Tincaps top Dragons Thursday night

Dayton, Ohio—Fort Wayne starting pitcher Stiven Osuna and three relievers combined to scatter seven hits as the TinCaps defeated the Dayton Dragons 3-1 on Thursday night at Fifth Third Field. The TinCaps have won two of three in the four-game series that will conclude on Friday. Fort Wayne has won 13 of 14 meetings with the Dragons this season.

Fort Wayne scored two runs in the top of the first inning against Dragons starting pitcher Lance Janke. Drew Cumberland hit a one-out, solo home run to right field to get the scoring started. Yefri Carvajal, the hero of Wednesday night’s game, delivered a two-out RBI single to make it 2-0.

In the second, Janke enduring a bout of wildness, issuing a hit batsman and two walks to load the bases with no one out. He escaped serious damage, allowing one run in the inning on an RBI groundout, as Fort Wayne took a 3-0 lead.

The Dragons got on the board in the fifth inning when Kevin Coddington singled with one out and scored on a double to right by Kyle Day to make it 3-1. Jordan Wideman walked to put the tying runs on base. Miguel Rojas followed with a line drive to left that was caught with a diving grab by Fort Wayne’s Daniel Robertson, who fired into second to complete a double play. The play by Robertson likely saved two runs as both runners were moving on the pitch.

Neither club could score the rest of the way. The Dragons got back-to-back singles in the eighth from Rojas and Andrew Means, but Dave Sappelt struck out and Cody Puckett flied to right to end the threat.

In the ninth, Fort Wayne closer Brad Brach tossed a scoreless frame to earn his 19th save. Four of Brach’s saves have come against Dayton this season. He has tossed nine innings against the Dragons, allowing just two hits and no runs.

Coddington had two hits for Dayton to extend his hitting streak to 10 straight games, matching the longest hitting streak of the year by a Dragons player.

The Dragons (3-4, 31-46) host the TinCaps (6-1, 51-26) in the series finale on Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Fifth Third Field. Matt Fairel (5-3, 2.96) will start for the Dragons against Erik Davis (6-3, 4.35).