his pitch limit with two men on base and two outs, leading 3-0 as he left the game. Lansing scored one run before the inning ended that was charged to Boyle, the first run he has allowed in 2022. Boyle did not give up a hit in his start on Tuesday while walking six and striking out seven.
The Dragons scored a run in the top of the sixth on a Lansing error to make it 4-1 before the Lugnuts responded with two runs in the bottom sixth to pull within 4-3.
Dayton’s Mat Nelson led off the eighth with a home run to left field, his second of the year. Lansing pulled back within a run in the bottom of the inning on a home run by Jared McDonald.
Benoit entered the game with one out in the bottom of the eighth with the Dragons leading 5-4 and runners at first and second. He pitched out of the jam by getting a strikeout and a ground out. In the bottom of the ninth, he issued a one-out walk, but got a strikeout for the second out, and a game-ending ground out to notch his fourth save.
McGarry, Nick Quintana, and Ashton Creal each had two hits for Dayton.
The Dragons began the day with the second-best record in all of Minor League Baseball (120 teams), just behind the Aberdeen IronBirds of the South Atlantic League, who were 19-6.
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
Dayton at Lansing, 7:05 p.m., 980
About the Author