LANSING, MI - The Bowling Green Hot Rods earned an 8-6 win over the Lansing Lugnuts this evening at Cooley Law School Stadium. In a playoff-type game, the Hot Rods saw a 5-0 lead evaporate before pulling ahead late for the win.The Hot Rods scored in each of the first
LANSING, MI - The Bowling Green Hot Rods earned an 8-6 win over the Lansing Lugnuts this evening at Cooley Law School Stadium. In a playoff-type game, the Hot Rods saw a 5-0 lead evaporate before pulling ahead late for the win.
The Hot Rods scored in each of the first three innings, including a three-run home run from LF Moises Gomez in the second inning, to surge ahead 5-0 through two and a half innings of play.
The Lugnuts scored in each of their next three at-bats, highlighted by a three-run home run of their own off the bat of CF Reggie Pruitt . The hosts tied the game in the fifth on a passed ball, making it 5-5 heading to the sixth.
That's when Bowling Green took the lead for good. SS Taylor Walls led off with a single and scored when 1B Jim Haley tripled to right field. It gave the Hot Rods a 6-5 lead and extended Haley's hitting streak to 13 games. Haley came in to score when DH Devin Davis hit a fielder's choice, and the Hot Rods led 7-5.
Lansing got a run back in the bottom of the eighth, on a sac fly following a one-out triple, making it 7-6 heading to the ninth.
That's when chaos broke out.
3B Zach Rutherford was hit by a pitch with one out. He advanced to third on CF Jake Stone 's single to right. C Alexander Alvarez then bunted a ball up the first base line, and collided with Lugnuts' 1B Ryan Noda . The ball got away, Rutherford scored, while Stone reached second and Alvarez made it to first. Lugnuts' Manager Cesar Martin was ejected following an animated argument, and the Hot Rods led 8-6 heading to the bottom of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, RHP Simon Rosenblum-Larson recorded a 1-2-3 inning, but not before more chaos. Lugnuts' RF Chavez Young was rung up on a check swing, and was promptly ejected for arguing the call, as was Lugnuts Acting Manager Matt Young. Once the dust settled, Rosenblum-Larson ended the game with a strikeout, giving the Hot Rods their 76th win of the season.
RHP Paul Campbell earned the win. He threw five innings, allowing seven hits and five runs (four earned). He walked three and struck out three.
The Hot Rods and Lugnuts will do battle again tomorrow afternoon at 1:05pm Eastern. RHP J.D. Busfield (0-0, 3.12) will go for Bowling Green, while Lansing will counter with RHP Kyle Weatherly (3-1, 3.39).
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