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05/17/2008 4:56 PM ET
Johnson extends streak to 20
Right-hander fires seven scoreless frames as Great Lakes routs Dayton, 11-3
By Evan Jacobson
Great Lakes right-hander Steve Johnson is 5-1 with a 1.42 ERA in eight starts this season. (Emily Smith/MLB.com)

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The Great Lakes offense put together its best offensive performance of the season Saturday afternoon. With Steve Johnson on the mound, however, the Loons hardly needed it.

Johnson extended his scoreless innings streak to 20 by firing seven strong frames as Great Lakes established season highs in runs and hits during an 11-3 rout of the Dayton Dragons in the opener of a day-night doubleheader at Fifth Third Field.

Johnson (5-1) yielded five hits and three walks with five strikeouts en route to his third straight win. The 20-year-old right-hander, who lowered his ERA to 1.42 after eight outings, has not permitted an earned run since a 4-2 loss to Clinton on April 29 -- his only defeat of the season.

"I've been throwing lots of strikes and making the batters put the ball in play," said Johnson. "My teammates have been helping me out and it has resulted in a lot of quick innings."

Johnson, a native of Baltimore and the Maryland High School Player of the Year in 2005, has fanned 37 and walked 12 in 44 1/3 innings this year after issuing 40 free passes and striking out 65 in 80 2/3 frames for the Loons during-an injury-plagued 2007 season.

"I want to try to keep the hitters off balance and guessing.," said the Dodgers' 13th-round pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. "I struggled with my control when I came back from biceps tendinitis (last season) and I feel good about it now."

Former first-rounder Preston Mattingly paced Great Lakes' 15-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with a solo homer, his fourth of the season, a double and three runs scored.

Alfredo Silverio was 3-for-5 with a homer, two RBIs and three runs scored and Justin Fuller also collected three hits, including two doubles, for the Loons (19-21), who entered the contest with a Midwest League-low 128 runs this year.

"The guys were happy that I was putting up zeros and for some reason, we hit well in Dayton," said Johnson after helping Great Lakes improve to 7-2 against the Dragons this season. "Our bats had been struggling, but hopefully we turned a corner here today."

Dayton's Joshua Ravin (0-1) surrendered four runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings in his Midwest League debut.

Dan Perales ended the shutout bid with a three-run homer, his first, in the eighth off Blake Brannon, who bounced back with a scoreless ninth to close out the Loons' second straight win.

Angel Cabrera went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Dragons (21-19), who have dropped four straight.

Evan Jacobson is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.