MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Loons Fall to Dayton 6-1 at Dow Diamond

Published on April 26, 2014 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, Mich. - Dayton has now played 18 innings against the Great Lakes Loons and scored in only four of them. But it will be the Dragons going for the series sweep Sunday after Saturday's 6-1 win at Dow Diamond.

Like they did in Friday's 10-2 victory over the Loons, the Dragons had a big early inning - in this case, a four-run second - then tacked on some insurance runs later. The Loons league-leading offense, meanwhile, was mostly silent again. Paul Hoenecke's second inning homer provided the Loons only run as Dayton starter Daniel Wright and three relievers combined to give up only four hits.

Dayton also turned three double plays as the Loons had no runners left on base for the first time since May 11, 2012.

"Their pitching was good, give them credit," said Loons manager Bill Haselman. "They did a good job attacking the zone and throwing strikes."

Loons starting pitcher Jonathan Martinez (3-2), who was so efficient in a win Monday against Fort Wayne, gave up seven hits and four earned runs in five innings. The 19-year-old Martinez needed only 60 pitches to get through seven innings against the TinCaps, but had thrown that many after three innings Saturday.

"He was up in the zone and that's where you get in trouble," said Haselman. "But it wasn't like they crushed the ball against him."

Martinez cruised through the first inning, striking out two Dragons in the process, but Dayton's Sebastian Elizalde led off the second with a single. After Sean Buckley flied out to left, Tanner Rahier doubled to the left-field gap to score Elizalde. After a single by Mateo, Brandon Dailey double home two more runs, then scored on a single to Carlton Daal.

Martinez made it through the next three innings relatively unscathed, but the damage had been done.

After Hoenecke's home run, Wright (1-0) retired 11 of the next 12 batters and finished his six-inning stint by allowing four hits, no walks and two strikeouts. Relievers Joel Bender, Evan Mitchell and Scott Brattvet each threw one scoreless inning.

Left-hander Michael Johnson pitched two scoreless innings for the Loons while reliever Luis De Paula made his Loons debut and gave up a run and three hits in two innings. De Paula was added to the roster after Francisco Villa was put on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. De Paula arrived at the Dow Diamond around 5 p.m. after catching a plane from Arizona to Detroit.

Dayton (14-7) went into the game with a half-game lead on the Loons (13-9) and South Bend in the Midwest League Eastern Division standings. The Loons and Dragons conclude their series Sunday with a 3:05 p.m. game at Dow Diamond. Zachary Bird (1-2, 7.36 ERA) will start for the Loons, while Sal Romano (2-1, 2.86 ERA) gets the start for the Dragons. It will be Family Fun in the SUNday in which kids can run the bases free, courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance.

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Midwest League Stories from April 26, 2014


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