MIDLAND, Mich. - To get the full story behind Friday night's 9-6 loss to the Bowling Green Hot Rods, you need to look no further than the 5th inning. The Great Lakes Loons began that frame trailing 9-0, but it was what the visitors did in the top half of
MIDLAND, Mich. - To get the full story behind Friday night's 9-6 loss to the Bowling Green Hot Rods, you need to look no further than the 5th inning. The Great Lakes Loons began that frame trailing 9-0, but it was what the visitors did in the top half of the frame that brings the story full circle.
Already with a 2-0 lead, the Hot Rods (9-7) hung seven runs on the Loons in the top half. It started with Connor Hollis launching a triple to right field to score Osmy Gregorio. Hollis then scored when Thursday night's hero Kaleo Johnson singled to center. The parade of runs continued as Roberto Alvarez drove in his second run of the game with a single of his own, followed by a Jake Palomaki base knock. The icing on the cake was a two-run double by Ford Proctor and a wild pitch that scored Palomaki.
And breathe. That's only the top half of the inning. It was then Great Lakes' turn.
The inning started innocuously enough with Romer Cuadrado as the lone baserunner via a walk and two outs already on the board. That's when the fun began with a Niko Hulsizer double to get the Loons on the board. With runners on the corners two batters later, Dillon Paulson singled to plate Hulsizer to make it 9-2. Following the second mound visit of the inning and a wild pitch, Leonel Valera got in on the action with a run-scoring single at the plate and stealing second base.
Now this fiasco: With Jair Camargo at the dish, he singled to left field and wound up all the way on third base after two runs scored and a throwing error allowed him to keep chugging on the base paths.
Luke Heyer walked and James Outman plated the sixth run of the inning on an infield single. Cuadrado, who started this whole thing, walked again to load the bases for the Loons. However, Dan Robinson would strike out swinging to end the threat.
Jeronimo Castro (L, 1-1) started on the mound for the Loons (6-9) and allowed two runs on four hits, walked three and struck out four batters. Nathan Witt turned in a solid relief appearance out of the bullpen tossing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Easton McGee (W, 2-0) was in the right place at the right time to pick up the win pitching a scoreless 6th inning, while Chris Muller (SV, 1) earned a three-inning save.
The Great Lakes Loons have been the Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team's inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team's home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.
