MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Winker's Home Run Lifts Dragons to Comeback Win

Published on May 22, 2013 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, Ohio.-Jesse Winker belted a tie-breaking two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Dayton Dragons to a come-from-behind 6-4 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps on Wednesday night. The win was the Dragons fifth in their last six games, three of which have been decided on Dragons late-inning home runs.

The score was tied 4-4 in the eighth when Dayton's Joe Terry led off the inning with a line drive single to right field. Jeff Gelalich bunted into a fielder's choice as Terry was out at second. But Winker followed by drilling a change-up from West Michigan's Josh Turley over the right field fence to give the Dragons a 6-4 lead. The home run was the seventh of the year by Winker, coming off a week in which he earned announced earlier Wednesday as the Midwest League's Batter of the Week.

The Dragons took an early 2-0 lead on Tanner Rahier's two-run double to the left-center field fence in the second inning. West Michigan tied the game in the fourth on a two-out, two-run double by Mario Martinez over the head of Dayton center fielder Junior Arias.

West Michigan scored two runs in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead, but the Dragons battled back to tie the game in the seventh. Arias started the inning with a base hit to left and stole second. With one out, Joe Hudson walked. Arias stole third and scored on the same play when the throw skipped into left field and Hudson raced around to third. Zach Vincej's sacrifice fly brought in Hudson to make it 4-4.

Dragons starting pitcher Pedro Diaz worked five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Alejandro Chacin replaced Diaz in the sixth and tossed two innings, allowing no runs with two walks and four strikeouts. Chacin did issue a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to force in a run that was charged to Diaz. Joey Housey (1-1) followed Chacin to the mound and worked a perfect eighth inning to earn the win. Sean Lucas pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.

The Dragons improved to 18-27 with the win while West Michigan fell to 20-23.

The Dragons collected seven hits. Winker and Seth Mejias-Brean each had two. Mejias-Brean narrowly missed a fourth inning home run, settling for a double when his line drive hit high off the left field fence.

The Dragons host the Whitecaps at Fifth Third Field on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Drew Cisco (2-3, 2.88) will start for Dayton against West Michigan's Charlie Gillies (0-2, 3.21). The game will be televised on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2 (Time Warner Cable channels 23 and 372). All Dragons games can be heard on WONE Radio (980 AM) and via the internet at daytondragons.com and wone.com.

Notes: The three Dragons relievers combined for four innings without allowing a hit...Dragons starting pitcher Pedro Diaz retired nine straight West Michigan batters beginning with the final out in the first through the second out in the fourth...Home runs have been key for the Dragons recently. Dayton won on Friday at South Bend when Mejias-Brean belted a tie-breaking homer in the 10th inning. In the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday, Rahier launched a three-run homer in the next-to-last inning to lift the Dragons to a 3-1 win.

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