Hot Rods Sweep Captains, Win Fifth Straight

BOWLING GREEN, KY --- In the third game of a eight-game homestand, the Bowling Green Hot Rods scored a run in all but two innings and routed the Lake County Captains by a score of 11-3 on Wednesday night. 
The Hot Rods led for the entire game, starting in the first inning on a solo homer from shortstop Luis Rengifo to leadoff the bottom of the first inning. It was the first leadoff homer for the Hot Rods all season. 
For Rengifo, the homer was his first as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He was traded from the Seattle Mariners last week. 
One inning later, the Hot Rods got a RBI double catcher Danny De La Calle and a RBI single from outfielder Joshua Lowe and then scored got a three-run inning in the sixth highlighted by a two-run triple from infielder Miles Mastrobuoni off of Captains starter Micah Miniard (L, 4-11).
In the eighth inning, the Hot Rods scored their final three runs of the game on a RBI single from outfielder Jesús Sánchez , a bases-loaded walk drawn by outfielder Garrett Whitley and a sacrifice fly from catcher Rene Pinto .
Rengifo, Lowe, Haley and Mastrobuoni paced the Hot Rods bats with two hits apiece. 
Offensively, the Hot Rods outscored the Captains by a 20-3 margin in the last two games of this series. 
On the pitching side, righty Chris Pike (W, 4-4) tossed seven innings of one-run ball to earn the win, giving up just four hits with five strikeouts. His only blemish was a solo homer given up to Captains designated hitter Li-Jen Chu in the fourth inning for their only run of the game. 
Pike was also the first Hot Rods pitcher to register an at-bat in franchise history, drawing a walk in the sixth inning. 
With the win, the Hot Rods swept their third four-game series of the second half and have won five straight games overall.
Bowing Green is now a season-high ten game over .500 this year. 
Their magic number to clinch a playoff berth is now at nine.
Bowling Green will try to continue their winning ways on Friday by welcoming the West Michigan Whitecaps to town for the first of four games at Bowling Green Ballpark.
West Michigan has the best record in the Midwest League. 
The Hot Rods will send a pitcher that is still to be determined to the mound while the Whitecaps will counter with LHP Eudis Idrogo.
First pitch is at 6:35 PM. 
You can also listen in to Play-by-Play Broadcaster Alex Cohen for all the games on www.williecountry.com (Click on BG Listen Live) or on Willie 107.9/AM 1340 in Southcentral Kentucky.

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