Hot Rods center fielder Carl Chester (right) catches a fly ball Thursday, August 9, 2018, as left fielder Jake Stone backs him up during their 3-1 win over West Michigan at Bowling Green Ballpark. (Bac Totrong/photo@bgdailynews.com)

The Bowling Green Hot Rods continued their success against the West Michigan Whitecaps with a 3-1 win Thursday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Bowling Green (75-40 overall, 28-18 second half) made it nine straight wins over West Michigan, once again getting a solid effort on the mound from Resly Linares and two relievers. Hot Rods pitching has allowed 12 runs total during the streak.

“They have some really good young hitters on the other side, especially some guys they just drafted – Kody Clemens and Brock Deatherage,” BG manager Craig Albernaz said. “They are really impressive. Just like when pitchers face our lineup, when we see their lineup these guys get up a little for it. It’s sheer luck how we have been playing against them, but tomorrow we know they are going to come out and make adjustments. It should be fun.”

The Hot Rods got an RBI double from Zach Rutherford in the second inning and a sacrifice fly by Ronaldo Hernandez in the third to take a 2-0 lead.

West Michigan (58-57, 22-23) broke through in the eighth when Brady Policelli led off the inning with a solo homer off reliever Tyler Day, snapping a string of 18 scoreless innings by Hot Rods pitchers against the Whitecaps, but Taylor Walls got the run back in the bottom of the inning when he scored on a wild pitch.

“Sometimes you have to find a way to win,” Albernaz said. “It’s those little things we keep on talking about. To get that run in the eighth, it gave Day a little bit of a breather.”

Linares allowed three hits and struck out six over five shutout innings to earn the win and improve to 5-3 on the season.

“It was good for Linares to come out and have the outing like he did – pounding the zone,” Albernaz said. “The pitch count got a little high-ish for him, more than we would like. There were a lot of foul balls. Like he struck out the side and threw 20 pitches because there were a lot of foul balls, but he was great.”

Day bounced back after the homer in the eighth to finish it off and record his first save of the season.

Rutherford paced the offense with two hits.

STREAKING

Jim Haley extended his career-best hit streak to 12 games with a ground-rule double in the fourth inning. Haley finished the night 1-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice. He is 20-for-46 during the streak with six doubles and two homers.

BG DEBUT

Right-hander Matt Seelinger, acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates this week, made his Hot Rods debut. He allowed two hits in two scoreless innings of relief.

UP NEXT

The series concludes at 6:35 p.m. Friday.

Right-hander Tobias Myers (10-5, 3.75) is scheduled to start for the Hot Rods. Myers has a 2.57 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break and tossed seven shutout innings to earn the win at Lake County (Ohio) in his last start Aug. 3. Myers allowed two runs – one earned – in six innings to earn the win in his only appearance against West Michigan on June 3.

Right-hander Brad Bass (6-7, 4.52) is scheduled to start for West Michigan. Bass has struggled on the road with a 5.32 ERA in nine starts this season. He tossed seven one-hit innings in his last start against Great Lakes (Mich.) on Aug. 3. Bass held the Hot Rods to one run and six hits over seven innings in his only appearance this season against Bowling Green on June 30.{&end}