The first seven-inning game went an extra inning when the Loons scored once to tie the score in the seventh. The Dragons lost 6-5 when Justice Thompson struck out and Nick Quintana grounded out with Garrett Wolforth at second base.
The Dragons lost the second game 4-3 when Elly De La Cruz struck out and Alex McGarry flew out to deep right field with pinch-runner Rece Hinds at second.
“It’s kind of the same story — we fought the whole night and made it scary in the end,” Dragons manager Bryan LaHair said. “We had a chance to the very last out of the game. It’s going to take the opponent to get through those type situations to beat us, and that’s how it’s been.”
The Dragons (36-17) are still on a good pace to clinch the Midwest League East Division first-half crown and a spot in the four-team playoff in September. They lead Great Lakes (30-24) by 6.5 games with 13 games to play. The Dragons’ magic number (any combination of Dragons wins an Loons losses) to eliminate the Loons remained at seven. The magic number to eliminate Lake County (28-25) is now six after the Captains lost to Fort Wayne.
The Dragons have lost consecutive games for only the third time this season. It’s the second time they’ve been swept in a doubleheader at home.
“It’s one day,” LaHair said. “It didn’t work our way today, and we look forward to getting back after it tomorrow.”
The Dragons took the lead in both games but pitching faltered just enough to let the Loons rally.
In the opener, Allan Cerda and Thompson homered in a three-run fourth for a 3-1 lead. Cerda’s homer was his ninth and Thompson’s was his second, a 434-footer to left-center.
The Loons rallied to tie Dragons 3-3 in the fifth and 4-4 in the seventh to force extra innings. Eddys Leonard led off the eighth with a first-pitch double and scored on a Jose Ramos single against reliever James Marinan. The Dragons got a run back on Garrett Wolforth’s one-out double, but that was it.
Mat Nelson homered in the first inning of the second game for a 1-0 lead. J.V. Martinez and Jonathan Willems produced back-to-back doubles in the third for a 2-1 lead in the second game.
The Loons took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on Ryan January’s two-run double. January was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh and came around to score on Jorbit Vivas’ two-out single.
Jose Torres beat out an infield hit in the bottom of the seventh and scored on Nelson’s double, but again the Dragons came up a run short.
Reds awards: Hinds was named the Reds minor league player of the month for May and Joe Boyle was named the Reds pitcher of the month.
Hinds led the Midwest League and the Reds farm system in batting average (.381), slugging percentage (.672), and OPS (1.146). He hit four home runs and batted in 13 runs.
Boyle posted an ERA of 1.09 while limiting opposing batters to only eight hits in 24 2/3 innings, going 1-0 in five starts.
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