One mislocated fastball. That’s all that stood between a trio of Bowling Green pitchers and a no-hitter on Monday as the Hot Rods opened up a five game homestand with a 6-1 victory over the Greenville Drive.

Newly minted South Atlantic League All-Star Chris Andujar dealt six innings of one-hit, one-run baseball to improve to 7-2 on the year. Andujar’s lone mistake came in the second inning when Greenville’s Kade Keowen deposited a one-out smash over the wall in right.

Offensively, Kyeong Kang and Mike Sheridian did a little yard work of their own for the Hot Rods.

Kang opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with his first homer of the year, a no-doubter of the three-run variety that sailed over the right field wall.  The score would remain 3-0 until the bottom of the third when former #1 draft pick Tim Beckham reached on a one-out walk, stole second, and scored on a Jake Jefferies’ single. Mike Sheridan delivered his team-leading seventh homer in the third with a two-run shot to give the Rods their 6-1 cushion.

The Hot Rods, winners of four straight, remain five games back of the division leading Charleston RiverDogs at 29-28.

GAME NOTES:

• Attendance – 2,925
• Tim Beckham was also voted to the SAL All-Star team. He leads the Hot Rods in BA (.297) and is tied for lead in RBIs (31).
• A label on the back of Tim Beckham’s batting helmet reads: “Dat Dude Shawty” (One of the beauties of Minor League Baseball is that you can actually sit close enough to the players to observe this kind of thing).

SS Tim Beckham and OF Justin Reynolds preparing to lead off the top of the third

Beckham surveys the action from the video board in right-center

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