Votto 0-1 in Dragons win

Dayton, Ohio (WDTN) - Major league all-star Joey Votto returned to live game action for first time since July 15 and the Dayton Dragons defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps 9-3 on Tuesday night.  Votto played the first four and one-half innings on a major league injury rehabilitation assignment, going 0 for 1 with a walk for the Dragons. A crowd of 9,198, the largest of the 2012 season, saw the former National League Most Valuable Player in the first of a scheduled two-night rehab assignment as he recovers from knee surgery.

The Dragons got back-to-back home runs from Yorman Rodriguez and Juan Silva in the fourth inning to jump out to a 2-0 lead.  After West Michigan tied the game in the top of the fifth inning, Dayton answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame.  Sammy Diaz’s two-run single broke the tie, and Juan Silva later added an RBI double to make it 6-2.  The Dragons added two more in the seventh to jump ahead 8-2 and after West Michigan scored in the top of the eighth, Diaz delivered another RBI single in the bottom half to close out the scoring.

Dragons starting pitcher James Allen (8-4) worked the first seven innings to earn the win.  He allowed four hits and two runs with no walks and five strikeouts.  Sean Lucas allowed an unearned run in the eighth and El’Hajj Muhammad pitched a perfect ninth to close it out for the Dragons.

The Dragons finished with 15 hits.  Silva was 3 for 4 with three runs batted in.  Nick O’Shea also went 3 for 4 and scored two runs.  Diaz had two hits and three RBI.  Jefry Sierra contributed two hits.  Sean Buckley doubled in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 straight games.