Braves Cannot Hang with Bowling Green, Lose 5-3 on Sunday Afternoon
Note: The following item was provided by the Rome Braves. – KtE
Untimely hitting spoiled the Rome Braves’ (10-8) chance to win Sunday afternoon’s contest against the Bowling Green Hot Rods (12-6), leading to their 5-3 loss. Although the Braves had the same amount of hits and fewer errors than the Hot Rods, the home team left five runners in scoring position and could not close the gap in the final of this week’s six-game series.
Bowling Green got the scoring started early at State Mutual Stadium. The Tampa Bay Rays affiliate plated two runs in the first three innings off starter Tanner Gordon. Rome finally scored in the bottom of the fourth when Jesse Franklin V doubled, stole third base, and came in on a two-out single from Brett Langhorne. The Hot Rods added to their lead with a two-run fifth to control a 4-1 advantage.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Braves came firing back as Logan Brown scored on a Jesse Franklin V double. Franklin then touched home plate following a Langhorne groundout. Though Rome worked it as close as a one-run game, Bowling Green added an extra run in the top of the eighth and held on for a 5-3 victory. The win keeps the Hot Rods two games ahead of Rome in the High-A East South and ends the series with a six-game split.
Despite the loss, right fielder Jesse Franklin V had a career day on Sunday. The Seattle native was 4-for-4 with two singles and two doubles. He added one RBI, one run, and a stolen base against the Hot Rods. Franklin entered the game with a sub-.200 batting average but raised it to .250 following his perfect performance at the plate.
Jake McSteen looked solid in his first professional baseball appearance. The Nebraska product made his minor league debut on Sunday just two weeks after signing with the Atlanta Braves. McSteen, who starred with the Frontier League’s Joliet Slammers in 2020, pitched two innings on Sunday, allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks. He also struck out two Bowling Green batters in the loss.
Rome returns to action Tuesday at home against the Greenville Drive. The Drive sit sixth in the High-A East South with an 8-10 record. First pitch at State Mutual Stadium is slated for 7 p.m. Tuesday’s daily promotion is $2 Tuesday, in which fans can take advantage of $2 off any bowl ticket and/or purchase hot dogs, popcorn, 12oz fountain drinks, and domestic draft beers for $2 each.
