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Anybody who thinks life's unfair ought to hear Donnie Scott's story.

The Dragons manager hasn't been an active ballplayer for a couple of decades, but he remembers how some teams he played on in the minors used to extract themselves from losing streaks.

"When I played, a lot of guys were sacrificed by getting released," Scott said. "That's how you shook up a ballclub."

Welcome to the softer, gentler side of baseball.

While the Dragons have already used 46 players this season, only one, pitcher Kevin Gunter, has been released. The rest have been mixed and matched until the Dragons began a six-game homestand Wednesday night coming off an 11-2 run through the Class A Midwest League.

"Everything looks better," said manager Donnie Scott. "There's just an attitude here. The game tends to snowball on you, in good ways and bad ways."

That good avalanche of snowballs seemed to begin when 19-year-old Neftali Soto joined the team July 6. Two days later, Jolbert Cabrera was assigned to the team by the parent Reds on a rehab assignment. Just like that, a moribund hitting team came to life.

"Everybody got better together," Scott said.

Now third baseman Brandon Waring is back (Soto took his place at third) and Scott will have to find each playing time.

Cabrera is gone and so is first baseman Logan Parker — promoted to Sarasota — but the Dragons keep winning — in direct contrast to the 7-26 mark they posted to finish the first half of the season.

By that time, they had lost shortstop Todd Frazier to promotion as well as pitcher Scott Carroll and others.

Now, things are moving blissfully the other way despite more promotions, including that of closer Zach Stewart, and starter/reliever Enrio Del Rosario for the second time.

What's next? The Dragons should do well if they get keep their best players, and if guys such as pitcher Matt Klinker, shortstop Zack Cozart and right fielder Denis Phipps are called up, they'll have to find yet another way to win.

A few changes

Pitcher Juan Rafael is back. Rafael pitched in five games for the Dragons earlier this season, posting an 0-1 record with 6.23 ERA. Since then, in the rookie GCL, he has been 1-3 with a 1.63 ERA.

Gonzalez nearly perfect

As impressive as Stewart was out of this summer's draft (1-2, 3 saves, 0.55 ERA), his replacement has been even more impressive. Aguido Gonzalez was 2-0 with four saves in 10 games at Billings without allowing any runs in 10 1/3 innings, walking five and striking out 23.

Gonzalez also pitched four innings for Sarasota, allowing an unearned run.

He pitched 12/3 innings for the Dragons in Cedar Rapids and, of course, didn't allow a run.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157

or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.