Hamilton native McGuff impressive in first three starts with Dragons
Patrick McGuff remembers a temptation from his days as a batter that he uses to his advantage as a pitcher.
“I was a hitter a long time ago,” he said, “but I still remember how good those high fastballs looked.”
When a pitcher consistently throws the fastball where he intends, he will have success. And McGuff is doing that for the Dayton Dragons in three starts since he joined the team July 9 from the independent Frontier League. He was the bright spot Wednesday night in the Dragons’ 12-0 loss to the Fort Wayne TinCaps.
McGuff (1-1) said his fast- ball location on the inside and outside parts of the plate
TODAY’S GAME
Fort Wayne at Dayton, 7 p.m., 980 and at the top of the strike zone or just above it have been important to his success with the Dragons. His favorite pitch might be getting batters to swing and miss at the high fastballs.
“It’s something that I’ve done and I take a little pride in,” he said. “I try to not waste pitches. I think a chesthigh fastball is a more swing- able pitch than an eye-high fastball.”
McGuff, 24, was in a pitch- ers’ duel with 18-year-old Luis Patino through four innings. Entering the fifth, McGuff had run his scoreless inning streak to 14 since joining the Dragons. The TinCaps got an unearned run to take a 1-0 lead. McGuff ’s pitch count was under 80 so he came out for the sixth inning for the first time as a Dragon.
After a leadoff double and two perfectly placed bunts made the score 2-0, McGuff was relieved by Miguel Agui- lar. After a walk and ground- out made it 3-0, it all fell apart for Aguilar. He allowed a two-run single, a three- run homer and two one-run singles to give the TinCaps a 10-0 lead. Three TinCaps had two hits in the inning.
Mc G uff allowed three earned runs on five hits and struck out three. His ERA is 1.80.
“He can compete out there, throw strikes, attack the hitters a nd mix his pitches well,” Dragons manager Luis Bolivar said.
The lopsided loss ended the Dragons’ two-game winning streak and came on the heels of a 3-3 road trip. The road trip had a team feeling good that is 17-31 on the road this season but 8-8 in the second half. The Dragons entered the game in third place the Midwest League Eastern Division and holding down what would be the second half ’s second play- off spot.
The loss dropped the Drag- ons (15-17) a half-game behind Fort Wayne and Lake County (both 15-16), which are now tied for third. South Bend is 17-15 in second place behind first-half champion Bowl- ing Green.
“I know at some point the guys are going to get hot and they’re going to get a good winning streak,” Bolivar said.