Cedar Rapids wins with 3 homers

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA — Jose Torres had three hits, but the Dayton Dragons lost 7-2 at Cedar Rapids on Wednesday afternoon.

Yunior Severino went 4 for 4 with two home runs for the Kernels, who lead the Midwest League West with a 38-21 record.

The Dragons (37-21) continue to lead the East division, but they have lost six of their last seven games.

Their magic number to clinch the first-half division championship remained five with second-place Great Lakes scheduled to host Wisconsin on Wednesday night.

In his first at-bat as a Dragon, Ruben Ibarra singled to center field to start a two-run second inning.

He moved up to second on a single by Torres and went to third on a wild pitch by David Festa. Ibarra and Torres scored on a single by Garret Wolforth.

The Kernels got one run back on an RBI double by Wander Javier, and they tied the game on a homer by Severino in the fourth inning.

The hosts took the lead with a three-run sixth that included a two-run homer by Severino and a solo shot by Pat Winkel that chased Dragons starter Thomas Farr.

They added two more in the seventh when Aaron Sabato walked, Kyler Fedko tripled him in and Severino singled to score Fedko.

Wolforth and Elly De La Cruz both reached base twice for Dayton via a single and a walk. De La Cruz also stole his 17th base and raised his batting average to an even .300.

Farr (0-3) allowed five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out eight.

Festa allowed two runs on six hits in five innings, but Bobby Milacki got the win after pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings that included three walks and a hit.

The Dragons were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

The 6-5, 290-pound Ibarra was called up Tuesday from Class A Daytona, where he hit .286 with seven homers and 26 RBIs in 41 games. He is the reigning Florida State League Batter of the Week after hitting .600 with three homers in five games last week.

Ibarra was a fourthround pick out of San Jose State in 2021.

The Dragons return to action tonight with a 7:35 start at Cedar Rapids.