MONDAY’S GAME
Dayton at Fort Wayne, 7:05 p.m., 980
The Dayton Dragons are still looking for their first win in the second half of the Midwest League season.
The Dragons dropped to 0-4 Sunday with an 11-1 loss to visiting Sound Bend. Dayton was outscored 31-2 in the series.
“They say to get better, you have to hit rock bottom some times,” Dragons manager Dick Schofield said. “We are not playing well at all right now… we just aren’t.”
South Bend scored twice in the first and three times in the second before the Dragons pushed a run across in the bottom of the second.
That would be it for the hosts.
While the Cubs were adding on a run in the fourth, two in the seventh and three in the ninth, the Dragons were leaving the bases loaded with one out in the fourth and stranding runners in scoring position with less than two outs in the sixth, seventh and eighth.
“You have to have pitching, defense and timely hitting,” Schofield said. “We are pitching pretty good and playing good defense, but we have no timely hitting.”
Reydel Medina was the lone dragon with a pair of hits while South Bend recorded 14 to go with six walks.
“It’s tough when you feel like you have to go out there and shut the other team down every inning and throw perfect,” Schofield said. “When you throw it where they can hit, your defense has to make plays. If your afraid that they’ll hit it and score runs, then you start walking everyone. It’s a tough spot.”
Streak ends: Jose Duarte's two-out single in the second inning that plated Brantley Bell did more than close the gap to 5-1.
The RBI snapped a 25 inning scoreless streak for the Dragons dating back to the fourth inning of Thursday’s season opener.
Bright spot: Since returning from extended spring training, pitcher Sarkis Ohanian has been lights out for the Dragons.
Ohanian has thrown 9.2 innings, allowing one hit and one run while striking out 15. With limited save opportunities, he has converted four saves and has a 0.93 ERA.
Near miss: Former Dragon Gavin LaValley just missed hitting for the cycle Saturday night for high-A Daytona.
LaValley had a double, triple and home run and drove in two runs in a 9-2 win over Lakeland.
New leader: Dayton s Jose Lopez took over the league lead in strikeouts with his four punchouts Saturday night.
Lopez, who has 86 for the season, moved past Clinton’s Zack Littell in the second inning.
On deck: The Dragons hit the road for a quick four-game trip to South Bend before returning home to start July against West Michigan.
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