MWL1 Bowling Green Hot Rods

BG Game Notes

August 9, 2019 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


The Hot Rods look to make it two in-a-row on the heels of last night's 9-6 victory to even the series. Saturday starts a three-game series with the division-leading Loons that will finish off BG's regular season schedule in Michigan. Following Monday's series and road trip finale, the Hot Rods will have two road trips left with games in Indiana and Ohio.

About Yesterday... West Michigan took an early lead, but the Hot Rods narrowed the deficit in the second against Whitecaps starter Gio Arriera. Chris Betts worked a one-out walk and Roberto Alvarez singled. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Seaver Whalen's ground-rule double to left center, making it a 3-2 ballgame. The Whitecaps tacked on to their lead to go up 4-2, but BG tied it up in the fifth. Jonathan Aranda led off with a single to center field but didn't stay on base long. Whalen drove a full-count pitch over the left-field wall, tying the game at 4-4. The big-fly was Whalen's third of the season and first game tying homer of 2019. They took the lead in the sixth after Jordan Qsar was hit by a pitch and went to third on two wild pitches. Alvarez singled to center, plating Qsar to give the Hot Rods a one-run edge, 5-4. BG eventually went on to win 9-6, scoring twice in the seventh and ninth despite runs in the eighth and ninth.

Down but not out... The Hot Rods have fallen out of first place in the second half for the first time since June 27th, ending a 41-day run with at least a share of first. While the team still has control of the "division winner" spot in the playoff hunt, BG hasn't been more than two games back of first in the second half. Great Lakes took sole possession of first place following the Hot Rods loss on Wednesday.

Auguspoon ... Hot Rods outfielder Grant Witherspoon had endured a 3-for-18 slump that saw his batting average sink to .253, his lowest mark since Opening Day, but over his last 10 games has turned things around. The lefty is batting .333 over that stretch, going 10-for-30 with eight runs, six RBIs, and a homer. In the month of August he's batting .385 with an OBP of .484 while his OPS has reached 1.253 in eight games this month.

Franchise Single-Season Record Chasers... Chris Betts is currently tied with Phillip Wunderlich ('11) with 17 home runs for fourth most in a single season in Hot Rods history. The lefty is two behind Moises Gomez ('18) for third place, four behind Ronaldo Hernandez ('18) for second with 21, and five behind Derek Dietrich for first, who hit 22 in 2011. Betts is also six RBIs behind Jake Hager's ('12) total of 72 in a season, which is fifth in franchise history. Ford Proctor has 26 doubles, which is six behind Tyler Bortnick ('10) in fifth, and also 10 off the franchise mark of 36 set by Jeff Malm and Cameron Seitzer in 2012. Proctor (53) and Betts (56) are both chasing Taylor Walls 2018 walk total of 66 for fifth-most in franchise history. Joel Peguero is tied for fourth place for single-season saves (10) with Austin Hubbard ('11), and would move into a tie for third with Scott Shumann ('10) with four more saves to total 14. Nick Sprengel is tied for fifth in team history with five holds this season and could tie for fourth with his sixth along with four others. Cristofer Ogando has four holds and could enter the top five with another.

The Tools to Succeed... Baseball America released their "Best Tools" list on Wednesday. Former Hot Rods shortstop picked up three wins, taking home "Best Batting Prospect", "Best Strike Zone Judgement", and "Most Exciting Player" categories. Right-handed starter Alan Strong was voted as having the best control for any pitcher in the league as well. In total, 14 categories were won by current or former Hot Rods for the 2019 version of the list, which polls managers from every league in the minors who vote to elect winners in each category.

Yesterday's Notes... Peguero's 10th save of the season ties him with Austin Hubbard (2011) for fourth all-time on the single-season saves list in Hot Rods history... Witherspoon has a three-game hit streak... Whalen extended his hit streak to four games... He also had his third multi-RBI game of the year... Two are four-RBI games... It ties a career high, as well... Whalen had his 11th multi-hit game of the season on Thursday... Proctor extended his hit streak to five games... He collected his 30th multi-hit game of the year... Alvarez had his 26th multi-hit game of the season... Witherspoon had his fourth three-hit game of the season and 27th multi-hit game of the year... Cardenas had his 28th multi-hit game of the year... He also logged his 19th multi-RBI game and sixth three-RBI game... The Hot Rods are 11-2 against West Michigan this season... They're 45-43 at night... BG is 27-29 on the road in 2019... The Hot Rods bullpen is 25-24... BG is 46-8 when outhitting their opponent...

Check out the Bowling Green Hot Rods Statistics



Midwest League Stories from August 9, 2019


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