Patrick Leonard joins the Forever Communications Pregame Show.  He discusses his first Hot Rods home run, playing early morning games, and his offseason move to the Rays from the Royals system.

Coffee is a must for day games.

Today’s Game Notes

The Bowling Green Hot Rods wrap their seven-game road trip and four-game series with the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) on Monday at Fifth Third Ballpark.  A win on Monday would give the Hot Rods their fifth road series win in seven tries to begin the 2013 season.

Season Series: The Hot Rods have taken six of the first nine games in this 17-game season series.  This is the first of two series at Fifth Third Ballpark in 2013.

RHP Jeff Ames, 22, makes his first career start against the Whitecaps on Monday, carrying a 17-inning scoreless streak into the outing.  The Vancouver, WA, native will also start for the sixth time this season during a day contest.  Ames last start came last Monday in Bowling Green against Lake County when he allowed just two hits over six innings to win for the fourth straight start.  Ames, who posses a Midwest League leading 1.22 ERA, was the 42nd overall pick in the June 2011 Draft.

RHP Endrys Briceno, 21, makes his team-leading ninth start of the season on Monday, looking to salvage a series split for the Whitecaps.  The Aragua, VZ, native last started Wednesday in Dayton where he received a no decision, allowing three runs on four hits in 3.2 innings.  Briceno started in Bowling Green on May 9 and took the loss when he surrendered five runs (four earned) against the Hot Rods.

Patrick Leonard hit his first Hot Rods home run on Friday. (Steve Roberts)

Today’s Game Notes

The Bowling Green Hot Rods continue their seven-game road trip on Sunday at Fifth Third Ballpark against the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) as the four-game series rolls along.  Five games will be completed over these four days with the resumption of May 10’s suspended game in Bowling Green taking place on Sunday at 1:00 PM.

Season Series: The Hot Rods have taken five of the first eight games in this 17-game season series.  This is the first of two series at Fifth Third Ballpark in 2013.

RHP Reinaldo Lopez, 22, will resume his May 10 outing in the top of the second inning in the first action on Sunday.  Lopez faced four batters in the first inning, allowing only a walk to Devon Travis.  Lopez started the road trip opener on Tuesday, hurling five shutout innings in a win over Fort Wayne.  RHP Taylor Guerrieri, 20, gets the ball in game two to make his second career start against the Whitecaps.  Guerrieri last worked one week ago today when he struck out a career high ten batters in a win over the Lake County Captains.  The South Carolina native is considered the #3 overall prospect in the Rays system according to Baseball America.

RHP Yorfrank Lopez, 22, makes his first start since opposing the rehabbing Johnny Cueto in Dayton on Tuesday.  In the outing, Lopez allowed three runs on eight hits in six frames, taking the loss.  Lopez received a no decision in his only start against the Hot Rods on April 14 in Bowling Green when he allowed four runs on seven hits in 7.1 innings.  RHP Brennan Smith, 23, will make the spot-start opposite Guerrieri in game two.  Smith has appeared in relief 12 times this season, allowing just two runs in 23.1 innings.

Hot Rods Manager Jared Sandberg takes part in the pregame conference at Fifth Third Ballpark

Today’s Hot Rods Game Notes

The Bowling Green Hot Rods continue their seven-game road trip on Saturday night at Fifth Third Ballpark against the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) as the four-game series rolls along. Five games will be completed over these four days with the resumption of May 10’s suspended game in Bowling Green taking place on Sunday at 1:00 PM.

Season Series: The Hot Rods have taken five of the first seven games in this 17-game season series. This is the first of two series at Fifth Third Ballpark in 2013.

RHP Eduar Quinonez, 23, will make his fifth start of the season on Saturday night for the Hot Rods, looking to pitch his team to their third straight win. The San Felipe, VZ, native took the loss in his only appearance against the Whitecaps on April 14 at Bowling Green Ballpark. The righty appeared in relief and allowed eight runs. In his last start, Quinonez allowed four runs in a home loss to Lake County.

LHP Jordan John, 22, makes his eighth overall start of the season and his third start of this young 2013 campaign against the Hot Rods. With both starts coming in Kentucky, the lefty took the loss on April 13 but won most recently on May 8 against the Hot Rods. John, a former Oklahoma Sooner, took the loss on the road in South Bend on Monday when he allowed four runs on six hits in 6.1 frames.

