“Our goal is to win series and that’s what we did,” Dragons manager Bryan LaHair said. “The first game didn’t go our way. It wasn’t fun to watch, but they responded and bounced back like I knew they would.”
Andrew Abbott was drafted in the second round last year after four years at Virginia and is rated as the Reds’ No. 13 prospect by MLB.com. He made five starts between rookie league and low-A last year with a 4.15 ERA in 13 innings, and the Reds decided he was ready for high-A Dayton.
In his first Midwest League start and sixth as a pro, Abbott allowed one run in four innings on five hits and two walks as his fastball reached 93 mph. He worked out of a bases-loaded situation in the first inning and stranded runners at second in the third and fourth.
“He was tough, and he was living on the edge all day and throwing strikes, attacking the zone,” LaHair said. “He’s a tough guy to face and the defense made some really nice plays for him.”
The Dragons took a 2-1 lead in the second inning. Nick Quintana singled in a run and Ashton Creal was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Dragons seized control in the third when outfielder Alex McGarry hit a first-pitch two-run homer on a line to right for a 4-1 lead. McGarry hit 11 homers last year and has a way of making good early impressions.
Last year he homered in his first two pro games at Daytona. The Reds promoted him to Dayton, and he hit two homers in his third game. He didn’t play Friday but played in both games Sunday and homered in his third at-bat and fifth plate appearance. McGarry signed with the Reds as an undrafted free agent last year.
“He had good at bats all day,” LaHair said. “He’s a good hitter, he’s a tough out, he makes contact, he squares balls up and he hits a lot of line drives.”
The Dragons added a fun in the sixth when they loaded the bases with singles by Quintana and Jonathan Willems and an error off the bat of Quin Cotton. Creal followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right.
Frainger Aranguren allowed one hit in two innings of relief to earn the win. Carson Rudd struck out the side in the seventh after walking the first two batters.
First game: A four-run third inning against starter James Marinan and a seven-run sixth against relievers Jake Stevenson and Jake Gozzo carried the TinCaps to a 13-2 victory. Joshua Mears homered twice and Robert Hassell III and Jarryd Dale also homered for Fort Wayne.
Marinan allowed six runs in three innings and three homers. Dayton’s only offense was Rece Hinds’ two-run homer in the third.
This week: The Dragons start a six-game series at Lake County (2-1) on Tuesday. Starting the first three games for Dayton will be Joe Boyle, James Proctor and Thomas Farr.
TUESDAY’S GAME
Dayton at Lake County, 6:35 p.m., 980
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