The Bowling Green Hot Rods ended the home portion of the first half schedule on a positive note, sweeping a doubleheader from Lake County (Ohio) on Wednesday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Bowling Green (33-32) rode a complete game from left-hander Genesis Cabrera to take game one 6-1, before rallying twice to outlast the Captains 7-5 in the nightcap.

The Hot Rods ended the nine-game homestand winning four out of the final five, after starting 0-4.

“It’s a great feeling,” BG manager Reinaldo Ruiz said. “We are going in a good direction. When you win the last two series at home in the first half, it is going to give you a good feel for the next half (of the season).”

Cabrera allowed two hits and struck out three, needing 93 pitches to earn the complete-game victory. He walked four and retired nine in a row at one point, with the only run coming on a passed ball.

Offensively, the Hot Rods got two hits – including a leadoff triple in the bottom of the first – and two runs from Jake Cronenworth and two hits and two RBIs from Brett Sullivan. Bowling Green finished with seven hits in game one.

The Hot Rods pounded out 12 hits in game two, but had to rally from a 3-0 deficit.

David Rodriguez’s three-run home run capped in the fourth gave BG a 4-3 advantage, but Lake County (38-28) answered with a pair of runs in the fifth to regain the lead.

Kevin Padlo gave the Hot Rods the lead right back in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer to left – his ninth homer of the season. Bowling Green added an RBI single from Manny Sanchez in the sixth and Diego Castillo worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to earn his fifth save of the season.

Jose Mujica (3-2) earned the win, allowing five runs – four earned – and seven hits in four innings.

Sullivan led the offense with three hits, while Padlo, Joe McCarthy and David Olmedo-Barrera had two hits each.

“The middle of the order did their work today,” Ruiz said. “They hit a couple of home runs and that was the difference in the game.”

FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED

Cabrera’s complete-game victory in the opener was a bit of deja vu for the left-hander, who threw a complete game in a 7-1 victory over the Captains in game one of a doubleheader on May 12.

With the two complete games, Cabrera joins Shane Dyer as the only Hot Rods pitchers with multiple complete games since the franchise moved to Bowling Green in 2009. Dyer had two complete games in seven starts with Bowling Green in 2010.

“He did a great job,” Ruiz said. “He pitched well and gave us seven innings. In a doubleheader, that is all you ask. Coming from a kid like him, that is 19 years old, against a team that is leading the league offensively… he did a great job. Hopefully, he can continue to pitch the same way and help us win some games.”

BEEN CAUGHT STEALING

Rodriguez threw out another runner trying to steal in game two, to continue his stellar play behind the plate in the first half.

Opposing base runners have been thrown out on 24 of 37 steal attempts, a 64.9 percent clip. That is the best mark among catchers in the Midwest League.

“That’s good for a team to have a good throwing catcher,” Ruiz said. “He also showed some power today (at the plate). He got us going with that home run. It’s good to have those kind of players. He’s done a really good job behind the plate. Hopefully, he can continue improving and keep doing what he has been doing.”

UP NEXT

Bowling Green begins the final series of the first half in Fort Wayne (Ind.) at 6:05 p.m. CDT.

Right-hander Blake Bivens (2-1, 4.20) is scheduled to start for the Hot Rods. Since joining Bowling Green on May 30, Bivens has made three starts – going five innings each time. He took the loss in his last start against South Bend (Ind.) on June 10, allowing four runs and seven hits.

“I think we are just looking to build off today – to continue to hit the ball, continue to pitch well, and to close out this last series with a couple of wins,” Sullivan said. “(We can) go into the all-star break relaxed a little bit then come back in the second half strong and make a push.”

— Follow Bowling Green Hot Rods reporter Micheal Compton on Twitter @mcompton428 or visit bgdailynews.com.