MWL1 Bowling Green Hot Rods

Bowling Green Hot Rods Game Notes (Doubleheader, 4/12 vs LAN)

Published on April 11, 2017 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


Bowling Green Hot Rods (3-2, 3-2) vs. Lansing Lugnuts (4-1, 4-1)

Game 1: LHP Kenny Rosenberg vs. RHP Andy Ravel

Game 2: RHP JD Busfield vs. RHP Justin Maese

Bowling Green Hot Rods - Class-A Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

10:05 AM

Bowling Green Ballpark -- Bowling Green, KY

Last Game: To start a six-game homestand at Bowling Green Ballpark, the Bowling Green Hot Rods beat the Lansing Lugnuts by a score of 4-1 on Monday night. The loss for the Lugnuts was their first of the season.

NEWS AND NOTES

2016 In Review: Fresh off the best season in franchise history, the Bowling Green Hot Rods have set a high standard for this coming season. En route to their first division title (second half) since 2011, the Hot Rods set numerous franchise records, including wins (84), runs scored (711) and tied a team-record for longest win streak (9) on two separate occasions in the second half while also tying a franchise high mark for most consecutive games with a home run (10). The Hot Rods also won their first ever playoff game in team history, beating the Great Lakes Loons in Game 2 of the Midwest League East Divisional Series by a score of 8-6.

Welcome Back, Rei : After missing the first five games of the season due to a family matter, Manager Reinaldo Ruiz returned to the Hot Rods on Wednesday to start his third season in Bowling Green. Ruiz, 37, went 69-69 in his first season while leading Bowling Green last year to a franchise best 84-55 mark. First-year hitting coach Joe Szekely will serve as the Interim Manager. Szekely has been the Port Charlotte hitting coach for the last eight years, but has served as a manager in the Midwest League before with the Rays as the skipper of the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays in 2005.

Coaching Staff : Joining Ruiz for another season is pitching coach Bill Moloney, who is returning for his fourth season overall in his second stint with Bowling Green. Moloney was also the pitching coach in Port Charlotte (High-A, Rays) in 2013 following his first season with the Hot Rods. Rounding out the coaching staff is coach Hector Torres, a longtime fixture in the Rays organization. Torres is returning for his second stint in Bowling Green, having served as the coach for the Hot Rods during their inaugural season in 2009.

Baseball Prospectus : According to MLB.com, five of the Rays top-14 prospects in the organization are on the Hot Rods Opening Day Roster. Lowe (#6) and Whitley (#11) are joined by Jesus Sanchez (#7) in the outfield while Fox (#13) and 3B/SS Adrian Rondon (#14) headline the contingent in the infield. Bowling Green also has the reigning "Team MVP" for both the Princeton Rays in OF Eleardo Cabrera and the Hudson Valley Renegades with 1B Nathaniel Lowe .

Pitching Prowess: Through the first 5 games of the season, the Hot Rods pitching staff leads the Midwest League with 59 strikeouts while sporting a 2.93 ERA. The starting rotation has not given up more than two runs in any of their five starts.

Who's Hot: 2B Mike Brosseau has started off the season 5-for-11 (.455) with two homers and three runs batted in while outfielders Garrett Whitley and Eleardo Cabrera have hit safely in all four games that they have played in. Cabrera also has three outfield assists in those four games.

Check out the Bowling Green Hot Rods Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from April 11, 2017


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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