Bowling Green Hot Rods outfielder Jhon Diaz (1) bats during the Hot Rods 3-1 win over Greensboro on Sunday at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Ky. (Caleb Lowndes / Daily News)

Jhon Diaz homered for the second consecutive game, but the Bowling Green Hot Rods fell 9-6 to the Asheville Tourists on Thursday night in South Atlantic League action at Bowling Green Ballpark.

The Tourists (16-20) started the scoring off Hot Rods starter Marcus Johnson in the top of the third inning. Walker Janek deposited a solo shot in the left field corner to give Asheville a 1-0 lead. Cristian Gonzalez followed with a solo homer two hitters later, pushing the Tourists lead to 2-0.

Asheville added two more solo home runs off Johnson in the top of the fourth, the first off the bat of Will Bush and the second from Joseph Sullivan, pushing the Tourists’ lead to 4-0.

Bowling Green (20-16) countered in the bottom of the sixth off reliever Cody Tucker. Aidan Smith walked, Èmilien Pitre singled and Noah Myers doubled to bring home Smith. Hunter Haas lifted a sacrifice fly to score Pitre and cut the deficit to 4-2. Diaz tripled in Myers and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at four.

Asheville regained the lead off Bowling Green reliever Alexander Alberto in the top of the eighth. Sullivan earned a leadoff walk, moved to third on a Kenni Gomez double and scored on an Pitre error as the Tourists recaptured the lead, 5-4.

The Hot Rods responded in the bottom of the eighth on a solo shot from Diaz off reliever Railin Perez, knotting the game at 5-5.

Asheville retook the lead off reliever Garrett Gainey with a four-run top of the ninth. Alejandro Nunez was hit by a pitch and scored on a Janek double, putting the Tourists ahead, 6-5. Janek scored on a Cristian Gonzalez sacrifice fly to extend the Tourists’ lead to 7-5. Three consecutive doubles from Tyler Whitaker, Lucas Spence and Drew Vogel pushed Asheville’s lead to 9-5.

The Hot Rods responded for one in the ninth off reliever Colby Langford, with Mac Horvath bringing home Bryan Broecker on the fourth walk of the inning, cutting the deficit to 9-6. Bowling Green failed to score again, ending in a 9-6 Tourists win.

Perez (3-0) earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on three hits across 2 1/3 innings. Gainey (0-2) took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits over an inning.

The Hot Rods host the Tourists in the fourth game of a six-game set on Friday night at Bowling Green Ballpark with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch. Bowling Green will send out right-hander Garrett Edwards (3-1, 2.65) against Asheville righty Jose Guedez (1-3, 5.40 ERA).