The Dragons improved to 10-20 in the second half (49-47 overall). Peoria fell to 14-18 in the second half (42-56 overall).
Noelvi Marte has his first home run since being traded to the @Reds!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 4, 2022
MLB's No. 17 overall prospect crushes one for @DragonsBaseball. pic.twitter.com/R36Uu2Dflv
The Dragons trailed 3-1 when Austin Hendrick belted a two-out, three-run home run in the third inning to give Dayton a 4-3 advantage.
In the fifth, the Dragons exploded for five more runs, keyed by a two-run home run by Marte, the top prospect acquired last week in the trade that sent all-star pitcher Luis Castillo to Seattle. In the sixth, Hendrick added another run-scoring single to make it 10-3, and Garrett Wolforth hit a tape-measure home run to right in the seventh to put the Dragons ahead 11-3.
The Dragons added three more runs in the eighth. Brian Rey opened the inning with a triple, his fourth hit of the night. Tyler Callihan followed with a hit to bring in Rey, and Marte then blasted a long home run to left-center field to make it 14-3.
The Dragons finished with 14 hits, one short of their season high. Rey was 4 for 5 with four runs scored. Marte and Hendrick each drove in four runs.
Starting pitcher Christian Roa (4-3) earned the win, going five innings and allowing three runs on four hits with six walks and no strikeouts. Jake Gilbert followed Roa with three scoreless innings.
THURSDAY’S GAME
Peoria at Dayton, 7:05 p.m., 980