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Scott sees some good in loss
Monday, August 18, 2008
DAYTON — As much as he hates to lose, Dayton Dragons manager Donnie Scott saw some good in the Sunday, Aug. 17, game at Fifth Third Field against the Great Lakes Loons.
Great Lakes won 9-8 but at the end of the seventh inning, it didn't look like it would be that close. At that point, the Loons led by five.
"It was a tight ballgame, and all of the sudden, it wasn't," said Scott, who had Jake Kahaulelio steal home on the back end of a double steal to give the Dragons a 4-3 lead in the fourth. After that, the Loons posted a five-run sixth and added a run in the seventh.
"We could have just shut it down, and didn't," Scott said. "That's the sign of a winner."
Kahaulelio didn't feel like a winner, although he had a winning night. He collected four hits, including a double, scored twice and singled with two out in the ninth. The game ended on a groundout.
"It's always good to have a good game, but you can't walk around and be happy because you did good and the team didn't," Kahaulelio said. "The other day, I struck out three times, but we won. It's mostly about playing for the team. What gets you RBIs is having guys on base. What gets you good pitches to hit is having guys on base. If I score runs, it's because other guys are doing well."
Kahaulelio wasn't the only Dragon to have a big night. Third baseman Neftali Soto and first baseman Michael McKennon each had three hits, and McKennon hit his fifth homer in 10 games.
That two-run homer in the fourth tied the game at 3, after which Kahaulelio scored on a double steal, with Justin Reed taking second. The throw went to second base and the return throw was good, but just a little late.
Dayton's four runs were the most the Dragons scored in one inning in 17 games, since putting up four in the second inning at Burlington on July 30.
Unfortunately, two innings later, Great Lakes scored five times on three hits and four walks. When Eduardo Perez homered to lead the seventh, it appeared the Loons were in command.
That wasn't the case after the Dragons scored three times in the eighth, and catcher Devin Mesoraco hit his eighth homer with one out on an 0-2 pitch in the ninth to draw the Dragons within one.
McKennon followed with a long fly ball that was caught in center, and Kahaulelio kept the comeback hopes alive.
Dragons tales: Luis Montano is about to come off the disabled list, which means one of the current pitchers will have to make way for the All-Star. ... Outfielder Anthony Gressick has taken two days of batting practice after sitting out more than three weeks with a hairline fracture in his wrist. Again, if he were to be activated, someone else would have to come off the active roster.
