Lorant Pitches Dragons to Fifth Straight Win, First Series Victory of 2025 Season
MWL Dayton Dragons

Lorant Pitches Dragons to Fifth Straight Win, First Series Victory of 2025 Season

Published on August 22, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, Ohio - Dayton starting pitcher Nestor Lorant allowed only one run over six strong innings and Carter Graham collected two hits as the Dragons defeated the Peoria Chiefs 5-3 on Friday night. The win was the first of the year for Lorant, the Reds Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2024 who had struggled to 10 straight losses this season.

Lorant described his key to Friday's success.

"Keep my focus on the lineup and the game," he said. "Just give the team a chance to win...get ahead with every pitch, try to throw every pitch for a strike and get the easy out and repeat."

The win was the fifth straight for the Dragons, giving them their longest winning streak since August of 2024. They have won the first four games of the six-game series with Peoria to clinch their first series victory of the season.

A crowd of 8,064 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

Game Summary:

There was no scoring in the game until the fourth inning when the Dragons came up big. Held without a hit over the first three innings by Peoria starting pitcher Braden Davis, who struck out seven of the first 10 batters he faced, the Dragons got a lead-off walk in the fourth to Carlos Jorge to start the rally. Carter Graham followed with a single to left, the first Dayton hit of the night. With one out, Carlos Sanchez walked to load the bases, and John Michael Faile followed with a hard liner to center field for a hit that drove in Jorge and gave Dayton a 1-0 lead. Ariel Almonte followed with a roller through the middle into center field to drive in both Graham and Sanchez and move Faile to third. Diego Omana grounded out to second base as Faile scored to make it 4-0.

The Dragons added another run in the fifth. Alexander Vargas was credited with a double on a ball lost in the twilight sky by the Peoria center fielder, and Vargas went to third on an infield single by Jorge. With two outs, Vargas scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-0. Peoria scored one run in the sixth to make it 5-1.

Dragons starting pitcher Nestor Lorant completed six innings for the first time in 21 starts this season, allowing three hits and one run with two walks and seven strikeouts. Joseph Menefee replaced Lorant to start the seventh and worked a scoreless inning. Menefee struck out the first two batters in the eighth before allowing a two-out triple. He was then replaced by Dylan Simmons, who surrendered a two-run home run to the first batter he faced, Jesus Baez, to make it 5-3. Simmons allowed a walk that brought the tying run to the plate but got a ground out to end the eighth.

In the ninth, Simmons allowed a one-out single and a two-out walk to put the tying run on base, but he retired the next hitter on a grounder to first base to end the game.

The Dragons finished the night with six hits. Graham was 2 for 4 with a run scored and is now batting .356 over his last 17 games.

The game marked the fifth straight game that the Dragons have allowed three runs or less, their longest pitching streak of its kind since May of 2023.

Up Next: The Dragons (18-31, 39-75) host the Chiefs (18-33, 44-72) in the fifth game of the series on Saturday night at 7:05 at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Nick Sando (2-3, 4.94) will start for the Dragons. For tickets, call (937) 228-2287 or go to daytondragons.com/tickets.

On the Air: The Dragons games Saturday night and Sunday afternoon will be televised "over-the-air" in the Dayton market on Dayton's CW (Channel 26; Spectrum Cable channels 13 and 1013). 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 22, 2025


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