Dragons top TinCaps for 2nd straight win

Credit: Marshall Gorby

Credit: Marshall Gorby

Dayton’s Tyler Callihan collected a double and triple while Michel Triana hit his first High-A home run to lead the Dragons to a 5-2 victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Thursday night. 

Four Dayton pitchers combined to allow four hits in the game. Jean Correa, making his first start in the Reds organization, tossed three no-hit innings to set the tone for the night.

The game was scoreless until the fourth inning, when Callihan led off with a double and scored on a double by Jose Torres to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead. Triana followed with a home run to right field to make it 3-0.  Quincy McAfee re-started the rally with a base hit, and three batters later, Austin Hendrick ripped a double to right to bring in the fourth run of the inning.

Meanwhile, Correa tossed three scoreless frames before reaching his pitch limit.  Reliever Frainger Aranguren replaced Correa and allowed a run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Dragons responded in the top of the fifth when Callihan tripled and scored on Torres’ sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.

Fort Wayne scored one run in the sixth, but Dragons relievers shut down the TinCaps over the final three innings.  Braxton Roxby pitched out of a jam in the eighth, and Donovan Benoit worked a perfect ninth inning for his ninth save.  Aranguren (4-1) was credited with the win.

After picking up 13 hits on Wednesday, the Dragons collected 10 hits on Thursday, marking the first time they have reached double-figures in hits in back-to-back games in the second half.  Callihan, Torres, and McAfee each had two hits.  The Dragons had seven extra base hits in the game, including the homer by Triana, the double and triple by Callihan, two doubles by Torres, and doubles by Hendrick and Mat Nelson.

The Dragons are 14-29 in the second half and 53-56 overall.  Fort Wayne dropped to 18-27 in the second half and 45-66 overall.