The Bowling Green Hot Rods will try to regain momentum when they open an eight-game road trip at Great Lakes at 6:05 p.m. CDT tonight in Midland, Mich.

It figures to be a long week for Bowling Green (11-25), which will play three games at Great Lakes before heading to Dayton, Ohio, for five games – including a day-night doubleheader Saturday.

After losing three last week to Lansing at Bowling Green Ballpark, the Hot Rods have lost five straight – scoring a total of 10 runs – and have fallen back into the Midwest League Eastern Division cellar.

Bowling Green lost three close games to the Lugnuts – losing the opener in 13 innings before blowing a 3-0, eighth-inning lead Saturday. The Hot Rods were hoping to find their momentum Sunday, but the game was washed out – giving BG a rare two-day break with Monday’s off day.

“We just have to go on the road and keep playing the way we’ve been playing,” Bowling Green manager Brady Williams said. “We haven’t been playing bad, we’ve just haven’t played good enough to win. It will happen though.

“All these close games we are playing is making everybody better. When you play a bunch of close games, everything has to be perfect. Fundamentally, you have to be sound. Defensively, you have to play good. When we get rolling and start going good, it is going to be easier for these guys to play because we’ve been in so many close games.”

Williams said the mini-vacation might actually be a blessing.

“It’s a good break for these guys,” Williams said. “They can get away and have a couple of days off and get their legs underneath them. For a lot of these guys, it is their first full season. The first month has been a tough month. To get a couple of days like this couldn’t hurt.”

It’s also a chance to rest a pitching staff that will be tested during the next seven days.

“We’re going to have to use these guys to get the job done,” Williams said. “It’s a good opportunity for most of these guys to see what they are made of.”

Right-hander Alexander Colome will get the call tonight and looks to win his third straight start. Colome has allowed one run in his last two starts, lowering his ERA to 2.27.

Wednesday is expected to be the Bowling Green debut for left-hander Aaron Dott, who joins the team from extended spring training, filling the void after Shane Dyer was called up to Port Charlotte, Fla., last week. Dott went 1-4 with Hudson Valley last season, going 1-4 with a 4.12 ERA.

“He was with me last year and did a nice job,” Williams said.

This week will end a stretch of 16 of 23 games on the road, but the Hot Rods will be rewarded with a season-high 13-game homestand starting May 25. With the long homestand looming, Williams said it is the perfect time for the Hot Rods to turn things around and make some strides in the Midwest League standings.

“We go into every game thinking we are going to win,” Williams said. “We’ll go into (today) thinking about trying to win and after that game we’ll think about Wednesday. We can’t really think about coming back for that homestand. We have to worry about the road trip and get some momentum going.”