And when pitchers have their good stuff and trust it, like Hayden did against Fort Wayne, aggression pays off. Hayden allowed one hit, one walk and struck out five to lead the Dragons to a 5-1 victory at Day Air Ballpark.
Even when Hayden didn’t get ahead of some hitters early and walked the leadoff batter in the second inning, he wasn’t deterred from staying aggressive. His slider was working and, he said, it played well with his fastball. He made lefties deal with his cutter.
“I feel like I had my stuff tonight,” he said. “After the first inning, I kind of settled down a little bit and started getting into a little bit of a groove.”
Nothing bothered Hayden. Not even the cold. He’s from Indiana and played two years at Indiana and his final year at Indiana State before the Reds drafted him in the eighth round last year. He is rated the Reds’ No. 30 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
“Hayden was kind of trying to find his rhythm early,” Dragons manager Vince Harrison Jr. said. “He wasn’t necessarily ahead of everybody, but when he did fall behind, he got back in the count. Our big thing early on in the year is you got to be able to throw strikes.”
Throwing strikes continued for the bullpen for a second straight night. That’s a great sign after the season’s first four games, all losses, featured 24 runs and 26 walks in 20 1/3 innings by relievers.
Jonah Hurney and Dylan Simmons finished off the four-hitter with two innings apiece, combining to allow a run on three hits and two walks while striking out four. Despite the Dragons’ 2-4 record, the starters have combined for a 0.69 ERA, one of the lowest in all of the minor leagues.
“It comes down to attacking hitters with your best stuff and trusting yourself so you don’t nitpick and nibble,” Hayden said. “Just get in the zone with your best stuff and put the pressure on them.”
The Dragons’ offense also put pressure on the TinCaps with more early runs. Victor Acosta and Anthony Stephan, who had three hits, opened the second inning with singles. Acosta scored from third on an errant pickoff attempt by the catcher, and Stephan scored on Myles Smith’s sacrifice fly.
Stephan singled in Ricardo Cabrera, who had reached base on the first of his two doubles, for a 3-0 lead in the fourth. In the seventh, Ariel Almonte proved why it always helps to put the ball in play on a tapper up the first-base line. Pitcher Nick Wissman, who played at Chaminade Julienne and Dayton, had a bad angle and hit Almonte in the back for an error. The ball bounced far enough away to allow two runners to score.
“We put ourselves in scoring positions a lot, and there’s some value to creating stressful pitches,” Harrison Jr. said. “Even Almonte in that inning didn’t have to hit it very far. But just putting that ball in play and making that guy make a not normal play ended up being really big.”
The Dragons’ string of strong starts began last Friday at West Michigan with Reds top prospect and No. 2 overall draft pick Chase Burns on the mound. Burns pitched four scoreless innings. He will start Friday’s game as the Dragons go for a third straight victory.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Fort Wayne at Dayton, 1:05 p.m., 980-AM
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