MWL1 Bowling Green Hot Rods

BG Blanks West Michigan Behind Strong Start from Snell

April 22, 2014 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


Grand Rapids, Mich. - Not even a full-day after 10 innings were required for victory, the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Class-A/Tampa Bay Rays) shutout the West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers) on Tuesday afternoon, 5-0. Blake Snell dominated, inducing 12 groundball outs to just one fly out. He worked six shutout innings to help the Hot Rods to a perfect start to their seven-game road trip.

The Bowling Green offense gave Snell an early lead with three runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, Kean Wong lined a single to left-center field. Following a single by Johnny Field, the two pulled off a double steal to put runners at second and third base. Pat Blair then singled through the right side to drive home Wong. A fielding error by third baseman Brett Harrison allowed Field to score, and the final run came across when Oscar Hernandez got caught in a rundown long enough for Blair to score from third base.

Snell (1-2) settled into a grove after that. Not one West Michigan base runner reached third base against him all afternoon, and he kept the ball on the ground on a day where the swirling wind played a large factor. He only issued two free passes while recording three strikeouts. Snell matched the longest a Hot Rods starter has gone this season, and lowered his earned run average to 1.84 in the win.

The score remained 3-0 until Bowling Green added insurance in the eighth and ninth innings. In the top of the eighth, Field led off the frame with a double down the line in left field. He was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Blair, and would score when Hernandez smashed a two-out double. In the ninth, Alexander Simon singled with one out. He moved to second base on a single by James Harris, and then scored when Wong knocked his second hit of the day.

Andrew Hanse worked the seventh and eighth innings, while Luis Cabrera put up the final zero on the scoreboard in the ninth. It marked the first shutout for Hot Rods pitching this season.

Whitecaps starter Kevin Ziomek (0-2) was handed the loss after allowing three runs in five innings.

The Hot Rods will try to clinch the series victory tomorrow morning in game three of a four-game set against the West Michigan. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT, and Jake Faria (0-1, 1.88) will go for his first victory of the season after tossing six strong innings his last time out against Kane County. The Pepsi Pre-Game Show will get underway at 10:45 a.m. CT on the radio home for the Hot Rods, 1340 WBGN - The Ticket.

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