Lansing, MI- Wander Franco hit his fifth home run of the season and Michael Smith had two hits as the Bowling Green Hot Rods lost their third-straight game in the series opener, 5-2 to the Lansing Lugnuts. The Hot Rods fall to 32-23 on the season with the second game
Lansing, MI- Wander Franco hit his fifth home run of the season and Michael Smith had two hits as the Bowling Green Hot Rods lost their third-straight game in the series opener, 5-2 to the Lansing Lugnuts. The Hot Rods fall to 32-23 on the season with the second game of the series set for Saturday night with a 6:05 PM CDT first pitch.
The Hot Rods took an early lead thanks to a powerful stroke by Franco against Troy Miller. Ford Proctor led off the game with a four-pitch walk, but he wasn't on base long. Franco worked the count full and pulled the payoff pitch of his at-bat over the right-field wall to give Bowling Green a 2-0 edge.
The Lugnuts cut Bowling Green's lead to a run in the bottom of the frame against starter Easton McGee. Otto Lopez singled to right with one out, scoring when Jake Brodt ripped a two-out double to the right-center field to cut the Hot Rods lead to 2-1.
The Lugnuts took the lead in the third against McGee and the Hot Rods thanks, in part, to a pair of throwing errors. Hunter Steinmetz led off with a walk and went to third on a throwing error at first on a pickoff attempt. Reggie Pruitt walked behind him and with two outs and stole second, but the throw went into center field and allowed Steinmetz to score, tying the game. With two outs, Griffin Conine singled to center, driving in Pruitt to give the Lugnuts a 3-2 advantage.
The Lugnuts added a run in fifth against McGee, with Conine lacing a two-out double off the right-center field wall to drive home Lopez and make it a 4-2 game. Lansing added a run in the eighth, extending their lead to 5-2 and eventually dealing the Hot Rods their third-consecutive loss in the series opener.
McGee (4-1) tossed 5.2 innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in a loss. Miller Hogan threw the final 2.1 innings of the game, allowing one run on two this with two strikeouts.
Notes: Franco extended his hit streak to eight games… He also had his 18th multi-hit game of the season… It was his fifth multi-RBI game of 2019… Smith's two-hit night is his fifth of the season and seventh multi-hit game… Chris Betts' seven-game hit streak was snapped… He did extend his on-base streak to nine games… Tony Pena failed to reach base for the first time in 13 games… The Hot Rods are 11-6 in the first game of a series this season… Friday was their 10th loss of the season when scoring first… Bowling Green falls to 14-13 on the road this season… The current three-game losing streak ties BG's season-high… The team closes out the month of May with a record of 18-13… The Hot Rods continue their three-game set with the Lugnuts on Saturday with a 6:35 PM first pitch... The Hot Rods will send RH Shane Baz (1-0, 1.80) to the mound against Lugnuts RH Sean Wymer (2-4, 8.23)… 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.
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Hot Rods Baseball
