Ft. Wayne, IN- Ford Proctor hit a two-run, go-ahead homer in the ninth inning in the Bowling Green Hot Rods' 3-1 Monday night victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps at Parkview Field. The Hot Rods improve to 10-8 and will go for their fourth-consecutive series win on Tuesday with an
Ft. Wayne, IN- Ford Proctor hit a two-run, go-ahead homer in the ninth inning in the Bowling Green Hot Rods' 3-1 Monday night victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps at Parkview Field. The Hot Rods improve to 10-8 and will go for their fourth-consecutive series win on Tuesday with an 11:05 AM CDT first pitch.
The TinCaps almost broke the scoreless tie in the fourth against Bowling Green starter Easton McGee, but a base running mistake ended the inning and reversed a run. Justin Lopez led off with a single to right and went to second when Agustin Ruiz walked. Lee Solomon bunted to load the bases, but Jawuan Harris popped out to third for the first out of the inning. Xavier Edwards lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Lopez with two outs, or so everyone thought. Upon appeal, Lopez hadn't touched home plate and was called out to end the inning and keep it a scoreless tie.
Fort Wayne scored the first run of the game against Hot Rods reliever Alan Strong in the seventh. Dwanya Williams-Sutton reached and went to second on an error, moving to third when Lopez dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Ruiz singled through the right side of the infield, plating Williams-Sutton to give the TinCaps a 1-0 advantage.
Bowling Green seized the lead in the top of the ninth against TinCaps relievers Angel Acevedo and Carlos Belen. Bryce Brown led off the inning by forcing a full-count walk against Acevedo and scored when the very next hitter, Proctor, hammered a two-two pitch over the left field wall. Proctor's first round-tripper of the season gave the Hot Rods a 2-1 advantage and chased Acevedo from the game. With Belen on the mound and one out, Chris Betts reached on an error and went to second when Grant Witherspoon walked with two outs. Roberto Alvarez swatted his second hit of the game, a single, to left field that scored Betts from second to give Bowling Green a two-run cushion. Strong worked a spotless ninth to secure the 3-1 victory.
McGee tossed a scoreless five innings while allowing three hits and three walks with a strikeout. Strong (1-1) went four innings out of the bullpen, allowing one unearned run with three hits and a strikeout in a win.
Notes: Bowling Green is 6-0 in series opening games… The victory was also the Hot Rods' first Monday road game… Proctor had his second multi-RBI game of the year… Alvarez had his fourth multi-hit effort of the season… All of those are two-hit games… Kaleo Johnson extended his on-base streak to 12 games with a walk in the second inning… Franco has an eight-game hitting streak… The two total strikeouts for the pitching staff is the lowest team total of the season… Bowling Green is 3-1 in their road grey uniforms… Prior to Proctor's two-run homer, the Hot Rods hadn't scored in the ninth inning in 2019… Monday was the Hot Rods first win of the year when they're out-hit by their opponent… McGee tied his season-high with five innings pitched… He also allowed his lowest hit-total in a start (three)… Strong appeared out of the bullpen for the first time this season, having made two starts prior to Monday's game… The Hot Rods and TinCaps continue their series on Tuesday with a 12:05 PM EDT (11:05 PM CDT) first pitch… Bowling Green will send RH Joey Ryan (1-1, 4.26) to the mound while Fort Wayne will counter with LH Ramon Perez (0-0, 0.82)… 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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