The Bowling Green Hot Rods are one game away from a Midwest League title after beating Peoria (Ill.) 6-1 in Game 3 of the Midwest League Championship Series on Saturday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

The Hot Rods used a huge second inning to take control and Resly Linares tossed six strong innings to give Bowling Green a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

“It’s a great feeling, coming out and playing our game,” BG outfielder Carl Chester said. “The first game of the year you tell yourself this is exactly where you want to be. Everyone on this team knows what is ahead and we are just playing like it is any other day.”

After being held to one run in Thursday’s loss at Peoria, Bowling Green’s offense came to life early with a four-run rally in the second.

Chester got the Hot Rods on the board with a two-run triple and Vidal Brujan followed with an RBI single through a drawn-in infield. Brujan would eventually score on a two-out error by shortstop Rayder Ascanio to make the score 4-0.

“We just had some good at-bats,” BG manager Craig Albernaz said. “They pitched well against us at their place. They have some good arms. They had a good game plan with our hitters. We knew seeing (starting pitching Jake) Dahlberg’s numbers that we were going to have to battle. The guys had some good at-bats against him and they found some holes.”

The Hot Rods added two more runs in the sixth – with Jim Haley scoring on a wild pitch and Justin Bridgman drawing a bases-loaded walk to stretch the lead to six before Peoria broke through in the seventh.

Nick Dunn’s RBI double got Peoria on the board, but Simon Rosenblum-Larson shut the Chiefs down the rest of the way to earn the save.

Linares earned the win, his second in the postseason, allowing four hits with nine strikeouts and no walks.

“Linares gave us a chance,” Albernaz said. “He rose to the occasion. He pounded the zone. He was fantastic. He’s a competitor. He loves the big moment and he loves to pitch.”

Rosenblum-Larson struck out six over three innings, allowing one hit. Peoria finished with five hits, but was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

“That stat is huge,” Albernaz said. “It’s high leverage, with traffic on base and you have to keep your composure out there and continue to make pitches and throw strikes. They both did that tonight.”

Chester and Brujan finished with two hits each.

SWING GAME

Since 2005 the winner of Game 3 when the Midwest League Championship Series is tied at 1 has gone on to win the title four out of five times. The lone exception was the 2015 West Michigan Whitecaps, who won at Cedar Rapids (Iowa) in Game 4 and Game 5 to win the championship.

UP NEXT

Game 4 is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Thursday.

Right-hander Paul Campbell is scheduled to start for the Hot Rods. Campbell earned the win in the Eastern Division Championship clincher against West Michigan on Sept. 9, allowing one run in seven innings of work. The right-hander has been nearly perfect at Bowling Green Ballpark this season, allowing one run and 12 hits in 23 innings of work.

Right-hander Angel Rondon is scheduled to start for Peoria. Rondon allowed two runs and seven hits over 3 2/3 innings in his last start against Cedar Rapids in the Western Division Championship Series on Sept. 8. He had a 3.45 ERA in five starts on the road in the regular season, more than a run worse than his ERA at home.{&end}