Dragons-Whitecaps: First-place showdown at Fifth Third Field

It’s been a while since the Dayton Dragons have been involved in a “big” series at any time during a season, but that’s exactly what will unfold down at Fifth Third Field this weekend.

The West Michigan Whitecaps roll into town for a four-game series over the holiday weekend. The Detroit Tigers affiliate is now the frontrunner in the Midwest League’s East Division with Dayton sitting 1 game behind in the standings.

The Dragons have owned the top spot most of the season, riding the best record in minor league baseball until they dropped two out of three at Great Lakes and now stand a game back in the division.

Dayton (31-15) comes into the series with fewer home-field losses than any team in the Midwest League, including a three game sweep of the Whitecaps at Fifth Third Field last month. West Michigan (32-14) is riding a six-game winning streak.

The Dragons haven’t won the first-half championship since 2007, and they haven’t made it to the playoffs since 2011.

The top two teams in each division in the first half qualify for the playoffs.

The Dragons will see the Whitecaps again before the All-Star break. They head to West Michigan for a four-game series next month.

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