Dragons set HR record, but fall at Lansing

ajc.com

The Dayton Dragons hit two home runs to break the franchise record for team homers in a season on Tuesday, but they came up short as the Lansing Lugnuts defeated the Dragons 6-2. The game was the opener to a season-ending, six-game series.

Noelvi Marte hit a home run for Dayton in the third inning, the team’s 144th of the year to tie the club record set in 2001. In the ninth, Michel Triana blasted a home run to right to break the record with five games to play in the final week of the season. The 2001 Dragons, led by Wily Mo Pena and Samone Peters, hit 144 home runs over 139 games. The Dragons have played 124 games so far in 2022.

Lansing scored four runs in the first inning to take a lead that was never seriously challenged. The Dragons saw their lead-off hitter reach base in seven of the nine innings, and their first two batters reached four times, but they went 0 for 15 with men in scoring position, and their only two runs came on solo home runs.

The Dragons finished the night with nine hits. Justice Thompson was 3 for 4 with three singles. Marte had two hits to extend his hitting streak to eight straight games.  Mat Nelson also had a hit to give him an eight-game hitting streak. Triana’s home run was his third in the last three games.

The Dragons trailed 5-1 through three inning and relievers Frainger Aranguren and Jayvien Sandridge combined to allow just one run in five innings, but the Dragons were never able to cut the deficit to less than four after the third inning.

The Dragons are 13-4 over their last 17 games. They are 64-60 over the full season, needing one win in the six games at Lansing to clinch a winning record. They are 25-33 in the second half.  Lansing improved to 53-74 overall and 28-33 in the second half.