Ford Proctor’s uniform probably needed a second trip through the washing machine Monday.

Proctor, the Bowling Green Hot Rod’s starting shortstop and leadoff batter, spent a good deal of time sprawling head-first back to the first-base bag to thwart pick-off attempts during Monday’s 8-4 Midwest League win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Bowling Green Ballpark.

That’s a good sign – leadoff hitters are supposed to get on base, and that’s just what Ford did all afternoon by reaching on four of five trips to the plate to finish with a 3-for-4 day that included three runs scored and an RBI.

“I did it in college and then I did it some last year at Hudson Valley and the majority of the time this year I’ve hit leadoff,” Proctor, a Rice University product and the Tampa Bay Rays’ third-round pick in the 2018 Major League Draft, said of leading off. “Wherever they want to put me is fine. It’s all the same to me.”

Proctor got his uniform dirty thanks to Timber Rattlers starting pitcher Adam Hill, who tried to pick him off at least four times each in the first and third innings. It didn’t happen, although Proctor did get caught stealing in the first when he tried to take second on a wild pitch.

“He had a pretty good balk move,” Proctor said. “I think he saw that maybe I was trying to go so he kept throwing over there.”

Hot Rods manager Renaldo Ruiz said Proctor has a good chance to stay at the top of the order as he works his way up through the Rays’ organization.

“He sees a lot of pitches, he works his at-bats – he’s not a first-pitch hitter,” Ruiz said. “He works an at-bat and that’s one thing we want out of a leadoff guy is to work an at-bat and let the team benefit from him being deep in the count.”

Proctor’s leadoff single got Bowling Green’s rally started in the bottom of the third after Wisconsin grabbed a 2-0 lead on a Brent Diaz two-run single in the second. Jonathan Aranda outlasted Hill in a long at-bat to draw a walk, then Chris Betts followed with a run-scoring single.

Aranda scored on a wild pitch, Grant Witherspoon walked and Jordan Qsar capped the rally with a long single off the wall in right-center field to drive in two runs.

Aranda, signed in 2015 as an international free agent out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, had a 3-for-4 day with an RBI as the Hot Rods’ designated hitter. Aranda seems to be settling in with the Hot Rods after plenty of shuttling through the Rays organization with stops in Charlotte, extended spring training with the Gulf Coast League Rays, Hudson Valley on a rehabilitation assignment and then finally Bowling Green starting June 26.

Since joining the Hot Rods, Aranda is hitting .355 with a pair of homers and 14 RBIs.

“Lately, he’s been doing it for us,” Hot Rods manager Reinaldo Ruiz said. “Since we got him he’s been having really, really good at-bats and today he got three hits. He was working those at-bats. Right now he’s seeing the ball really well and helping us out a lot.”

Bowling Green went up 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Izzy Wilson smoked a one-out double to center and Proctor followed with a textbook hit-and-run single to drive in the run. Proctor came around to score later on Betts’ RBI single.

After the Timber Rattlers cut the lead to 6-4 with two runs in the fifth, Bowling Green added on with a solo home run by Connor Hollis to lead off the seventh. Hollis struck again in the eighth with an RBI single to cap the scoring.

Caleb Sampen started and pitched five innings for the win, allowing four runs (three earned) off four hits and four walks while striking out five. He improved to 7-3 on the season. Michael Costanzo followed with three scoreless innings in relief and Miller Hogan finished up with a scoreless ninth as Bowling Green swept the three-game series and finished the 11-game homestand with a 7-4 record.

(EARLY) MILLER TIME

Hot Rods right-hander Miller Hogan was slated to start Wednesday’s series opener at Kane County (Ill.), but the long homestand featuring several grueling games against Beloit (Wis.) left the team’s bullpen overtaxed and prompted a change of plans.

“We were short and because he had the shortest outing the last time he pitched and it’s close to his next start, he was available out of the bullpen,” Ruiz said. “That was kind of like his bullpen. We’re trying to figure it out because the last time he pitched, I think he only threw like three innings. So now we’re going to have some movement in the rotation. (Matthew) Liberatore is going to start for sure in Kane County (on Wednesday).”

UP NEXT

After an off-day Tuesday, the Hot Rods open a three-game series at Kane County on Wednesday. Liberatore (6-1, 2.56 ERA) will start the 6:30 p.m. CDT game. Kane County’s starter has not been announced.{&end}