Dragons outslug, outlast Lugnuts, 10-8

LANSING, MI – In the longest nine-inning game in Dayton Dragons (27-20) history at three hours and 58 minutes, Eric Yang and Juan Martínez homered in a 13-hit attack to offset massive games from Jordan Díaz and Shane Selman, handing the Lansing Lugnuts (22-27) a 10-8 loss on Tuesday night at Jackson® Field™.

The game featured 23 hits, 18 runs, 10 walks, and 360 total pitches.

Yang and Martínez slugged two-run homers in the second and third innings, respectively, off Lansing starter David Leal, helping the Dragons play from in front for nearly the entire night. Dayton built leads of 2-0, 4-1, 6-3 and 10-5, but had to hold on tight throughout against a resilient Lugnuts offense.

Selman sparked Lansing first, bashing his seventh home run of the year in the second inning. In the fourth, he struck again in a two-run rally, singling home William Simoneit, though he was controversially called out at second base attempting to stretch the hit into a double.

Díaz unloaded next, doubling home Simoneit in a two-run fifth inning and opening up the eighth with a triple to right-center. Selman followed with an RBI double, coming home two batters later on a Lazaro Armenteros two-run homer that shaved Dayton’s lead to two runs.

In the bottom of the ninth, Dayton closer John Ghyzel walked three Lugnuts, the last being Díaz, to put the potential tying and game-winning runs aboard. But Ghyzel responded by retiring Selman on a foulout to first and Covie Vance on a strikeout to end the game.

Díaz finished the game 3-for-3 with a single, double, triple and two walks, while Selman finished 3-for-5 with a single, double, homer and three RBIs.

The Lugnuts used four pitchers: starter Leal struck out six while allowing six runs on nine hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings; Sam Romero made his Lugnuts debut with a scoreless inning, allowing two hits and a walk; Shohei Tomioka gave up four unearned runs due to three errors (one by himself) in 1 1/3 innings with three strikeouts; and Leudeny Pineda pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and fanning two.

The second game of the six-game series falls on a Dog Days of Summer with dogs welcome to the ballpark on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m., featuring Lugnuts right-hander Seth Shuman (1.86 ERA) vs. Dayton left-hander Jacques Pucheu (5.48). To purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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