Win-Streak Snapped as Hot Rods fall to Braves in 6-5 Loss

Bowling Green, Kentucky– The Bowling Green Hot Rods (49-22) lost their first game since July 11th in a 6-5 setback to the Rome Braves (34-37) on Saturday at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hot Rods and Braves play the series finale on Sunday with a 5:35 PM CT first pitch.

Bowling Green put two runs on the board in the first inning against Rome starter Jake McSteen. Greg Jones led off the inning with a double and Pedro Martinez plated him with a double of his own to give the Hot Rods a 1-0 lead. With two outs, Blake Hunt singled to left field and scored Martinez to increase the Bowling Green advantage to 2-0.

Rome responded in the top of the third with three runs to take the lead, 3-2. The Hot Rods answered right back in the bottom of the frame with McSteen still on the bump. Pedro Martinez reached with a one-out base hit and scored on Curtis Mead’s two-run homer in the next at-bat. The homer was Mead’s second since joining Bowling Green and gave the Hot Rods a 4-3 edge.

In the bottom of the fourth the Hot Rods faced McSteen again. Grant Witherspoon led off the inning with a solo homer to expand Bowling Green’s lead to 5-3. Rome drove in their fourth run of the night, this time against Hot Rods reliever Michael Costanzo, cutting into the Bowling Green lead 5-4.

The Braves tied the game with a run in the top of the seventh, 5-5. They took the lead in the top of the ninth with Hot Rods reliever Justin Sterner on the mound. Andrew Moritz reached on an error by Mead with two outs and scored on a Garrett Saunders double to take the lead 6-5. The Hot Rods couldn’t muster any offense in the bottom half, dropping the game to the Braves, 6-5.

Alan Strong pitched 4.0 innings, allowing three runs on three hits, walking one and striking out four in a no-decision. Costanzo tossed 2.2 innings, giving up three hits and two runs (one earned) while walking one and striking out four. Sterner (1-2) took his second loss of the season, pitching 2.1 innings with two hits and one unearned run while striking out three.

Notes: Witherspoon hit his 12th homer of the season and 22nd as a Hot Rod… That ties him for the second-most in a Hot Rods career with Derek Dietrich (2011)… He’s two behind career-leader Jordan Qsar (24) who’s currently playing for BG… Witherspoon collected a hit in his seventh-straight game… Jones extended his hit streak to five games… Martinez had his sixth multi-hit performance of the season… He also had his 12th multi-hit game of the year… Mead had his third multi-RBI game in Bowling Green… The loss snaps a franchise-record 11-game win streak for Bowling Green… This is their first loss since June 11th… Bowling Green snapped their five-game streak against Rome… They are 20-9 this season against the Braves… BG is 31-13 when scoring first… They are 33-3 when outhitting opponents… Bowling Green and Rome play the series finale on Sunday with a 5:35 PM CT first pitch… The Hot Rods send LH John Doxakis (1-1, 3.42) to the mound against Rome RH Darius Vines (0-3, 3.52)… Fans can catch all of the action by watching on MiLB.tv 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.

###

Hot Rods Baseball is presented by MedCenter Health