SAL Bowling Green Hot Rods

Hot Rods Game Notes

Published on July 4, 2021 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


Tonight's game will be followed by the largest fireworks display in the area.

Yesterday... Grant Witherspoon and Niko Hulsizer both homered on Saturday in the Hot Rods 6-5 loss to Greensboro. Witherspoon's three-run homer accounted for over half the offense, while Hulsizer and Pedro Martinez both finished with one RBI. Zack Trageton tossed his shortest start of the year, going 3.0 innings and giving up a season-high four earned runs. This was the first game that Trageton starter that the Hot Rods did not win, moving his record in games started to 7-1 compared to his 3-0 record in decisions.

Players of the Month... Bowling Green swept the monthly awards for June. Niko Hulsizer earned the player of the month, while Jayden Murray received pitcher of the month. Hulsizer led the High-A East with 10 homers, 30 RBIs, a .779 slugging percentage, and posted an OPS of 1.220. He also placed second in the league in runs scored with 25 runs scored and a .441 OBP. Jayden Murray made four starts in June, finishing with a 4-0 record and a 2.70 ERA. He kept opponents to a measly .141 batting average, allowing just 10 hits over 20.0 innings.

Sunday Best... The offense for the Hot Rods has excelled on Sundays, logging a higher average with more hits and homers than any other day of the week. Bowling Green has collected 73 on Sundays, coming out to a .299 average. The hitters have done this on the lowest amount of at-bats (244) of any day. Sunday has seen the most power with the Hot Rods hitting 21 homers, four ahead of Wednesday's 17.

Former Hot Rods in the Olympics... Joe Ryan and Shane Baz have been named to the U.S Olympic Team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Ryan, pitched in six games with Bowling Green in 2019, posting a 2-2 record with a 2.93 ERA. Baz played the entirety of his 2019 season with the Hot Rods, finishing with a 3-2 record with a 2.99 ERA over 81.1 innings pitched. Both pitchers are currently playing at the AAA level with the Durham Bulls and open the Olympic Games on Friday, July 30, against Isreal.

Hello July... Although their record to start the month is 1-2, the Hot Rods have already launched six homers and have maintained a 3.33 ERA through the first three games. The six home runs tie the most in the first three games of a month this season, hitting the same amount to start May. Against the Greenville Drive in the first series of the season, Bowling Green crushed six long balls, including two from Erik Ostberg and Jordan Qsar, with Grant Witherspoon and Jacson McGowan adding one each.

Yesterday's Notes... Witherspoon had his ninth multi-RBI game of the season... This is second on the team behind Hunt, who has 10... Hulsizer collected his 10th multi-hit game of the year... Witherspoon and Hulsizer have homered in back-to-back games... Hollis had his sixth multi-hit game of 2021... Trageton surrendered four earned runs, the most he has given up this season... Bowling Green is 9-13 this season when being outhit... BG is 15-8 this year when opponents score first... The Hot Rods are 24-13 in 2021 against right-handed starters.

Now pitching: Michael Mercado... This will be Mercado's second start against Greensboro in this series after pitching in the series opener. It was one of his best outings of the season, tying season highs with 5.0 innings pitched and six strikeouts. He let up one unearned run in the no-decision, leaving his record at 0-3. His month of June showed improvements, logging a 4.05 ERA compared to 6.60 in May. He also struck out 23 batters and walked only three, finishing with a 0.90 WHIP in June.

Check out the Bowling Green Hot Rods Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 4, 2021


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