The Loons squandered a 6-2 lead on Friday night , losing to the Bowling Green Hot Rods by a score of 8-6. The best-of-three Midwest League Eastern Division Semifinals are now tied at one game apiece.
(Photo courtesy of Great Lakes Loons)

On Thursday afternoon – in the completion of a playoff game suspended on Wednesday because of rain – the Great Lakes Loons had their way with the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

The game on the previous day had been suspended in the bottom of the fourth inning with the Loons leading the Hot Rods 3-0. The Great Lakes squad came out firing on all cylinders on Thursday handing Bowling Green a 15-1 embarrassment. It was the Loons greatest winning margin in a playoff game in their ten-year stay in Midland.

The problem with the continuation of the game on Thursday was that it then had to be played on the scheduled travel day to Bowling Green, Kentucky which is 565 miles from Midland, Michigan and all minor league teams travel by bus. The bus ride to Bowling Green takes around nine hours. However, both teams were in the same pickle so it would become a matter of which team handled the long, tiring ride in the most effective way while most likely arriving in the early hours of the morning.

The second game in the best of three series was scheduled at the home of the Hot Rods on Friday evening with a 7:35 ET start up.

Loons manager Gil Velazquez penciled in Jordan Sheffield to start the all-important second game in the series. The Dodgers selected the 21-year-old right-hander out of Vanderbilt University in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft with the 36th overall pick in the draft as a compensatory selection for failing to sign 2015 draft pick Kyle Funkhouser.

Vanderbilt had relied heavily on Sheffield in 2016 and pushed his innings total to over 100. The 6’0”-185-pound nephew of former MLB All-Star and former Dodger Gary Sheffield had undergone successful Tommy John surgery back in 2013.

The Dodgers, in light of his innings pitched, were almost overly protective of Sheffield since he has been drafted. Following a one-inning stint with the Arizona League Dodgers on July 27 he was promoted to the Great Lakes Loons. In seven subsequent appearances with the Loons he has been limited to 11 innings posting a 4.09 ERA with 13 strikeouts. He started all seven games and in his last five he was followed by Loons right-hander Dennis Santana who pitched at least four innings on each occasion. The same scenario was expected to play out again against the Hot Rods as it was surmised Sheffield would be limited to two innings. Santana has a 3.07 ERA on the season with an outstanding August in which he posted a 2.42 ERA. He leads all Loons hurlers with 111.1 innings pitched in 2016 and also with a team high 124 strikeouts.

The Hot Rods turned to 19-year-old Genesis Cabrera to try to cool off the Loons bats. Although Sheffield has never faced the Hot Rods, Cabrera started three times against the Loons in 2016. Over 17.1 innings the young left-hander has struck out 22 Great Lakes hitters. Loons manager, Gil Velazquez, has six left-hand bats on his roster and six right-hand bats so there was not too much he could do to match up with Cabrera except to see who might have had previous success against him. Additionally he no doubt preached patience to the Loons hitters as Cabrera has struck out 96 in 116 innings but he has also walked 48.

Velazquez did make some adjustments in his lineup for Friday’s game. He started five right-handed hitters by using catcher Jake Hensen as the designated hitter and his other catcher Steve Berman behind the plate. Gage Green moved to first base from the outfield replacing Matt Jones, who played first base in Thursday’s game.

The Loons opened quickly in the first inning with consecutive doubles by catalyst and lead off hitter Saige Jenco and shortstop Brendan Davis which quickly brought in the game’s first run. Davis then scored on a single by second baseman Omar Estevez putting the Loons up 2-0 going to the bottom of the inning.

In the bottom of the first inning the Hot Rods also came out swinging and scored their first run of the game on a double and a single. Sheffield was able to escape the first inning with no further damage.

Sheffield came out for what would be his second and final inning hoping to maintain the one-run lead before being relieved in the third. Aided by a HBP the Hot Rods then scored another run on two hits and a sacrifice fly tying the game at two.

The Loons sent seven hitters to the plate in the top of the third inning scoring four runs to take a 6-2 lead. Brendon Davis led off the inning with a four-pitch walk and came around to score on a Logan Landon home run to left field. Great Lakes produced an instant replay later in the inning as Zach McKinstry drew a four-pitch walk and Darien Tubbs brought him home with a home run to left field.

As expected Sheffield was relieved by right-hander Dennis Santana in the bottom of the third inning. The usually reliable Santana struggled a bit giving up two runs on three hits in 2.2 innings. Santana was replaced by right-hander Jose Santos who got the final out of the fifth inning and followed with a scoreless sixth.

By the time his evening was over Bowling Green starter Genesis Cabrera had given up six earned runs on five hits and four walks. He was replaced by right-hander Yoel Espinal in the fourth inning. Espinal proceeded to pitch scoreless relief for four innings giving up only three hits and striking out six.

In the bottom of the seventh inning Jose Santos loaded the bases with none out on two walks and a single. The Hot Rods pulled within one run of the Loons on a sacrifice fly by catcher David Rodriguez. Right-hander Karch Kowalczyk entered the game with one out and the bases loaded. The inning turned out to be a disastrous one as second baseman Omar Estevez fielded a ground ball but threw wide of first base allowing three Hot Rods to score giving Bowling Green an 8-6 lead. By the time the inning was over the Hot Rods had scored four runs on two hits.

Espinal continued his strong pitching for Bowling Green setting the Loons down in order once again in the eighth inning. Fernando Baez replaced Espinal in the top of the ninth inning but closed it out with two runners on base having gotten there via the free pass route.

Game three of the series goes on Saturday at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green at 7:35 ET. Dodgers 2015 first-round draft pick Walker Buehler will get his first taste of professional postseason action as he takes the mound for the Loons. His opponent for the Hot Rods has not yet been announced.

Right-hander Walker Buehler hopes to close out the series for the Loons on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of Great Lakes Loons)

Pregame coverage with Chris Vosters will be aired at 7:05 p.m. on ESPN 100.9-FM and Loons.com.