SAL Bowling Green Hot Rods

Hot Rods Game Notes

Published on August 16, 2022 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Bowling Green Hot Rods News Release


Ended on a High Note... Bowling Green snapped a three-game losing streak and secured a series split against the Winston-Salem Dash with a 4-2 victory on Sunday. Alexander Ovalles led the way for the BG bats with two extra-base hits, including his tenth home-run of the season, in a 2-4 day with two runs and two RBIs. Gionti Turner went 2-4 with a double and a run scored and Tyler Frank recorded his first triple since 2018 on a 1-3 day with an RBI, run scored and a walk. Ben Brecht fanned six in 5.0 shutout innings to earn his second win of the year and Kyle Whitten earned his fourth save in a 1-2-3 ninth, finishing off the game with a strikeout.

Yesterday's Notes... Soria has a seven-game hit streak... Ovalles has been on base in 10-straight games... Ovalles has 16 multi-hit games... He had his 10th multi-RBI game of the year on Sunday... Soria had his seventh multi-hit game of the season... Turner has four multi-hit games... BG is 11-3-5 after earning the series split on Sunday... Hot Rods starters are 17-17 this season... Brecht has gone 5.0 innings (a season-high) in three times since joining BG... He's struck out six in three of his last four outings...

Molina the Maestro... Anthony Molina leads the South Atlantic League in wins with 12, three more than the next highest pitcher, but it's his consistency that has been most impressive. With a win tonight he will tie Hickory's Owen White for the most consecutive wins by an SAL pitcher, as Molina already holds the longest active streak with four straight wins. His winning ways have only improved as a starter, with three wins in three starts for the Hot Rods and a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 innings in those games. Molina has gone 5.0 innings or more in each start and opponents are hitting .172 off of him when he starts.

Among the Leaders... Bowling Green's offense is amongst the most productive in the league this season. The club is scoring the third-most runs per game (5.71) and third in the league with 132 homers. The club's batting average is fifth-best in the SAL and the Hot Rods slugging percentage (.438) ranks second only behind Asheville. BG hitters have grounded into the least double plays this season but are the only team to have not been intentionally walked at least once in 2022. The team ERA on the pitching side is 3.82, the fourth-lowest this season, and have allowed the lowest walk total in the SAL. At 308, BG has allowed 64 fewer walks than the next lowest team (Brooklyn) heading into the homestand.

Unsung Hero... The aspect of BG's game that often goes most overlooked is the team's defense. The Hot Rods have the SAL's second-best fielding percentage (.978) while having committed just 85 errors this year. The backstops have controlled the run game at an elite level as well, throwing out 31% of would-be base stealers which is second-best in the league.

Playoff Ready... With the Hot Rods clinching their spot in the 2022 SAL Playoffs, tickets for the post season games at Bowling Green Ballpark have gone on sale. The Divisional Round will begin on Tuesday, September 13 at the second-half South Division Champion's ballpark before game-two of the series will be at Bowling Green Ballpark on Thursday, September 15. If game-three is necessary, the Hot Rods will host that game on Friday, September 16. In the event the Hot Rods advance to the League Championship, they'll host game-one on Sunday, September 18 before finishing the series on the road on Tuesday, September 20 and Wednesday, September 21at the North Division's winner.

Clinched!... BG finished the first half leading their division for the third time in club history, clinching a playoff spot with 2018's Midwest League Champions and again in 2011. (there were no halves in 2021). The 2011 team finished the first leg of the season with a 41-29 record while the 2018 Hot Rods set a franchise record with 47 wins in the first half and a record of 47-22. The 2022 club became the third Hot Rods team to the 40-win mark in a half.

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 16, 2022


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