The Bowling Green Hot Rods fell to the Lake County Captains 4-2 win on Tuesday night at Bowling Green Ballpark. The Hot Rods are 6-7 ahead of Wednesday's rubber game of the series, which will have a 10:35 a.m. first pitch.
The Bowling Green Hot Rods fell to the Lake County Captains 4-2 win on Tuesday night at Bowling Green Ballpark. The Hot Rods are 6-7 ahead of Wednesday's rubber game of the series, which will have a 10:35 a.m. first pitch.
For the second straight night, Lake County jumped out to a first-inning lead. Tyler Freeman began the game with a double to left off Hot Rods starter Alan Strong, then scored on Ruben Cardenas' two-out single to go up 1-0.
Bowling Green immediately got the run back in the bottom of the first against Lake County left-hander Raymond Burgos. Michael Smith led off with a walk and advanced to second on a balk. After moving to third on Wander Franco's single, Smith motored home on a wild pitch to even the score at 1-1.
Freeman and Cardenas both struck again in the third. Freeman once again let off with a double, this time to right. After a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Cardenas hit a towering drive to deep center that Smith couldn't come down with. Cardenas circled the bases with a two-run, inside-the-park home run that put Lake County up 3-1. Smith would leave the game following the play.
Bowling Green had an opportunity to chip into the deficit in the fourth as Kaleo Johnson and Grant Witherspoon led off with singles, but Burgos wiggled out of the jam to preserve the two-run cushion.
In the fifth, Bowling Green drew closer, as Bryce Brown turned on a 1-2 pitch from Burgos and pulled just inside the left field foul pole for a 391-foot solo homer that made it 3-2, Lake County.
Lake County added an insurance run in the seventh, then held the Hot Rods to just one hit over the final four innings, winning 4-2 to force a rubber game on Wednesday.
Strong (0-1) worked 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on six hits, walking none and fanning a career-best eight batters in the loss. Chris Muller came out of the pen and allowed a run on two hits while striking out three. Cristofer Ogando walked two batters and hit one, but worked a scoreless ninth inning.
Notes: Strong set career highs with 6.0 innings, six hits allowed, and eight strikeouts…It was Strong's first career quality start and the second for a Hot Rods pitcher this year (also Michael Plassmeyer on April 6)…Strong's 6.0 innings matches Plassmeyer for the longest outing by a Bowling Green pitcher this season...Bowling Green pitchers struck out 11 hitters, marking their eighth game with double-digit strikeouts in 13 games overall… Franco collected his second multi-hit game of the season and also stole two bases in a game for the first time in his career… Roberto Alvarez saw his six-game hitting streak snapped…The Hot Rods are 87-69 all-time vs. Lake County, 50-30 at Bowling Green Ballpark…The rubber game of the series and final game of the homestand will have a 10:35 a.m. first pitch on Wednesday morning at Bowling Green Ballpark…Lake County will throw RHP Juan Mota (0-1, 6.00), while Bowling Green's starter is yet to be announced…Tomorrow will be the first of two Education Days at Bowling Green Ballpark…It is also the first Wacky Wednesday of the season, featuring free carousel rides, speed pitch, and other games…Fans can catch all the action with Shawn Murnin on Willie 107.9 FM, as well as, with their smart phones via the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn Radio app.
