Bowling Green Hot Rods pitcher Josh Fleming delivers to the plate Wednesday during a game against the Lansing Lugnuts at Bowling Green Ballpark.

A pitchers’ duel at Bowling Green Ballpark came down to a pair of two-out hits, with the Bowling Green Hot Rods falling 2-0 to Lansing (Mich.) on Wednesday.

Lansing (38-21) held the Hot Rods to six hits, beat Bowling Green for a second straight night and moved one game clear in the Midwest League Eastern Division. The win gave the Lugnuts the series, with a chance to sweep Bowling Green on Thursday. It’s the first home series Bowling Green has lost this season.

“It was a well-pitched game,” BG manager Craig Albernaz said. “It’s very rare when you see two teams combine without issuing any walks throughout the game. There were no free bases at all. There were no errors. It’s was a clean game and they end up getting the two big hits that score runs. We couldn’t get the big hit today.”

The Lugnuts broke a scoreless tie with a two-out RBI single by Chavez Young in the sixth and added a two-out RBI single by Norberto Obeso in the eighth.

That was all the offense Lansing needed as Bowling Green (36-21) was shut out for the third time this season, the second time at home.

The Hot Rods finished 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, with Carl Chester – who finished with two hits – stranded twice at third base.

Colton Laws threw five shutout innings to earn the win and improve to 2-2 on the season, with Kyle Weatherly and Claudio Custudio tossing two scoreless innings of relief.

Josh Fleming dropped to 2-1 on the season, despite working a career-high seven innings. The left-hander allowed one run and five hits with four strikeouts.

“His performance is not overlooked by any means,” Albernaz said. “To go out there and throw seven innings of ball the way he did – pounding the zone – (was impressive). It’s fun to watch him pitch and just go out and compete.”

ALL-STAR BOUND

Before Wednesday’s game, the Hot Rods learned that six players have been named to the Midwest League Eastern Division all-star team.

Shortstop Taylor Walls and outfielder Moises Gomez were named starters to the squad. Second baseman Vidal Brujan, infielder Zach Rutherford, catcher Ronaldo Herandez and pitcher Riley O’Brien were also named to the Eastern Division team.

“To get named to any all-star game is awesome – any all-star team for that matter, postseason or midseason,” Albernaz said. “Those six have earned it, no doubt about it. Those six have come out here every day and competed and performed. It’s good to see them get recognized for what they are doing.”

Albernaz added a seventh Hot Rod should be added to the team – pitcher Tommy Romero, who began the season with Clinton (Iowa) but was part of the Alex Colome, Denard Span trade with Seattle last month.

“He’s third in ERA (in the Midwest League) and first in strikeouts,” Albernaz said. “He kind of got lost in the shuffle with the trade. It’s not his fault he got traded to a different division. Hopefully the Midwest League will do the right thing and get him on the all-star team.”

UP NEXT

The series – and homestand – concludes at 6:35 p.m. Thursday.

Right-hander Alex Valverde (3-2, 4.06) is scheduled to start for the Hot Rods. Valverde is 3-0 with a 3.68 ERA in four home starts. He took the loss in his last start, allowing five runs – one earned – in five innings of work at Fort Wayne on May 31.

Right-hander Turner Larkins (4-4, 3.72) is scheduled to start for Lansing. Larkins is 3-1 in his last five starts – allowing seven earned runs over 25 innings.