With the win, the Dragons built their lead in the playoff race to 3 1/2 games over West Michigan, which lost to Lake County 7-1 on Thursday night. Third-place Great Lakes also lost. Great Lakes is now five games behind the Dragons. There were 15 games to play in the regular season entering Friday.
Dayton’s Carter Graham drew a four-pitch walk to start the ninth, and Trey Faltine sacrificed Graham to second. After Graham advanced to third on a wild pitch Rodriguez singled into left field to drive in Graham and give the Dragons the win.
“We never give up,” said Rodriguez through translator Jefry Siera, the Dragons bench coach. “We compete to the last inning…we’ve been doing the little things the right way. Everyone has been doing their part. Everything is coming along.”
Dayton starting pitcher Brian Edgington was perfect over the first five innings, retiring the first 15 batters of the game before allowing a pair of runs in the sixth.
Dayton opened the scoring in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Cam Collier opened the inning with a single but was still stationed at first base with two outs. Collier was running on a 3-2 pitch to Cade Hunter when Hunter lined a single to right field. Collier scored from first to make it 1-0.
The Dragons added another run in the third. Jay Allen II singled to left field with one out, went to second on Ethan O’Donnell’s ground out, and scored on a single to left by Collier to make it 2-0.
In the fourth, Graham lined a solo home run to left field to make it 3-0. In the fifth, Ethan O’Donnell hit an opposite field home run to left to make it 4-0.
The Dragons finished with 11 hits. Rodriguez, Collier, and Graham each had two.
Edgington worked six innings, allowing just two hits and two runs (one earned) with one walk and seven strikeouts.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Cedar Rapids at Dayton, 7:05 p.m., 980
About the Author