Buckley leads Dragons to 11-1 win

FORT WAYNE, Indiana - Sean Buckley collected three hits including a two-run home run and Juan Silva added three hits and three runs batted in to lead the Dayton Dragons to an 11-1 victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Monday night.  The Dragons have won two-of-three so far in the four-game series as they improved to 24-30 in the second half.

Buckley went 3 for 4 with the homer along with a double and single.  He drove in four runs.  Silva had two singles and a double and also scored a run.  Yorman Rodriguez also contributed two hits including a two-run home run.

The Dragons got the scoring started in the second inning when Juan Silva doubled to right field with one out and scored on Nick O’Shea’s two-out single to make it 1-0.

In the fourth, Kyle Waldrop laced a double to the right field corner, and Buckley followed with a home run to left field to make it 3-0.  The home run was Buckley’s 11th of the season.

The Dragons broke the game open in the sixth as Yorman Rodriguez walked and went to second on Jefry Sierra’s single.  Buckley followed with a run-scoring double over the head of the left fielder.  Silva then bounced a single through the middle to bring in Sierra and Buckley to make it 6-0.

After Fort Wayne scored one run in the bottom of the sixth, the Dragons picked up three more in the seventh.  Sierra and Buckley each delivered RBI singles in the inning and another run scored on a ground out to make it 9-1.  Rodriguez belted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth, his fourth homer of the year, to close out the scoring.

Dragons starting pitcher Jacob Johnson (2-5) worked the first five innings, allowing only two hits and no runs with four walks and two strikeouts to earn the win.  Dan Jensen replaced Johnson to start the sixth and worked three innings, allowing two hits and one run with one walk and one strikeout.  Lucas O’Rear pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth with one strikeout.

The Dragons finished with 14 hits.  Eight players had at least one, led by Buckley and Silva with three apiece.  Rodriguez and Sierra each had two.

Waldrop left the game in the fourth inning after suffering a leg injury while sprinting to second base on his double.  There was no report available on his condition.

The Dragons (24-30) battle the TinCaps (32-24) on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. in the last game of a four-game series.  Radhames Quezada (5-7, 3.43) will start for Dayton against Fort Wayne’s Colin Rea (5-7, 3.45).  The Dragons open a three-game series at Bowling Green against the Hot Rods on Wednesday.  The next home game is Saturday, August 25 vs. West Michigan.