Torres’ first two homers of the season supplied the first-place Dragons’ final two runs in Wednesday’s 7-3 victory over West Michigan at DayAir Ballpark. The Dragons won their fifth straight.
“He’s a good hitter, so he’s going to have those days,” Dragons manager Bryan LaHair said. “Being cold to begin the season, there’s no telling how a player’s going to start in this weather. It is a factor, but they’re starting to get more comfortable each day.”
Torres, who batted lead off, finished 4-for-4 with a double and the Dragons’ first four-hit game of the season, raising his batting average from .179 to .281. Torres’ double-play partner, shortstop Elly De La Cruz, followed Tuesday’s three-hit night with two hits and an RBI and is batting .333.
The last time Torres hit two homers in a game was during an instructional league game this past fall in Arizona. De La Cruz also hit two homers in that game.
Whatever the Dragons (8-3) do right now adds up to winning. They were outhit 9-8 and committed two errors, but after falling behind 3-1 in the second inning controlled the game.
The Dragons entered the game batting .200, which is eighth in the league, only .209 with runners in scoring position and only three teams have scored fewer runs. But their slugging percentage is fourth in the league, and they are one of the better base-stealing teams in the league. The team ERA through 10 games was 5.21, second worst in the league, but that is skewed by losses of 13-2 and 12-5.
“There’s a lot of high IQ baseball plays that are happening out there that are keeping runners from scoring, getting the ball in quick, maybe redirected or cut off, those types of things,” LaHair said. “They’re making correct decisions at the right times, and we’re benefiting.”
Torres is rated the Reds’ No. 17 prospect by MLB.com and was the Reds’ third-round pick last year out of North Carolina State. He and the seven other top-30 Reds prospects on the Dragons are expected to make high IQ plays at the plate, on the basepaths, on the mound and in the field.
“It’s hard to come hit 90 miles an hour ball every day,” Torres said. “So we just find little ways to compete and stay in ball games. Our pitchers are giving us a chance to stay in ballgames. We’re just having good at bats and everybody’s not trying to do too much – just little stuff that the stat line doesn’t see but as a ballclub we see it.”
James Proctor started for the Dragons and allowed three earned runs in the second inning. He followed with two scoreless innings. Frainger Aranguren (3-0) and Jake Gilbert pitched two scoreless innings apiece, and Jake Stevenson allowed a hit in the ninth before De La Cruz and Torres turned a double play to end the game.
Pitch clock effect: For the first time this season, a Dragon was a victim of the new pitch clock. Outfielder Ashton Creal called for time after the clock reached zero. The pitch wasn’t thrown, but by rule a strike was assessed, which happened to be strike three. No Dragons pitcher has been penalized yet for a pitch clock violation.
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