Cincinnati Reds Top Prospect's Strong Performance Carries Dayton Dragons to Victory

The Dayton Dragons won their third game in a row on Saturday versus the Lake County Captains. Alfredo Duno had a breakout performance to help lead the Dragons to the win.

First High-A Home Run

Duno went 2-4 on Saturday afternoon with a walk and a solo home run in the fifth inning to put the Dragons’ lead to 3-0. This was Duno's first home run at the High-A level. There are no Statcast numbers available, but the video shows the ball leaving the stadium on a line drive down the left-field line. 

Through the first seven games of the young season, the 20-year-old is slashing .348/.500/.609 with four extra-base hits and six RBIs. He is also demonstrating his excellent plate discipline. He has eight walks and has struck out just four times.  

The Reds' number-one prospect won the Florida State League's Most Valuable Player Award last season, leading the league in eight main offensive categories.

Box Score Recap

The Dragons scored five runs in their victory over Lake County on Saturday on eight hits. Beau Blanchard is credited with his first victory at the High-A level. He went six innings with just four hits allowed, with a walk and five strikeouts. The 24-year-old was signed to a minor-league contract in 2025 and pitched in both the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Daytona in 2024. 2024 16th-round pick Jimmy Romano gets credited with the save. He pitched three perfect innings in relief of Blanchard, with three strikeouts. The 22-year-old Romano has a 2.08 ERA in two appearances this season.

Kien Vu went 1-3 with a run scored and two strikeouts. He is hitting .261 with a .697 OPS this season. Carlos Sanchez was 1-4 with two RBIs. He grounded into a force out in the bottom of the second inning to give the Dragons a 2-0 lead. In the eighth, he ripped an RBI double to put the Dragons up 5-0. Alfredo Alcantara went 1-4, Anthony Stephan went 1-3 with a walk, Carter Graham went 1-3 with an RBI, and Johnny Ascanio went 1-3 with a walk. 

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On Deck

The Dragons wrap-up their series against the Lake County Captains on Sunday afternoon. Nestor Lorant is scheduled to make his second start of the season. The 23-year-old has a 2.08 ERA with seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 P.M at DayAir Park in Dayton.