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MWL1 Bowling Green Hot Rods

Bowling Green Bootleggers Game Notes

May 4, 2019 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


About Yesterday... Bowling Green and Peoria engaged in a pitchers duel on Friday night to open a three-game set at Dozer Park in Peoria, IL, but Peoria took and late lead and went on to defeat BG 2-1. Caleb Sampen took the mound for Bowling Green and had his best outing as a professional to date. The righty allowed a hit in the first inning, but proceeded to sit down the next 19 batters he faced while accumulating eight strikeouts through a career-high seven innings of work. Meanwhile, Bowling Green faced similar challenges against Peoria Starter Diego Cordero, who held BG scoreless despite allowing four hits. Bowling Green finally broke through in the eighth inning, with Jake Palomaki driving in Chris Betts who earned a one-out walk earlier in the frame. Peoria got to reliever Nick Sprengel in the bottom of the inning, though, with Wayde Ynfante doubling down the left-field line and scoring on a Brandon Riley single to even the score. Alexis Wilson had walked in between those hits and scored when Edwin Figuera grounded into a fielder's choice-turned-error to give Peoria the lead, 2-1. Grant Witherspoon stroked a two-out single in the ninth, but Roberto Alvarez grounded out to end the game and the Hot Rods streak of eight-straight series opening wins in the 2-1 loss.

Bootlegging... The Bootleggers take the field for the second time this season on Saturday to take on the Peoria Distillers in the second installment of the Battle for the Barrel. In last season's inagural game, the Bootleggers defeated the Distillers 8-1 despite an early lead for Peoria. It was 1-0 until the third when BG plated five runs. They tacked on one in the sixth and two more in the seventh, going on to win by seven. Eight Bootleggers had hits in the game, including five multi-hit efforts while Tobias Myers earned the win and Tyler Sombro earned a four-inning save without allowing a run.

Betts ... Chris Betts hit seventh for the first time this season on Friday as the team's DH, but he's put together an impressive streak behind the plate for Bowling Green this season. With he and Roberto Alvarez having caught 14 game a piece, Betts has put together an 11-3 record as the club's backstop this season as opposed to Alvarez's 5-9 record. Betts has posted a 2.81 ERA while helping the pitching staff to 164 total strikeouts, 28 more that with Alvarez, over 14 more innings of work. Alvarez has the edge in homers allowed, though, with pitcher's he's working with allowing half the amount (9) of Betts' battery mates. Bowling Green has won nine-straight game when Betts is behind the plate.

We're going streaking... Michael Smith extended his on-base streak to 14 games on Friday with a single in the first inning against Peoria. The outfielder is batting .333 in that span with an OBP of .490, collecting 13 hits with 12 walks. He's got just one extra-base hit (a triple) during that time while having scored three times and driving in six RBI. Smith also holds the longer road-hitting streak on the team at five games.

Wandering Award... Wander Franco was named the Midwest League Player of the Week on Monday following a seven day tear that saw the shortstop extend his hit streak to 12-games before losing it on Sunday. During the week Franco slashed .429/.500/1.000 over six games, bashing three homers in addition to three doubles, five RBI, seven runs, three walks, and a stolen base. The week included a two-homer performance by the 18-year-old on April 25 in a 6-5 series-opening win.

Yesterday's Notes... Sampen's seven innings of work are a season-high for Bowling Green... It's also a career-high... He retired 19-straight Chiefs between the first and seventh innings... Sampen fell one-shy of his career high in strikeouts with eight on Friday... Friday's loss was the first in the opening game of a series for Bowling Green... They're now 8-1 in those games... When Peoria scored in the eighth, it ended a run of 17.1 innings without allowing a run... Connor Hollis had his sixth multi-hit effort of the season... Michael Smith has a three-game hitting streak... Grant Witherspoon extended his hit streak to four games with a single in the ninth... The Hot Rods are 4-3 in one-run games... They're also 10-4 when the team scores first... Friday was Bowling Green's fourth loss of the year when they out-hit their opponent...

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Midwest League Stories from May 4, 2019


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