Dragons drubbed, but Siri extends hit streak to 28 games

By John Cummings

Contributing Writer

Somewhere, a switch was flipped on the Dayton Dragons and manager Luis Bolivar is trying to switch it back.

The Dragons, who had five of their last seven games decided by two runs or less, were banged out of Fifth Third Field for the second consecutive night Saturday, 8-2 by Burlington.

Dayton lost 8-1 to Peoria on Friday. Burlington, with 12, made it three straight games in which Dragons pitching has allowed at least 10 hits.

The Dragons had five hits, three in a two-run ninth inning.

“It’s a tough one,” manager Luis Bolivar said. “We had been playing good games and we have to get back to where we were earlier.”

While Burlington was putting together a five-run fourth to take a 7-0 lead, the Dragons were still trying to figure out Bees starter Andrew Vinson, who was perfect through three innings and allowed two hits over five.

“He has some pretty good stuff, but we still should have made some adjustments to him,” Bolivar said. “He was pitching good, but we just didn’t adjust.”

The Dragons scored in the ninth on an RBI single by Bruce Yari and a wild pitch that plated Taylor Trammell.

“We’ll be OK,” Bolivar said. “We just have to find a way to get everything back together and finish strong.”

Still streaking: Jose Siri had to wait a couple innings to stretch the longest current hitting streak in minor league baseball to 28 games.

Siri struck out in the first before lacing the first pitch he saw in the fourth into the gap in left-center for his lone hit.

“That is the fun part of the job when you see them getting better,” Bolivar said of Siri. “You can see his work is paying off.

“He told me he is just taking each day as a normal day and wanting to have a good at-bat. He’s not feeling pressure or thinking about keeping the streak going, he is just playing each day like it is a normal day.”

Siri’s streak is the longest in the Midwest League since Michigan’s Garvin Wright hit safely in 29 games in 2000. The MWL record is 35 set in 1977 by Waterloo’s Tony Toups, then an Indians farmhand.

Still searching: Dragons pitcher Wennington Romero entered Saturday's start looking for his first win since May 5.

Romero is still looking.

The lefty from the Dominican Republic exited with the Dragons down 8-0.

All eight runs were earned against Romero on 10 hits and two hit batters. Romero struck out four and did not walk a batter in 6 2/3 innings.

Romero fell to 3-8 and has lost eight straight decisions after starting 3-0.

Roster moves: It was a hectic 24 hours for the Dragons.

Pitcher Alfredo Mena was placed on the disabled list with an undisclosed injury and was replaced by Aaron Quillen, who was called up from rookie-level Billings.

Infielder Gavruel Ovalie was shuttled off to Triple-A Louisville to help out and was replaced by Billings infielder Carlos Rivero, who started at shortstop Saturday.

Moss resting: Ace pitcher Scott Moss was placed on the disabled list to get him some rest for the stretch run.

Moss, who leads the MWL in wins (10) and strikeouts (119), had some arm issues in college at Florida.

“It’s something that happens to every starter,” Bolivar said. “There are no issues, we are just giving him more time to recover to keep him healthy for the playoffs.”

Bolivar said the Dragons will do the same thing with other starters as their innings increase.

On deck: Dayton and Burlington hook up again at 2:07 p.m. today at Fifth Third Field. Tony Santillan (5-6) pitches for the Dragons.

Wright State baseball coach Jeff Mercer will provide the color commentary with Dragons play-by-play announcer Tom Nichols on Dayton’s CW 26.

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