While the Dragons posted a thrilling comeback win, the other contenders in the playoff battle were rained out in their games. West Michigan and Great Lakes will both play doubleheaders on Sunday. The Dayton win gave the Dragons a two-game lead on West Michigan in the second-half playoff race with 19 games to play.
Fort Wayne scored three runs in the first inning and two more in the second to jump out to an early 5-0 lead.
The Dragons, who did not have a hit until the sixth, produced one run in the fourth after three consecutive walks and a double play ball that brought in a run to make it 5-1.
The Dragons exploded for seven runs in the sixth. Hector Rodriguez singled to start the inning, the first hit of the night for Dayton. Jay Allen II followed with a single, and Ethan O’Donnell walked to load the bases. Cam Collier walked to force in a run and make it 5-2. The walk to Collier was one of 10 drawn by the Dragons in the game, a season-high for the team (Collier walked three times and has walked nine times in five games in the series).
With the bases still loaded and one out, Faile blasted a grand slam home run to right field to give the Dragons a 6-5 lead. It was the third grand slam of the year for the Dragons (Hector Rodriguez and Logan Tanner each hit one previously).
After Faile’s home run, Victor Acosta doubled off the right field wall and Connor Burns walked. Two batters later, Allen singled to drive in two more runs, making it a seven-run inning, and giving the Dragons an 8-5 lead.
Fort Wayne scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-7, but Dragons reliever John Murphy entered the game to pitch two scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth, and Simon Miller pitched a perfect ninth inning for his fifth save.
Dragons reliever Brody Jessee earned the win to improve his record to 8-2. Jessee worked three and two-thirds scoreless innings.
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