MWL Dayton Dragons

Dayton Dragons GameDay Notes for Saturday (7:05 PM at Great Lakes)

September 7, 2024 - Midwest League (MWL)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 l Game # 65 (131)

Dow Diamond l Midland, Mich. l 7:05 p.m.

Radio: Fox Sports 980 WONE

Dayton Dragons (40-24, 74-56) at Great Lakes Loons (33-29, 67-61)

RH Mason Pelio (0-3, 8.87) vs. RH Jose Rodriguez (2-4, 2.52)

Today's Game: The Dayton Dragons (affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds) meet the Great Lakes Loons (affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers) in the fifth game of a six-game series.

Standings/Playoffs: The Dragons have clinched a playoff position as the East Division Second Half representative.

The MWL Playoffs consist of two rounds, and each series is best-of-three. The Dragons open the first round at Day Air Ballpark against the Lake County Captains on Tuesday, September 10 at 7:05 pm. Game two and (if necessary) game three will be played at Lake County on September 12-13, both at 6:35 pm. The championship round of the playoffs will begin on September 15 at the West Division champion. The series will conclude in the East Division ballpark on September 17 and (if necessary) September 18.

Other Historical Notes:

The Dragons current winning percentage in the Second Half of .625 would rank third in franchise history for best winning percentage in a half season, trailing only 2011, 2nd Half (48-22, .686); and 2007, 1st Half (44-26, .629).

The Dragons have won 40 games in a half for the first time since the 1st Half in 2017 when they went 41-29 (Half-Seasons were 70 games prior to 2021; they are now 66 games).

The Dragons will finish with a winning record in both halves for the second time in franchise history (2001: 41-29 & 41-28).

The Dragons current full-season winning percentage of .569 ranks third in franchise history, trailing 2011 (.593) and 2001 (.590).

The Dragons have won the Second Half East Division title for just the second time in franchise history (2011). They have two first half division titles (2001, 2007) and four playoff berths as a wildcard team (second place teams qualified for post-season prior to the 2021 season).

Last Game: Friday: Dayton 4, Great Lakes 1. Dragons pitchers Nestor Lorant, Dylan Simmons, Simon Miller, and John Murphy combined to allow just four hits and Ethan O'Donnell delivered a bunt single with two outs in the eighth inning to drive in the tie-breaking run. Leo Balcazar had two hits and an RBI for Dayton.

Player Notes

Ethan O'Donnell over his last 35 games: 49 for 140 (.350), 6 HR, 6 2B, 4 3B, 25 RBI.

Leo Balcazar over his last 37 games: 49 for 148 (.331), 6 HR, 7 2B, 1 3B, 28 RBI, 4 SB.

Cam Collier over his last 32 games: 33 for 103 (.320), 7 HR, 26 RBI, 7 2B, 1 3B, 30 BB.

Simon Miller's 1.47 ERA is the best in the MWL among pitchers with at least 30 innings. Miller since joining the Dragons: 18 G, 8 Sv, 30.2 IP, 17 H, 10 BB, 37 SO.

John Murphy has allowed earned runs in only two of 28 appearances since May 1. His 1.79 ERA in 2024 is tied for third among MWL pitchers with at least 40 innings.

Upcoming Probable Pitchers (Game times are Dayton time) (All games on WONE 980 AM and www.daytondragons.com)

Sunday, Sept. 8 (1:05 pm): Dayton RH Gabriel Aguilera (4-4, 4.24) at Great Lakes RH Peter Huebeck (2-5, 2.85)

Tuesday, Sept. 10 (7:05 pm): Lake County TBA at Dayton TBA (MWL Playoffs, Game 1)

Thursday, Sept. 12 (6:35 pm): Dayton TBA at Lake County TBA (MWL Playoffs, Game 2)

Friday, Sept. 13 (6:35 pm, if necessary): Dayton TBA at Lake County TBA (MWL Playoffs, Game 3)

How to Watch/Listen: All home and road Dragons games including all playoff games will be available free of charge on the Bally Live app (look for Bally Live Ohio) or on the internet at Ballylive.com (in the Channel Guide, click on Bally Live Ohio or the MiLB Zone). Games in Dayton will be Dragons productions, while games on the road will be produced by the opposing team. Dragons radio broadcasts of all home and road games will also be available on FOX Sports 980 WONE (980 AM), at daytondragons.com, and via the Dragons Mobile App.

Check out the Dayton Dragons Statistics



Midwest League Stories from September 7, 2024


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