These days, the aches, the soreness, the weariness of a 132-game schedule are forgotten at the first pitch.
“It’s tough, but these guys make it good,” center fielder Jay Allen II said. “They make it fun. V-Hay (manager Vince Harrison Jr.) makes it fun. I’m lucky I have a great group of guys around me.”
Those guys and Allen II defeated West Michigan 7-2 Sunday and are one victory from clinching the Dragons’ first playoff berth since 2017 and eighth since joining the Midwest League in 2000. They did it with back-to-back weekend wins and the split of the six-game series after starting the week with three losses in four nights, a trend that shrunk their East Division second-half lead to 3 1/2 games.
“I’m glad we got them,” Harrison Jr. said. “It’s nice when you can just ease into things. But our guys have had to fight for it and we had to respond. I talked to the guys after Friday night’s game, and they responded. They know what’s at stake.”
The Dragons (38-22) begin the season’s final six-game series at Great Lakes (31-26) at 4:05 p.m. Monday. One more win eliminates the Loons and West Michigan (32-27). The Dragons would host first-half division champion Lake County on Sept. 10 in the opener of a three-game semifinal series. Game 2 and Game 3, if necessary, would be played at Lake County.
Coming to the ballpark this time of year feels different. Early in the season, players naturally think about their stats and proving themselves, being happy to be here or thinking they should be in AA. But winning and having something extra to play for changes the vibe and boosts the energy.
“They’ve learned to play for each other,” Harrison Jr. said. “They’re getting their stats, and there’s a right way to do it, and that’s part of the learning process, learning how to have individual success within a team sport. Our guys, compared to the beginning of the year, are more about what we can accomplish as a team versus what I can accomplish individually.”
A day after erasing a 7-4 deficit to win in the ninth on John Michael Faile’s infield single that scored Ethan O’Donnell, the Dragons started fast. With runners at first and second following Johnny Ascanio’s sacrifice bunt, Connor Burns double over third base for a 2-0 lead.
Burns joined the Dragons on August 7 when Logan Tanner went on the injured list. Burns, a catcher, has achieved his goals of working well with the pitchers and controlling the running game. But as a .135 hitter he was ecstatic to contribute with his bat. He also singled in the seventh and scored the Dragons’ final run on an O’Donnell single.
“You just got to keep grinding,” Burns said. “It’s cool that we’re playing for something, and I know that no matter who’s up there, anybody can get the job done offensively for us. There’s a lot of guys on this team who are hot, but there’s also guys that have been cold that are coming through in clutch moments.”
The rally continued with a Hector Rodriguez triple to make it 3-0. Then he scored on a balk when the pitcher failed to declare whether he would pitch from the stretch or windup. O’Donnell and Balcazar each singled in a run with two outs in the fourth for a 6-0 lead.
Those importance of those extra runs following Burns’ double were magnified when the Whitecaps threatened in the sixth. Izaac Pacheco hit a ball to deep center that could have started a big inning. But Allen made a sliding catch for the second out. The fly ball scored a run, but the potential big inning had been snuffed out.
“My motto is, if I’m not getting hits, I’m not allowing anybody else to try to get some hits,” Allen II said.
The Dragons also got a strong start from Gabriel Aguilera (4-4). He pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowed the one unearned run, three hits and struck out six. Then the bullpen trio of Easton Sikorski, Brock Bell and John Murphy took over.
The Dragons jumped on the bus for Michigan after the game, looking for some sleep to be ready for Monday.
“The game’s the fun part,” Allen II said. “It’s tough waking up, but as soon as I step on the field, it’s just another day.”
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