The tough love turned into a kiss off the batter’s eye, just above the yellow line, in straightaway center field just when Faltine and his team needed it most. The two-run homer, his first of the season, broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning and sent the Dragons to a 2-1 victory.
“He got a good pitch to hit and he hit it hard,” LaHair said. “He’s been working, he’s been making some adjustments and it’s just good to see him come through. I’m sure he felt great about it.”
The homer was Faltine’s second minor-league homer. He hit one at Daytona last year.
“It feels good to come out there in a situation like that, big moment late in the game, and put us ahead,” he said.
Next is for Faltine to channel his big moment into more consistent production.
“This past week it’s been a lot better working with coaches,” he said. “I had a slow start to the season, which can happen. So just come to work every day and try to get better and find something that works for me.”
Faltine’s homer made a combined three-hitter by three Dragons pitchers count for something and improved their record to 17-20 and 9-7 this month. Julian Aguiar continued to dominate by allowing one hit, one walk and striking out three over six innings for his longest outing this season. After seven starts, his ERA is a league-leading 1.62, he’s held opponents to a league-low .153 batting average and he’s confident.
“That’s just me ever since growing up,” he said. “I’m always out there knowing that I had the stuff and just the ability to attack hitters, and just go out there and perform and just put up a fight against these batters.”
Aguiar, a 6-foot right-hander, pitched for two different junior colleges in California and was committed to Tennessee. But the Reds drafted him in the 12th round in 2021 and he signed. In 30 appearances and 17 starts entering this season, Aguiar had a 3.43 ERA.
“Everything happens for a reason and opportunities come and go,” he said. “And the right opportunities came by, so I took those opportunities and now I’m here ... blessings ... wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
John Murphy pitched the seventh and eighth and got the first out in the ninth in his Dragons’ debut. He’s 26 and in an organization for the first time after pitching four seasons in the independent leagues.
Jayvien Sandridge replaced Murphy and struggled at first, allowing a walk and RBI double. But he struck out the next two batters on sliders down and away to earn his first save.
“He got really nasty there with those last couple of hitters,” LaHair said. “We’ve seen that the last couple times out and in spurts. He got really dirty there.”
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