Hot Rods Cruise to Victory

BOWLING GREEN, KY. - The Bowling Green Hot Rods took a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning on Sunday night and never looked back on their way to a 7-2 victory over the Great Lakes Loons at Bowling Green Ballpark. 
The Loons (8-10, 44-43) are now 1-5 on their current seven-game road trip and have lost four straight. The Hot Rods (11-7, 42-43) continue on as the hottest team in the Midwest League with their eighth straight win.
Loons righty starter Jordan Sheffield (L, 2-6) struggled with his command all game long and foreshadowed the night that was by walking the first batter he faced. Not only did Sheffield walk five in four innings, but the Loons bullpen also walked five Hot Rods over the course of the final four innings. It was the first time since August 2, 2015 the Loons walked double-digit batters in a game.
After a three-run 1st inning, Bowling Green scored one single run in four of the next five frames. The 2nd inning included two hit batters by Sheffield, who after hitting right-hander Mike Brosseau on the back with a fastball, was warned by home plate umpire Jhonatan Biaretta. Both dugouts got a warning as well. 
Trailing 4-0, Great Lakes cut their deficit in half on one deep drive by teenager Carlos Rincon. With Brendon Davis on the bases, Rincon smacked his team-leading 15th home run of the season just clearing the wall in right field.
The Hot Rods loaded the bases in four of the first six innings including Sheffield's final inning - the 5th. Right-handed pitcher Andre Scrubb, pitching on no days rest, came in with no outs and the bases bloated, but managed to get through the inning without allowing any runs to score.
Switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim plated the final run of the ballgame for Bowling Green on an RBI-single to make the score 7-2 in the 6th. Venezuelan right-hander Adrian Navas (W, 6-8) entered play with a 6.91 ERA, but stymied the Loons offense through seven innings, striking out seven along the way. 
The Loons now have one final chance to grab a second win on their current road trip before a long eight and a half hour bus trip back to Midland, MI on Monday. First pitch for the trip's finale is at 1:05 p.m. EDT on Monday with pregame coverage on ESPN 100.9-FM beginning at 12:35.
The Great Lakes Loons are the 2016 Midwest League Champions and have been a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2007. Dow Diamond, home of the Loons, also houses ESPN 100.9-FM and the Michigan Baseball Foundation. For tickets and more information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.