Hot Rods Fall 2-1 in First-Half Finale to Lugnuts

Lansing, MI- The Bowling Green Hot Rods were held to three hits in a 2-1 loss to the Lansing Lugnuts in the last game of the first-half at Cooley Law School Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The loss drops the Hot Rods to 39-31 in the first half ahead of a three-day, league-wide break for the 2019 Midwest League All-Star Game in South Bend, IN from Monday through Wednesday.

Lansing broke a scoreless tie in the third frame against Miller Hogan in relief of Caleb Sampen. Rafael Lantigua led off with a double to left but Hogan retired the next two batters in order. Nick Podkul ripped a high-liner off the glove of a leaping Ford Proctor at third and into left, scoring Lantigua and giving the Lugnuts a 1-0 lead in the process.
Bowling Green tied the game against Lugnuts starter Troy Miller in the fifth. Osmy Gregorio sent a one-out double to deep right-center field and went to third when Griffin Conine made an errant throw back to the infield. Proctor singled through the right-side of the infield in the next at-bat to plate Gregorio and make it a 1-1 game.
The Lugnuts took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth against Bowling Green reliever Nick Padilla. Conine walked and went to second when Gabriel Moreno singled. Ryan Gold grounded into a double play that moved Conine to third and Jake Brodt reached on an infield single that scored Conine to give Lansing a 2-1 advantage, a score that became final.
Sampen went two scoreless innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts in a no decision. Hogan worked two innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Padilla allowed a run on three hits with two walks over two innings of relief.
Notes: Alvarez extended his hit-streak to three games… Sampen's two innings of work is his shortest start of the season… The Hot Rods finish the first half with a record of 39-31… It's the first time in club history the team has finished with 39 wins… It's also the third-highest first-half win total in club history… BG is 7-8 in the month of June… They're 11-11 in one-run games… BG is 12-7-2 in series this season… Sunday was just their third loss in the rubber match of a three-game set… They finish the first half 17-18 on the road… The club was 22-13 at home… Witherspoon hit in the two-hole for the first time this season… Alvarez batted third in the lineup for the first time in 2019… Tony Pena hit fifth in the lineup for the first time this year… The Hot Rods are out of action Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for the 2019 Midwest League All-Star game… Wander Franco, Chris Betts, Roberto Alvarez, Grant Witherspoon, Caleb Sampen, Alan Strong, Easton McGee, and Trey Cumbie will all participate in the 2019 MWL All-Star game… Betts will compete in the 2019 Home Run Derby… The festivities will take place at Four Winds Field in South Bend, IN… The Hot Rods start the second half against the South Bend Cubs on Thursday, June 20 with a 6:05 PM CDT first pitch.
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