Bo, Vlad go back-to-back in 10-6 loss

LANSING, Mich. - Bo Bichette cracked the 100-hit plateau with another three-hit performance, slamming back-to-back homers with Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., but the Bowling Green Hot Rods (2-5, 33-41) defeated the Lansing Lugnuts (2-5, 39-34), 10-6, on Wednesday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.

The 19-year-old Bichette raised his batting average to .402, best in all of professional baseball, with a 3-for-5 showing: a single off the center-field wall in the fifth (though he was thrown out at second), a home run to left field in the seventh, and a double to the right-field wall in the ninth. He has 102 hits in 62 games.

The 18-year-old Guerrero followed Bichette's first-pitch seventh-inning homer by clobbering the very next pitch out to left-center. Bichette notched his eighth home run of the year; Guerrero recorded his fifth.

The Hot Rods, however, built an early insurmountable lead, scoring three runs in the first inning on back-to-back home runs from Josh Lowe and Robbie Tenerowicz, and then adding six runs in the third to knock out Lansing starting pitcher Denis Diaz (Loss, 0-5).

The Lugnuts received strong relief: Andrew Deramo followed Diaz with 2 2/3 scoreless innings and Geno Encina pitched three scoreless innings. Nick Hartman allowed a Josh Lowe RBI double in the ninth.

Bowling Green starter Willy Ortiz (Win, 2-1) pitched five innings, allowing six hits and three runs, walking two and striking out two.

In the loss, Bichette and Guerrero's performances were supplemented by a two-hit night for Mitch Nay and a two-run triple by J.B. Woodman .

The final game of the series is a Labatt Thirsty Thursday - $2 beers/sodas and half off craft breers! Right-hander Osman Gutierrez (11.14) takes on the debuting Greg Maisto at 7:05 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the Cooley Law School Stadium box office, by calling (517) 485-4500 or via lansinglugnuts.com.
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