After taking advantage of mistakes in the series opener, it was the Bowling Green Hot Rods’ turn to give out free runs in Friday’s 6-2 loss to Lansing (Mich.) at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Two errors and a passed ball accounted for five of Lansing’s six runs as Bowling Green (4-5) dropped its first home game of the season.

“In baseball, that’s how it is,” BG manager Reinaldo Ruiz said. “When you make the routine outs, you are going to be fine.

“When you don’t make the routine outs, sometimes you are going to pay for it. Tonight that happened to us. We made a couple of costly errors and we paid for it.”

Bowling Green jumped on the board in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Brett Sullivan, but Lansing (4-2) was able to take control with a four-run fifth aided by a costly BG error.

The Lugnuts tied the score earlier in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Lane Thomas, then loading the bases with two out.

BG starter Michael Velasquez got a potential inning-ending grounder, but third baseman Michael Russell stepped in front of shortstop Jacob Cronenworth resulting in an error that extended the inning and allowed the go-ahead run to score.

Jake Anderson lined a two-run single on the next pitch, and the Lugnuts had a comfortable 4-1 advantage.

“We couldn’t stop them,” Ruiz said. “They had good momentum in that inning and we couldn’t stop them.

“That was the difference in the game. That was a big inning for them.”

Both teams scored in the fifth, Lansing on a passed ball and the Hot Rods on an RBI ground out.

The Lugnuts put the game away with another unearned run in the eighth and an RBI double by Josh Almonte in the ninth.

Lansing outhit the Hot Rods 8-5.

Angel Moreno had two hits for Bowling Green, while Cronenworth went hitless to end his seven-game hit streak to start the season.

Velasquez took the loss, dropping to 0-2 on the season. The left-hander allowed four runs, one earned, and five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in four innings.

THROWING STRIKES 

The Hot Rods pitching staff continued to rack up strikeouts, with 16 more Ks on Friday. BG has struck out 34 in the first two games of this series and entered the night third in the Midwest League with 68 strikeouts. 

Lake County was leading the league with 76 strikeouts entering play Friday.

AND BALLS

On the flip side, Bowling Green pitchers walked a season-high nine batters in Friday’s loss. Three of the walks came around to score, with a runner reaching base on a wild pitch third strike also scoring.

“We are having problems finishing innings,” Ruiz said. “Every time we’d get two quick outs, we are not able to finish innings. That is the big problem right now.”

LOWE EXITS

Second baseman Brandon Lowe left in the second inning Friday. Ruiz said he was hit on the foot and removed as a precaution.

UP NEXT

The series continues at 6:35 p.m. Saturday with the battle of Angels, right-hander Angel Yepez for the Hot Rods and left-hander Angel Perdomo for the Lugnuts.

— Follow Bowling Green Hot Rods reporter Micheal Compton on Twitter @mcompton428 or visit bgdailynews.com.