Hot Rods Cool Off TinCaps

Bowling Green, KY -- Fort Wayne's four-game winning streak came to an end Saturday night with a 7-0 loss to the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The TinCaps committed four errors, leading to five unearned runs for the Hot Rods.

Bowling Green (38-24, 76-55) scored the only run it would prove to need in the bottom of the second inning because of Fort Wayne's first miscue. With two outs and Ryan Dunn at first base, catcher Oscar Hernandez hit a line drive to left-center field that Mallex Smith was unable to hold onto, allowing Dunn to score the game's first run.

Muncie, Indiana, native Justin O'Conner made it 2-0 Hot Rods with a solo home run against Zach Eflin (7-6) in the fourth frame. An inning later, Tyler Goeddel's RBI double increased their lead to 3-0. Still in the fifth, Gabriel Quintana's team-worst 26th error of the year at third base helped Bowling Green score two more unearned runs and go up 5-0. The third and fourth errors of the night for Fort Wayne (25-36, 68-52) in the sixth enabled a pair more of unearned runs tocome across to balloon the score to 7-0.

The TinCaps managed only five hits against three Hot Rods pitchers, including the winner Stone Speer (3-0), who fired four innings of relief. A Hunter Renfroe double was the only extra-base hit. Meanwhile, fellow rookie Josh Richardson tossed the sixth and seventh frames out of Fort Wayne's bullpen for his Midwest League debut after joining the club Friday.  

The TinCaps and Hot Rods play the middle game of their three-game series at Bowling Green Ballpark on Sunday afternoon at 3:05 p.m. (EST). In a matchup of left-handers, Max Fried starts for Fort Wayne against Bowling Green's Kevin Brandt. The game can be heard on The Fan 1380 and TheFanFortWayne.com.