Josh Flemming delivers to the plate during their game against Fort Wayne on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at Bowling Green Ballpark. (Austin Anthony / photo@bgdailynews.com)

The Bowling Green Hot Rods were already in the playoffs, but opted to wait until after Tuesday’s game against Fort Wayne (Ind.) at Bowling Green Ballpark to officially celebrate.

The celebration didn’t have to wait too long with the Hot Rods beating Fort Wayne 2-1 in a crisp one hour and 56 minutes.

Starting pitcher Josh Fleming tossed seven strong innings and Devin Davis hit a go-ahead homer in the bottom of the seventh as Bowling Green (42-21) won its sixth straight game.

“We played well in Dayton,” BG manager Craig Albernaz said. “I wouldn’t say there was confusion, but we weren’t too sure if we clinched or not so with that it was like, ‘We might as well wait anyway and do it at home.’ We were going to do it tonight, win or lose. We wanted to celebrate at home and today was a good day to do it.”

Fleming said he was glad the Hot Rods waited until Tuesday to celebrate.

“It was pretty awesome,” Fleming said. “On the road it is a little more difficult. You can’t have as much fun. Tonight will be a good time.”

The celebration came after a game dominated by pitching.

Fleming retired the first 11 batters he faced before giving up a homer to Tirso Ornelas that gave Fort Wayne a 1-0 lead. The left-hander allowed one more hit the rest of the way – going seven innings in 71 pitches.

“After that home run, I didn’t let that put me down,” Fleming said. “I just stayed up and went after the next guy and I was able to put up three or four more scoreless innings.”

Fort Wayne starter Nick Margevicius was just as sharp, throwing five scoreless innings before Bowling Green broke through with an RBI single by Taylor Walls in the sixth.

One inning later, with dark clouds looming, Devin Davis provided what would prove to be the game-winner – a solo homer that landed in the Fort Wayne bullpen.

The rain arrived in the eighth but didn’t deter Hot Rods reliever Jhonleider Salinas, who tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts to earn his second save.

Bowling Green finished with five hits, two from Davis.

The win, combined with a loss by Lansing (Mich.), moved the Hot Rods three games in front of the Lugnuts for the Midwest League Eastern Division and shaves the magic number to clinch the division – and celebrate again – to three.

“If it is anything like this, it is going to be great,” Fleming said of the possibility of another celebration.

ROMERO ADDED TO ALL-STAR TEAM

When all-star rosters were announced last week, Albernaz was vocal about his belief Tommy Romero should be part of the team heading to Lansing (Mich.) next week.

Romero will get his chance after he was added to the Eastern Division All-Star roster Tuesday. The right-hander, acquired last month as part of the deal between the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays, is 5-3 overall this season with a Midwest League-leading 2.12 ERA and is fourth in the Midwest League with 69 strikeouts.

Romero has made three starts with the Hot Rods, going 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA.

The Hot Rods have seven players total selected for the All-Star game.

HERNANDEZ TO COMPETE IN HR DERBY

Hernandez was one of six players selected to compete in the home run derby, which will be held before the Midwest League All-Star game June 19.

Hernandez has a team-leading eight home runs and is third in the Midwest League with a .514 slugging percentage.

The remaining contestants in the home run derby will be Will Benson from Lake County (Ohio), Hendrik Clementina from Dayton (Ohio), Jasrado Chisholm from Kane County (Ill.), Ryan Costello from Clinton (Iowa) and Alex Kirilloff from Cedar Rapids (Iowa).

ROSTER MOVE

Before the game, the Hot Rods announced that catcher Alex Alvarez has been added to the roster from extended spring training, with catcher Chris Betts transferred to Hudson Valley (N.Y.).

UP NEXT

The series continues Wednesday at Bowling Green Ballpark with a pair of games beginning at 5 p.m.

Game one will be the completion of a game suspended due to weather May 31 in Fort Wayne with the teams tied at 1 to start the fourth inning.

The regularly scheduled game will be played following the completion of the suspended game and will be a seven-inning contest.{&end}