Hot Rods Game Notes
April 8, 2019 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release
About Last Night... 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 Night'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 are currently 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.
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 is the fourth-best number in the MWL..
What a difference a game can make... The Hot Rods lead the MWL in taking walks at the plate, but after yesterday's 15-hit performance the team's average is tied for second in the league with Beloit 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.
Notes about... 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 8, 2019
- Rattlers Hang On to Beat the Chiefs - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Roederer's Double Ties It, But Loons Walk-Off Cubs 3-2 - South Bend Cubs
- Fort Wayne Pulls Away Late, Tops Dragons 9-5 - Dayton Dragons
- Robinson's Walk-Off Single Leads Loons Past Cubs - Great Lakes Loons
- Whitecaps Catch Case of the Mondays - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Lugnuts Win 1-Hour, 54-Minute Gem, 1-0 - Lansing Lugnuts
- Hot Rods-Captains Series Opener Postponed on Monday - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Monday's Captains vs. Hot Rods Game Postponed - Lake County Captains
- Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- TinCaps Game Notes: April 8 vs. Dayton (Game 5) - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Kernels Home Stand Preview: April 8-14 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Dragons Notes for Monday - Dayton Dragons
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