Hot Rods Drop Series Finale 16-6 on Sunday

Asheville, North Carolina– Despite Alexander Ovalles, Tanner Murray, Heriberto Hernandez, and Matthew Dyer all having multi-hit games, the Bowling Green Hot Rods (33-27, 75-51) used seven pitchers in a 16-6 loss to the Asheville Tourists (33-27, 59-66) on Sunday night in the series finale at McCormick Field. The Hot Rods have a scheduled off day before opening up the final series of the 2022 regular season at Bowling Green Ballpark on Tuesday with a 6:05 PM CT first pitch.

Bowling Green got on the board first with a run in the top of the frame thanks to Hernandez’s RBI single to center, making it a 1-0 game. That lead didn’t last long, with the Tourists plating a pair to take a 2-1 lead. Things got out of hand in the bottom of the second, when nine runs scored to put BG in an 11-1 hole.

The Hot Rods plated three more runs in the third thanks to Dillon Paulson’s three-run homer to make it an 11-4 game, but in the bottom of the fourth Asheville extended their lead to 10 runs. Murray hit a solo homer in the fifth and Dyer plated Ovalles later in the inning to make it a 14-6 game, but a two-run homer off the bat of Zach Daniels in the eighth sealed the deal, with the Hot Rods taking a 16-6 loss.

Austin Vernon (0-3) took the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with a walk and a strikeout over 1.0 inning. Victor Muñoz allowed seven runs on four hits with four walks, striking out one over 0.2 innings. Conor Dryer worked 2.0 frames with five runs (three earned) on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Graeme Stinson threw a perfect 1.1 innings, striking out two. Cameron Leonard threw a scoreless frame, allowing a hit with two strikeouts. Haden Erbe threw a spotless inning, striking out two. Matthew Peguero allowed two runs on two this with a strikeout in the last inning.

Notes: Murray hit three home runs this week… Dyer had multiple hits in a game for the 10th time this season… Murray has 16 multi-hit games in 2022… Ovalles led the team with three hits… It was his 20th multi-hit game of the year… It was his seventh three-hit game… Hernandez had his team-best 26th multi-hit game of the year… He is still tied for the team record with 23 home runs in a single season… He hit his last home run on August 28 against Rome, when he hit two… Paulson hit his second home run of the year… It was also his second multi-RBI game of the season… BG finished their road schedule in 2022 with a 35-30 record… in 65 games they batted .258 with 70 home runs and 367 runs scored… The pitching staff closes out their road schedule with a. 4.30 ERA away from home… They have more saves (20) on the road than at home (18)… BG pitchers struck out 596 batters on the road this season while issuing 195 walks… They also induced 46 double play balls on the road, 12 more than at Bowling Green Ballpark… Monday is a league-wide off day… Tuesday begins the final series of the 2022 regular season… BG will play the final six games of the year at home beginning with a 6:05 PM CT first pitch against the Greensboro Grasshoppers (High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates)… The 2022 South Atlantic League playoffs begin on Tuesday, September 13 with the Hot Rods on the road… BG returns to Bowling Green Ballpark on Thursday, September 15 for the second game of the series with the third at Bowling Green Ballpark if necessary, on Friday, September 16… Fans can get their tickets for upcoming Hot Rods home games by calling 270-901-2121, visiting the Bowling Green Ballpark box office, or visiting www.bghotrods.com.

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Hot Rods Baseball