Back-To-Back Home Runs Trigger Dragons 5-2 Win at West Michigan
MWL Dayton Dragons

Back-To-Back Home Runs Trigger Dragons 5-2 Win at West Michigan

August 2, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Grand Rapids, Mich. - Dayton's Carter Graham and Ariel Almonte hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning before Yerlin Confidan hit a two-run homer in the sixth to lead the Dragons to a 5-2 win over West Michigan on Saturday night. The Dragons can split the six-game series in West Michigan with a win over the Whitecaps on Sunday afternoon at 2:05 pm.

Game Summary:

The game began as a pitcher's duel between Dayton starter Jose Montero and West Michigan starter Hayden Minton. Neither team threatened to score until West Michigan got to Montero for one run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead.

Minton had retired 11 in a row before Dayton's Carter Graham ended the streak with a home run to left field with one out in the fifth inning. The homer was Graham's third of the season. The next batter, Ariel Almonte, drilled a home run to right field to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead. Almonte's home run, with an exit velocity of 108 mph, was his sixth of the year.

In the sixth inning, Dayton's Anthony Stephan singled with one out, and one batter later, Yerlin Confidan blasted a two-run home run to right field to make it 4-1. The homer by Confidan was his fourth of the year.

West Michigan scored one run against Montero in the sixth to make it 4-2 before the Dragons went to their bullpen to start the seventh. Cody Adcock replaced Montero and worked a perfect inning before running into trouble in the eighth. With two on and one out, Adcock was replaced by Irvin Machuca, who got a line out on an excellent leaping catch by second baseman Victor Acosta, and a strikeout to end the threat.

The Dragons scored in the top of the ninth when Carlos Sanchez singled to start the inning and eventually scored from second on Graham's single to center to make it 5-2. Machuca pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth for his fourth save.

Montero (5-3) earned the win, going six innings and allowing six hits and two runs with one walk and six strikeouts.

The Dragons finished the night with seven hits. Graham had two hits including the home run and drove in two. The back-to-back homers by Graham and Almonte in the fifth marked the first time in 2025 that the Dragons have gotten home runs from consecutive hitters. The homer by Confidan in the sixth gave the Dragons three homers in the game, matching their season high, which had occurred two times previously.

The game featured one of the best defensive plays of the year by a Dayton player. In the fifth inning, Dragons center fielder Carlos Jorge made an incredible diving catch on a drive toward left-center, catching the ball as he was flying through the air in full extension.

Up Next: The Dragons (11-21, 32-65) play at West Michigan (23-12, 67-33) on Sunday afternoon at 2:05 pm in the last game of the six-game series. Nestor Lorant (0-8, 6.75) will start for Dayton.

The next Dragons home game at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District is Tuesday, August 5 against the Lake County Captains at 7:05 pm. For tickets, call (937) 228-2287 or go to daytondragons.com/tickets.

On the Air: All Dragons home and road games are broadcast on radio on FOX Sports 980 AM WONE. Games can be heard on smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices via the free Dragons Mobile App, or on a computer at wone.com. Games are also available on HD Radio on 104.7 WTUI HD 2.

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Midwest League Stories from August 2, 2025


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