Kernel victory worth the wait
May 22, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release
The Kernels weathered two rain delays to win their third straight game on Saturday night at a rain-soaked Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Cedar Rapids defeated West Michigan by the score of 4-1 in just 1 hour and 58 minutes but rain delayed the start of the game by 1 hour and 35 minutes and just one and a half innings into the game another delay prolonged the night by another hour and 44 minutes.
Following the second delay both teams were forced to turn to their bullpens with Cedar Rapids reliever Francisco Cordova turning in five innings of three-hit ball to earn his first victory of the season.
After play resumed both teams looked sluggish on offense until the sixth when the Kernels' bats popped for a pair of runs with two outs. Sean Rodriguez laced a double down the line in left and scored on Freddy Sandoval's single to left center. Sandoval crossed the plate when Aaron Peel guided a fly ball down the line in right for a two-base hit.
Sandoval's RBI was his team-leading 22nd of the season and Peel has now collected hits in 10 of his last 15 plate appearances. The outfielder has seven RBI, five doubles, and a home run over that span.
T. J. Stanton, who has struggled in previous attempts to close out games, worked the final two innings for his second save. The Port St. Lucie, FL, native allowed just one run - an RBI groundout by Brent Dlugach in the eighth - on one hit. When Stanton got the Whitecaps' Dusty Ryan to pop out to left to end the game it matched the team's longest win streak of the season. Cedar Rapids defeated Burlington in the second game of a doubleheader on April 14th before taking the first two games of a series with these same Whitecaps in Grand Rapids.
Cedar Rapids added a pair of insurance runs in its half of the eighth when Drew Toussaint was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Jordan Renz blasted a sacrifice fly to left to score Sandoval.
Fernando Rodriguez started the game for the Kernels and was off to a fine start before the second delay halted play. He had allowed two hits but also had two strikeouts to his credit before players were taken off the field by the umpires after several bolts of lightning were sighted near the stadium at 6:55 p.m.
West Michigan reliever Dan Konecny was credited with the loss after giving up two runs on seven hits in two innings of relief work.
Six of the nine Kernels in Saturday's starting lineup collected hits, led by Peel's 3-for-4 showing. Leadoff man Alexi Casilla was 2-for-4.
The Kernels will look for their first four game sweep of the season Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. when they throw Rafael Rodriguez against West Michigan's Dallas Trahern. Gates open at 1 p.m.
Midwest League Stories from May 22, 2005
- Kernels finish off sweep of Whitecaps - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Cougars Defeated in Fort Wayne Finale - Kane County Cougars
- Snappers and Silverhawks Split Series - Beloit Sky Carp
- Whitecaps have rough weekend in Cedar Rapids - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Crazy eighths: Swing come back again - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Swing Spoil Community Basket Day - Burlington Bees
- LumberKings bring lumber to beat Rattlers - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Dragons Drop Close Game in Series Finale - Dayton Dragons
- Rains too much for Lugnuts and Devil Rays on Sunday - Lansing Lugnuts
- Montanez, Larsen Slay Dragons - Peoria Chiefs
- Devil Rays-Lugnuts postponed - Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
- Kernel victory worth the wait - Cedar Rapids Kernels
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
