OKEY’S SINGLE GIVE DRAGONS A WALK-OFF WIN IN NINTH INNING
Catcher’s RBI single in ninth completes huge comeback.
Dragons catcher DAYTON — Chris Okey has been a part of some crazy games, but he admits what transpired Monday night at Fifth Third Field was something different.
In a game delayed in the top of the ninth because of a skunk on the field, Dayton and Lansing combined for 21 runs before Okey ended it with a two-out RBI single to right-center for an 11-10 Dayton win.
“That is definitely one of the craziest games I have been in,” Okey said.
Dayton trailed throughout, battling back from a 4-0 deficit after the first and a 10-3 hole after a six-run Lansing seventh.
“That kind of sums up our year,” Dragons manager Dick Schofield said.
“They could have rolled over and said ‘screw it’ when they were down 10-3, but they had great at-bats and battled and that was nice to see.”
Dayton got to 10-8 by scoring five runs in the seventh inning. Nick Senzel struck the big blow with a threerun double. Another run scored in the eighth.
In the ninth, Brantley Bell got things rolling with a twoout single before Senzel was intentionally walked. Bell scored on a single by James Vasquez before Okey ended it with a single that score Senzel from second.
“I was looking for one on the outer half, and I got one I could handle,” Okey said. “Once it left the bat, I thought I hit it hard enough.” Mustangs stabled: The Cincinnati Reds announced an extension to maintain Billings as their short-season rookie-league affiliate.
The Reds and Billings have been associated since 1974, making it the longest-running affiliation in the Pioneer League and one of the longest in professional baseball.
Billings clinched its third consecutive playoff berth by winning the North Division in the first half of the Pioneer League season.
Roster moves: Avian Rachal, who played with the Dragons in 2014 and 2015, was sent back to the Dragons from Daytona. To make room for Rachal, Alberti Chavez was sent back to Billings.
In three games with the Dragons, Chavez hit .333 with three RBIs and a home run.
Kevin Franklin was placed on the disabled list with hamstring issues. Bell ringer: It has been a long season for Brantley Bell, but Sunday in West Michigan, a good stretch got better.
Bell hit his first professional home run to cap an eight-game streak where he was hitting .364 and had reached base 18 times — eight hits, eight walks and two hit by pitches.
On deck: The Dragons and Lugnuts face off in the second of a four-game set at 7 p.m. tonight at Fifth Third. Lefty Ty Boyles goes to the mound for the Dragons looking for his sixth win.