Bowling Green Drops Game Two, Series Tied 1-1 

Greensboro, North Carolina – Taj Bradley tossed six innings of two-run baseball in the Bowling Green Hot Rods (1-1) 4-2 loss to the Greensboro Grasshoppers (1-1) on Friday at First National Bank Field in Greensboro, North Carolina. The two teams have a travel day on Saturday and resume action on Sunday at Bowling Green Ballpark with a 6:35 PM CT first pitch.

The Grasshoppers took the lead in the bottom of the first frame against Hot Rods starter Taj Bradley. Liover Peguero led off with a single. Nick Gonzales reached on an error, putting runners on first and second. A passed ball moved Peguero to third and he scored on a sacrifice fly from Jared Triolo, taking the lead 1-0. Will Matthiessen grounded out in the next at-bat, scoring Gonzales, and increasing their advantage to 2-0.

Bowling Green put up their first run in the third inning against Greensboro starter Quinn Priester. Roberto Alvarez led off with a solo homer. The long ball was his first in post-season play and brought the Hot Rods within one run, 2-1.

Greensboro added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh against Bowling Green reliever Zack Trageton. Matthiessen walked and Blake Sabol singled, bringing Matt Gorski up to the plate. Gorski doubled to left, scoring both and expanded the lead to 4-1.

The Hot Rods got the offense going late, scoring a run in the ninth against Greensboro reliever Austin Roberts. Jordan Qsar led off with a solo homer to right. It was his first post-season home run and cut into the Greensboro lead, 4-2. Roberts set down the next three batters in order, tying the series at 1-1.

Bradley (0-1) struck out nine batters over 6.0 innings while allowing two unearned runs on two hits in his first loss of the playoffs. Trageton surrendered two runs on two hits while walking one and recording just one out. Jose Lopez set down two hitters in a scoreless outing. Alan Strong pitched 1.0 scoreless inning while striking out two.

Notes: Bradley’s 6.0 innings are the most in a game from a Hot Rods starter in 2021… It also makes for the first quality start for a Bowling Green starter this year… Alvarez had his first multi-hit game in post-season play… Alvarez and Qsar had their first playoff homers… This is Bowling Green’s first playoff loss since September 5, 2019… It was a 7-4 loss to the South Bend Cubs in the first game of the Midwest League Divisional Quarterfinals… The last time the Hot Rods were in the league championship, they lost game two and won the series 3-1… That was against the Peoria Chiefs in the 2018 Midwest League Championship Series… The Hot Rods and Grasshoppers play have a travel day Saturday and return to Bowling Green Ballpark on Sunday for game three… On Sunday, the Hot Rods send LH John Doxakis (0-0, 0.00) to the mound against Greensboro RH JC Flowers (0-0, 0.00)… Fans can catch all of the action by watching or listening through the MiLB First Pitch app, tuning into WBGN 94.5 FM and 1340 AM, or visiting https://www.milb.com/bowling-green/fans/audio-listen-live

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