Chiefs edge Dragons 1-0

Peoria, Ill. (WDTN) - Javier Baez hit a solo home run in the second inning and three Peoria pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout as the Chiefs topped the Dayton Dragons 1-0 on Wednesday night.  The Dragons fell to 7-12 in the second half with the loss in the first game of a six-game road trip.

Baez drilled the homer to account for the game’s only run in the second inning.  It was his seventh home run of the season.   

Peoria starting pitcher Starling Peralta (2-4) fired seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits and no walks with four strikeouts to earn the win.

The Dragons came close to tying or taking the lead in the ninth inning.  With two outs and the bases empty, Spencer Dickinson singled to right field and went to third on Joe Terry’s single to center.  Terry took second on defensive indifference, putting the tying and go-ahead runners in scoring position.  Jefry Sierra hit a bouncer to the right side, forcing Peoria second baseman Zeke DeVoss to charge and make a tough backhanded short hop play, but he fielded it cleanly and threw out Sierra to end the game.

Dayton starting pitcher Radhames Quezada (5-7) worked the first four innings after missing a start due to shoulder soreness.  He allowed two hits and one run while walking two and striking out one to take the loss.  Wes Mugarian threw three scoreless innings in relief of Quezada, allowing two hits with no walks and four strikeouts.  Carlos Contreras pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth.

Dickson led the Dragons with two hits.  Yorman Rodriguez had a single to extend his hitting streak to 10 straight games, but Ryan Wright went 0 for 3 as his hitting streak came to an end at 17, the third longest in franchise history.

Rodriguez left the game due to an apparent left leg injury in the seventh inning after running out a ground ball to the pitcher. 

The Dragons (7-12) play in Peoria again Thursday at 8:00 p.m. (EDT) against the Chiefs (7-12) in the second game of the series.  Stalin Gerson (3-6, 4.52) will start for the Dragons against Peoria’s Jose Rosario (6-8, 4.22).