Luke Maile talks about last night’s dramatic win, UK Baseball, and growing up a Reds — and Barry Larkin — fan.

Fifth Third Ballpark, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps. The video board in centerfield and the manual scoreboard in left field were new additions last year.

Today’s Game Notes

The Bowling Green Hot Rods continue their seven-game road trip on Friday night at Fifth Third Ballpark against the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) for the start of a four-game series.  Five games will be completed over the next four days with the resumption of May 10’s suspended game in Bowling Green taking place on Sunday at 1:00 PM.

Season Series: The Hot Rods have taken four of the first six games in this 17-game season series, all of which have occurred at Bowling Green Ballpark.  This is the first of two series at Fifth Third Ballpark in 2013.

LHP Sean Bierman, 24, returns from the Disabled List to make the start in this series opener on Friday night.  The Kinnelon, NJ, native has not pitched since April 26 due to a hip injury.  In his last start, Bierman allowed three runs to the Burlington Bees to receive his first loss of the season.  The lefty earned a win over the Whitecaps on April 13 at Bowling Green Ballpark, hurling six shutout innings while not allowing a runner to reach third base.

RHP Charlie Gillies, 22, will make his third start of the season for the Whitecaps and his first career start against the Bowling Green Hot Rods.  The righty, who was selected in the 10th round by the Tigers in 2012, last worked Sunday on the road in South Bend where he allowed just one run on eight hits in six frames.  Gillies started the season with the Lakeland Flying Tigers of the Florida State League where he did not allow a run in one relief appearance.

The view from Parkview Field’s centerfield concourse.

Today’s Game Notes

The Bowling Green Hot Rods continue their seven-game road trip on Thursday night at Parkview Field against the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres) for the rubber match of this three-game series.  A win will give the Hot Rods their fourth road series victory in six tries to begin 2013. Thursday’s game serves as the final contest for the Hot Rods in Fort Wayne until mid-August. Season Series: In this 15-game season series, the Hot Rods currently hold a 3-2 series lead.

RHP Dylan Floro, 22, will start for the seventh time this season for the Hot Rods.  Owning the lowest ERA among qualifying pitchers in the Midwest League at 1.16, Floro last started one week ago at home against West Michigan.  In the outing, Floro allowed one run in a career-high six innings.  The Merced, CA, native was a 13th round selection last June out of Cal State Fullerton.

LHP Justin Hancock, 22, makes his seventh start of the year on Thursday night in Fort Wayne.  The lefty from nearby Defiance, OH, hurled seven shutout innings in his last start last Friday at home against Great Lakes.  Hancock, who attended Lincoln Trail College and was drafted in the ninth round in 2011, is sporting a 0.74 ERA over his last four starts and owns the fourth-lowest overall ERA in the Midwest League.

Justin O’Conner batting at Bowling Green Ballpark on Monday afternoon. (Steve Roberts)

Today’s Hot Rods Game Notes

The Bowling Green Hot Rods continue their seven-game road trip on Wednesday morning at Parkview Field against the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres).  A win on Wednesday would secure the Hot Rods second consecutive road series win and would continue the team’s winning streak to four games.  This is the first and only Hot Rods trip to northeastern Indiana in the first half of the 2013 Midwest League season. Season Series: In this 15-game season series, the Hot Rods currently hold a 3-1 series lead.

LHP Blake Snell, 20, makes his seventh start of the year for the Hot Rods.  Snell allowed a first-inning home run to West Michigan on Wednesday in Bowling Green but followed by retiring the final 16 batters that he faced.  Snell, a Washington-state native and a supplemental first round pick in 2011, has allowed eight first inning runs so far this season but just four runs in non-first innings.

LHP Max Fried, 19, makes his sixth start of the season for the TinCaps.  In his last outing, Fried pitched the first 5.2 innings of a TinCaps no-hitter at Parkview Field.  The Southern California native received a no decision as the TinCaps walked off to a 1-0 win.  Fried is the #2 prospect in the Padres organization according to MLB.com and was the seventh overall pick in the 2012 June Draft.

Ryan Garton talks about the Hot Rods hot start, closing games, and FAU Owls baseball…