Faile's Grand Slam Keys Comeback in Dragons 8-7 Win

Dragons 8, Fort Wayne 7

Click here for the box score

Dayton (R-H-E): 8-5-1; Fort Wayne (R-H-E): 7-7-0

Win: Brody Jessee (8-2); Loss: Dwayne Matos (1-2); Save: Simon Miller (5)

HR: Dayton: John Michael Faile (3^rd, 3 on base in sixth inning—grand slam). HR: Fort Wayne: Devin Ortiz (6^th, 2 on base in first inning).

Dayton, Ohio—The Dayton Dragons scored seven runs in the sixth inning, keyed by a grand slam home run by John Michael Faile, as they erased an early 5-0 deficit to defeat the Fort Wayne TinCaps, 8-7 on Saturday night. The Dragons have won four straight games in the series.

Faile has hit a home run in each of his first three games with the Dragons. He was signed as a Minor League free agent after spending 2023 in independent professional baseball following his college career where he became the top home run hitter and run producer in NCAA Division II history.

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 gives the Dragons a two-game lead on West Michigan in the second half playoff race. There are 19 games to play.

Game Summary:

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, John Michael 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).

Faile has hit one home run in each of the three games he has played with the Dragons, an amazing accomplishment, especially for a player who went undrafted out of North Greeneville University in South Carolina and was signed after a year in independent ball.

After Faile’s home run, Victor Acosta doubled off the right field wall and Connor Burns walked. Two batters later, Jay 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.

Notes: Leo Balcazar’s 15-game hitting streak was snapped as he went 0 for 2. Balcazar left the game for unknown reasons in the fifth inning.

Up Next: The Dragons (29-18, 63-50) play at Fort Wayne on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm in the last game of a six-game series. RH Gabriel Aguilera (1-4, 5.35) will start for the Dragons against Fort Wayne’s Braden Nett (3-1, 5.10).

The next home game at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District is Tuesday, August 20 against the Cedar Rapids Kernels at 7:05 pm. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

On the Air: All Dragons home and road games are broadcast on radio on FOX Sports 980 AM WONE. Games can be heard on smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices via the free Dragons Mobile App, or on a computer at wone.com. Games are also available on HD Radio on 104.7 WTUI HD 2.