Tanner’s HR lifts Dragons past Cubs

Day Air Ballpark, home of the Dayton Dragons, during a recent night game. Contributed photo / Dragons

Day Air Ballpark, home of the Dayton Dragons, during a recent night game. Contributed photo / Dragons

Dayton’s Logan Tanner blasted a tie-breaking three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Dragons won their fourth straight with a 6-3 triumph over the South Bend Cubs on Friday night.

The Dragons broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the fifth. Victor Acosta started the rally with a double. With one out, Acosta scored on a wild pitch to give the Dragons the first run of the game. After a walk to Yan Contreras, Jose Serrano belted a two-run home run to left field to give the Dragons a 3-0 lead.

Dragons starter T.J. Sikkema turned in his third straight scoreless start, working five innings. He allowed six hits but did not issue a walk and struck out five.

Reliever Pedro Alfonseca worked out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the sixth to put up a scoreless frame in his only inning of work.

The Cubs scored three runs in the seventh against Dragons reliever Brody Jessee to tie the game at 3-3, keyed by a two-out, two-run triple by Brian Kalmer.

In the eighth, Sal Stewart and Jay Allen II drew back-to-back walks to start the inning, but the next two batters were retired without the runners advancing. Logan Tanner then launched one of the biggest home runs of the year for the Dragons, a two-out, three-run shot to left field to make it 6-3.

Brock Bell pitched a perfect ninth inning for his fifth save as the Dragons recorded their fourth straight win in the series against South Bend.

The Dragons are 12-7 in the second half and 46-39 overall. They moved two games up on West Michigan in the second-half playoff race.

SUNDAY’S GAME

Cubs at Dragons, 1:05 p.m., 980

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