Diethrich Caps off Big Week with Home Run in 11-7 Win
Published on July 10, 2011 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release
Comstock Park, MI - Derek Dietrich put an exclamation point on his bid for Midwest League Player of the Week on Sunday, hitting his 11th home run of the year - and the 4th this week - in an 11-7 win over West Michigan (9-8, 41-45). Dietrich's blast capped off a four-homer week and helped the Hot Rods (9-8, 50-37) even their series at West Michigan at one week each heading into the rubber game on Monday night.
The Hot Rods wasted no time in starting their offensive burst, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. Cody Rogers single, moving to third on a Dietrich double. With one out, both Rogers and Dietrich scored on a wild pitch and an error by the catcher Luis Sanz for a 2-0 lead.
An inning later the Hot Rods scored two more runs to push the lead to 4-0. Hector Guevara plated the first on a force out before Dietrich knocked in the first of his runs with another groundout. West Michigan answered those two runs with a pair of unearned tallies against Enny Romero in the bottom of the frame to keep it 4-2, Hot Rods.
Bowling Green broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning. Back-to-back doubles by birthday boy Keith Castillo and Guevara brought home the first run for a 5-2 lead. A single and a walk loaded the bases before Phil Wunderlich brought home two more with a single to right field. Two batters later, a sac fly from Steve Tinoco made it 8-2.
After the Whitecaps inched a run closer in the fourth, Dietrich smacked his two-out, two-run homer deep to right field in the fifth. The towering blast was his fourth two-run shot of the week and it moved him into a tie for the team lead with Wunderlich with 11 home runs each.
Staring a 10-3 deficit in the face, the Whitecaps pulled closer between the fifth and seventh innings. Four straight hits and a sac fly made it a 10-6 game in the bottom of the fifth. A double from Nick Castellanos in the seventh cut the deficit to 10-7 after seven.
For good measure, Keith Castillo added an RBI single against Bruce Rondon in the ninth, his third hit of the game to score Robby Price for an 11-7 lead.
Dietrich finished the game 2-4 with a double, his 11th home run, three RBI, a walk, and three runs scored. He finished a strong week hitting .400 (8-29) with three doubles, four home runs, and nine RBI. Dietrich also walked three times and scored nine runs
Dietrich was only part of the story on Sunday as every Hot Rods starter reached base while eight of nine had at least one hit. Castillo picked up three more hits and an RBI, his second three-hit game in a Hot Rods uniform. Rogers was on base four times, scoring three more runs to bump his league-best total to 66. Guevara finished 1-5 but drove in two runs to give him RBI in four straight games.
Jimmy Patterson earned the win allowing one run over two innings. Enny Romero took a no-decision in his first start since leaving a game early on July 1 with an injury. He pitched three innings, allowing just two hits and two unearned runs. He struck out four without issuing a walk.
The two teams now meet for the final time in the regular season on Monday night at 6 PM CDT. LHP Braulio Lara (3-6, 4.54) takes the hill against West Michigan LHP Ryan Flynn (1-1, 4.76). You can follow the game with Tom Gauthier at 5:35 PM on 1340 WBGN and www.bghotrods.com.
Hot Rods Playoff Strips are on sale now. Bowling Green will host Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) of the first round playoff series on September 8 and 9 at Bowling Green Ballpark. 2011 Playoff Ticket Strips include a box seat to all six potential home playoff games and a limited edition Hot Rods Playoff T-Shirt for just $60. For more information, visit www.bghotrods.com.
Midwest League Stories from July 10, 2011
- Lugs' balanced attack blasts Captains, 7-1 - Lansing Lugnuts
- Captains Fall to Lansing 7-1 - Lake County Captains
- Bullpen Struggles in Eighth Straight Loss - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Chiefs use big inning to blow past Kernels, 7-1 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Bandits Top Wisconsin in 11 - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Five Run Sixth Leads Chiefs to 7-1 Win - Peoria Chiefs
- Dragons Take Ninth Win in Last 10 Games - Dayton Dragons
- Bandits Beat Rattlers In 11 Innings - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Loons Level the TinCaps and Series - Great Lakes Loons
- Soliman & Ray Lead Snappers to Shutout - Beloit Sky Carp
- Soliman Keeps Clinton Scoreless over Seven Innings for 5-0 Win - Clinton LumberKings
- Big Inning Topples TinCaps, 10-7 - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Cuthbert Slams Cougars Past Bees - Kane County Cougars
- Cougars Take Game Two - Burlington Bees
- Diethrich Caps off Big Week with Home Run in 11-7 Win - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Peoria scores in the 10th to beat Kernels, 3-2 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Peoria scores in the 10th to beat Kernels, 3-2 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Perez's Two Home Runs Not Enough Against âKings - Beloit Sky Carp
- Russell ravaged through Wisconsin lineup, allowing three hits - Quad Cities River Bandits
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