In a homestand that will go a long way toward deciding the Bowling Green Hot Rods’ hopes to clinch a playoff spot in the first half, BG couldn’t have asked for a better start – rolling past West Michigan 15-1 on Friday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

The Hot Rods (34-19) got three homers – including a grand slam by Ronaldo Hernandez during a 10-run fourth inning – to take the opener of a three-game series against the team chasing them for a playoff spot. West Michigan entered the day 5½ games behind Bowling Green, with the Hot Rods hosting Lansing for three after this series. The Lugnuts lead Bowling Green by one game in the Midwest League Eastern Division with a little more than two weeks left in the first half.

“We have to take it one game at a time,” BG manager Craig Albernaz said. “We can’t look ahead too far with this homestand and what could be the implications or things like that. We just have to concentrate on playing good ball and bringing it every day. That is what we did today.”

The Hot Rods scored in each of the first four innings to put the game out of reach.

Moises Gomez got Bowling Green on the board with a two-run homer in the first and Carl Chester added an RBI triple in the second to make the score 3-0.

Taylor Walls homered and Hernandez added an RBI single in the third to push the advantage to five runs before the Hot Rods exploded in the fourth. Four runs scored on bases-loaded walks – with Hernandez’s second grand slam of the season the big blow in the inning.

“All the guys had good at-bats,” Albernaz said. “A lot of their pitchers were throwing a lot of breaking balls, so it was good for those guys to not get antsy in that situation. They waited them out and waited for good pitches to hit.”

West Michigan (28-26) got an unearned run in the sixth to avoid the shutout, the only blemish for the Hot Rods’ pitching staff.

Riley O’Brien earned the win to improve to 2-1, allowing two hits with five strikeouts over five shutout innings. Tyler Day allowed one unearned run over two innings, with Jose Disla and Ivan Pelaez tossing a scoreless inning each.

“These guys just do their job,” Albernaz said. “If you have to pitch in a game like this, those stats still count. You still have to go out there and do your job. Those guys went out there and they pounded the zone and pitched like they normally do.”

Hernandez, Emilio Gustave and Zach Rutherford had three hits each to pace a 17-hit attack. Hernandez drove in five runs, while Walls and Gomez had three RBIs each.

GUNNING THEM DOWN

Gustave threw out a runner at second base Friday, his third outfield assist of the season. Bowling Green outfielders have 13 assists on the season, with Eleardo Cabrera leading the way with six.

“All of those guys put the work in with (assistant coach) Jeremy Owens,” Albernaz said. “They are ready to go. They are not caught off guard. They anticipate the guy going and they make a good throw. They don’t try to do too much. Gustave and Cabrera have two of the best arms in the league, if not all of minor league baseball, so for them to be accurate like they are is more impressive than their arm strength.”

UP NEXT

The series continues at 6:35 p.m. Saturday.

Right-hander Tommy Romero (3-2, 2.45) is scheduled to start for the Hot Rods. Romero made his Bowling Green debut in his last start, allowing one hit over 3 1/3 innings. He allowed one run and six hits in four innings in a start against West Michigan on May 7.

Right-hander Dane Myers (1-0, 1.86) is scheduled to start for West Michigan. This will be Myers’ fifth start of the season, the second on the road. His previous road start came Sunday when he allowed two runs and two hits in 5 1/3 innings. He has yet to face the Hot Rods this season.{&end}