Almonte helps R'Dogs end skid

BOWLING GREEN, KY. — Abraham Almonte went 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBIs as the Charleston RiverDogs ended a four-game slide by beating the Bowling Green Hot Rods, 9-5, in South Atlantic League action on Thursday in front of 3,451 at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Charleston (7-8) led 3-1 before breaking the game open in the fifth inning. Melky Mesa hammered a two-run double to left to score Chase Weems and Jose Pirela, and Almonte added an RBI single up the middle to make it 6-1.

Almonte had a two-run triple to center, then scored on a balk in the seventh inning to make it 9-1.

Bowling Green (9-5) cut it to 9-5 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh and two more in the eighth.

But Jonathan Ortiz pitched a scoreless ninth to snuff out any further threat. Reliever Edwin Walker (1-0) held the Hot Rods scoreless for 1 2/3 innings to earn the victory.

Hot Rods starter Shane Dyer (1-7) suffered the loss when he was charged with six runs — four earned — on nine hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out four.

Charleston starter Manny Banuelos took a no-decision after tossing four innings, allowing one earned run on two hits. He walked two and struck out two.

The RiverDogs took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run single by Garrison Lassiter. Almonte's RBI single in the fourth made it 3-0.

The RiverDogs send right-hander Brett Marshall (3-5, 5.59 ERA) to the mound at 8:05 p.m. today. The Hot Rods counter with right-hander Joseph Cruz (3-4, 3.23 ERA).