It was a clean sweep for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, who wrapped up a perfect seven-game homestand with a 9-1 win Monday over Great Lakes (Mich.) at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Willy Ortiz and two relievers held Great Lakes to four hits, and the Bowling Green offense provided some early pop to build a big lead and cruise from there.

It was the first 7-0 homestand in franchise history for Bowling Green (43-43 overall, 12-7 second half), which also equaled the franchise record with a ninth consecutive win. It’s the fourth time in franchise history Bowling Green has won nine straight, twice in 2016 and once in 2011.

The Hot Rods are also at .500 overall for the first time since May 11.

“It was a great homestand,” Bowling Green manager Reinaldo Ruiz said. “The way we played those two series at home, hopefully that can carry over to the road now. The confidence is there and the guys are playing really good right now.”

Bowling Green roughed up Great Lakes starter Dustin May, who began the game striking out the side on 10 pitches before the Hot Rods sent eight men to the plate in the second. The Hot Rods got a two-run double from Eleardo Cabrera and a two-run single from Miles Mastrobuoni to make the score 4-0.

The Hot Rods added three more in the third – including an RBI single from Jesus Sanchez and an RBI double from Mike Brosseau – to extend the lead to 7-0 and capped the scoring with two runs in the sixth.

Great Lakes (44-44, 8-11) broke up the shutout with an RBI double from Stevie Berman in the seventh, but it was the only blemish for Ortiz.

The right-hander went seven innings for a second straight start, allowing one run on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts to improve to 4-1. Ortiz has allowed one run and seven hits over the last two starts and is 4-0 in his last five starts.

“It was really fun to watch Willy today and his last outing was really good too,” Ruiz said. “Hopefully he can carry this momentum to his next outing and he can finish the season strong. He’s got the stuff. When you have the stuff, you just need the confidence. Now he seems to have the confidence he needs to make good pitches and he is doing a really good job.”

Brosseau and Josh Lowe finished with two hits each, pacing a nine-hit attack.

“We are rolling,” Brosseau said. “Everyone is feeling good. Everyone is laughing, joking in the clubhouse. The biggest thing is we are playing loose. We are playing how we are capable of playing. The pitchers are pounding the zone. The hitters are coming up with the big hits, timely hits, and that is what’s getting us rolling.”

Second time around

The Hot Rods were able to cool off a hot pitcher in Dustin May, who threw seven shutout innings in a win over Bowling Green on June 4. Since that start May was 2-1 in five starts, allowing seven earned runs in 30 1/3 innings.

“We knew this guy had good stuff,” Brosseau said. “There was a reason he started the All-Star game this year, so we knew we had to get on our ‘A’ game early on. I think our mindset was attacking the fastball and getting on our pitch, not swinging at balls out of the zone and not getting ourselves out.”

It was the second time on the homestand that Bowling Green roughed up a starter who had success against them earlier this season. The Hot Rods chased Dayton starter Scott Moss after four innings, touching up the left-hander for three runs and five hits. Moss threw six no-hit innings against the Hot Rods on May 20.

Up next

The Hot Rods will open a three game series against Kane County (Ill.) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the start of a six-game road trip.

It is the first of 12 straight against Midwest League Western Division teams. Bowling Green finished 6-6 against Western Division opponents in the first half.

Kane County was the Western Division champions in the first half, going 39-28, and is 10-8 in the second half.

Wednesday’s starters are yet to be announced.