The Dragons 13-game winning streak is the longest in the Midwest League since 2018. It is the longest anywhere in Minor League Baseball - including all levels and 120 teams - since 2023.
The Dragons winning streak began with the final game of a series at Lansing on August 17 and included back-to-back sweeps of six-game sets with Peoria in Dayton (August 19-24) and at Fort Wayne (August 26-31).
The Dragons took the lead with a run in the second inning. Anthony Stephan began the frame with a hit to center field and advanced to second base on a ground out. Two batters later, Faile singled up the middle to drive in Stephan from second and put the Dragons in front, 1-0.
Fort Wayne scored two runs in the third and ended the night for Dayton starting pitcher Luke Hayden, who threw 69 pitches over two and two-thirds innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out two, as Fort Wayne briefly jumped ahead, 2-1.
But the Dragons came roaring back in the top of the fourth. Stephan, Carlos Sanchez, and Yerlin Confidan, the first three batters of the inning, all cracked hard doubles to the fence to bring in two quick runs as the Dragons took the lead back 3-2. After a walk to Esmith Pineda, Faile hammered a three-run home run to left field, his team-leading 13th of the year, to make it a five-run inning and lift the Dragons to a 6-2 lead.
Fort Wayne’s Eguy Rosario, a Triple-A player on an injury rehabilitation assignment, blasted a two-run home run in the fifth inning to make it 6-4, and Rosario added a solo homer in the seventh to make it 6-5.
The Dragons added a big insurance run in the eighth inning. Stephan and Sanchez again produced back-to-back doubles to give Dayton a run and a 7-5 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, Fort Wayne put their first two batters on base and had the tying run at first with no outs. Joseph Menefee got back-to-back strikeouts and then gave way to Machuca, who closed out the inning with another strikeout to hold the two-run lead.
Machuca pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth for his sixth save. Will Cannon (2-3), who retired all six batters he faced in the middle innings, was credited with the win.
The Dragons finished with 10 hits. Stephan was 3 for 4 with two doubles and three runs scored. Faile had a homer, single, and four RBI. Sanchez had two doubles and two RBI. Confidan had a single, double, and RBI.
Up Next: The Dragons (26-31, 47-75) will host the Lansing Lugnets (25-35, 61-65) in their final series of the year starting at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday as Day Air Ball Park. on Tuesday, Sept. 2 against the Lansing Lugnuts, Jose Montero (6-5, 4.15) will start for the Dragons as they try to break their franchise record for consecutive wins. The game can be heard live on Fox Sports 980-AM WON.
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