
Hot Rods Game Notes for DH
April 9, 2019 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release
Today's Notes:
About Last Game... Another great night of pitching was compounded by the awakening of Bowling Green's bats, as the hitters pounded out 15 hits, including three home runs, yielding 13 runs in the series finale against Dayton. The Dragons got off to a fast start, scoring a run in the first inning to take a quick lead but the Hot Rods took the lead in the bottom of the frame and never looked back. Connor Hollis hit his first homer of the season with one on, giving BG a one-run edge while the Hot Rods scored in four more innings including posting a pair of four-run frames in the seventh and eighth. Osmy Gregorio and Grant Witherspoon both homered while five players had multi-hit efforts, highlighted by Michael Smith in the nine-hole who had three. Hollis also scored four runs in the game.
Last Game's Notes... Hot Rods starters have combined for 28 strikeouts in the first four games of the season... The team has 50 strikeouts as a staff...Sampen had the longest start of his career (previously 2.0 innings), also setting a career high in strikeouts...Bowling Green set season highs in runs (13) and hits (15)...The Hot Rods eclipsed ten runs for the first time since August 19, 2018 vs. Dayton...The pitching staff also set a season-low by allowing two hits, the fewest allowed since a one-hitter on August 21, 2018 vs. Lansing...The Hot Rods hit multiple home runs for the first time this season...This is the first three-home-run game for Bowling Green since August 2, 2018 at Lake County...Grant Witherspoon drove in two runs for the second time this year...Michael Smith singled three times and walked twice, reaching base a career-high five times...The Hot Rods are 95-69 all-time against the Dragons, 48-31 at Bowling Green Ballpark...
That's a lot of K's... Bowling Green pitching has gotten off to a tremendous start, posting a 2.83 ERA, but where the team is really impressing is with strikeouts. The Hot Rods were tied with the Augusta Greenjackets (SFG) of the South Atlantic League for the lead in K's in all of Class-A with 50 K's this season prior to yesterday's postponment.
Limiting Free Passes... Equally as impressive to the strikeouts has been BG's ability to limit walks to opponents in the early part of the season. The team has limited their opponents to just 11 walks over their 35.0 innings of work, which was the fourth-best number in the MWL before yesterday's game was pushed to today.
What a difference a game can make... The Hot Rods are second in the MWL in taking walks at the plate, but after Sunday's 15-hit performance the team's average is the best in the league at .287. The 13 runs scored on Sunday allowed the Hot Rods to move into third in the league in that category after scoring eight total runs over the first three games against Dayton, including being shutout once, but they've slipped to sixth with the unscheduled off day yesterday.
Notes about the series... The Hot Rods come into the first series with Lake County ahead in the all-time series 86-68, but trail at Classic Park with a 37-39 record. The best record BG has ever had against the Captains was last year, finishing the season series with a 16-4 record. Both teams were in the South Atlantic League in 2009 before switching over to the Midwest League in 2010 and have faced one another once in the post season with the Captains sweeping the Hot Rods in two games.
Midwest League Stories from April 9, 2019
- Burlington Falls 4-0 to Beloit - Burlington Bees
- 'Caps Hang on in Lansing - West Michigan Whitecaps
- LumberKings Strikeout 20 Times in 2-0 Loss - Clinton LumberKings
- Parsons, Chiefs Shutout Rattlers 9-0 - Peoria Chiefs
- TinCaps Walk Off in a Wild One - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Clutch Cougars Win Third Straight - Kane County Cougars
- Snappers Blank Bees 4-0 for First Shutout of the Year - Beloit Sky Carp
- Bandits Pitching Strikes out 20 in 2-0 Win - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Kane County Takes Tuesday Tilt - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Kirk and Pruitt Homer, But Nuts Come up Short - Lansing Lugnuts
- Fort Wayne Tops Dragons on Walk-Off Double, 5-4 - Dayton Dragons
- Chiefs Shut Out Rattlers - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Cubs Pitching Strikes out 13 in 6-1 Win over Loons - South Bend Cubs
- Cubs Awake from Slumber - Great Lakes Loons
- TinCaps Game Notes: April 9 vs. Dayton (Game 6) - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Tickets for Pitbull Concert at Four Winds Field to Go on Sale Wednesday, April 10 at 10 AM ET - South Bend Cubs
- Dragons to Recognize "Folds of Honor" Recipients During Game on April 12 - Dayton Dragons
- Griffin's Homer Wins Fan $10,000 - Burlington Bees
- Kernels to Host Quad Cities, April 15-17, Due to River Flooding - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Lack of Stadium Access Forces Bandits to Relocate Second Home Series - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Hot Rods Game Notes for DH - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Dragons Notes for Tuesday - Dayton Dragons
- Bandits Partner with TBK Bank to Renovate Youth Field - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Bees Edge Beloit in Extras - Burlington Bees
- LumberKings drop series opener 6-5 in 10-innings - Clinton LumberKings
- Snappers Fall in First Extra Innings Affair - Beloit Sky Carp
- Late Offense Catapults Cougars over Kernels - Kane County Cougars
- Cougars Clip Kernels Monday - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Gorman Homers Twice as Chiefs Fall 10-6 - Peoria Chiefs
- Bandits Win Extra-Innings Thriller 6-5 to Open Series in Clinton - Quad Cities River Bandits
- TinCaps Roar Back to Claim Victory - Fort Wayne TinCaps
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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