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MWL1 Cedar Rapids Kernels

Kernels split series with Swing but remain alive in playoff race

September 1, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Cedar Rapids Kernels News Release


September 1, 2005 - The Swing of the Quad Cities handed the Kernels an 8-4 loss at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Thursday but the Kernels remained very much alive in the race for the playoffs. The Swing regained possession of first place in the Western Division with the victory while the Kernels remained just one game behind Beloit and Kane County for the final available playoff berth.

A crowd of 3,179 came out to watch the final regular season home game for the Kernels, pushing the season attendance mark to 184,190. That's the second highest attendance total in club history, second only to 2002 when the club opened Veterans Memorial Stadium and drew 196,066 fans.

Nick Stavinoha did the Kernels in with a three-run homer to deep left center off starter Nick Green in the seventh inning. The blast gave the Swing a 6-2 lead and came on the heels of a two-run sixth for the Kernels.

Nate Sutton, who turned 23 on Thursday night, began the sixth with a double to center before Michael Collins moved him third with a grounder to right. Drew Toussaint then dumped a ball into left to score Sutton. After a fielder's choice retired Collins at third, Jordan Renz loaded the bases with a soft liner to left. After a call to the bullpen for right-handed reliever Matt Trent, Josh LeBlanc lofted a shallow sacrifice fly to right that allowed Toussaint to barely beat the throw home from Stavinoha.

A late Kernels rally saw the team get to Midwest League All-Star Jaymie Torres for two in the bottom of the ninth, but Quad City put a two spot on the board itself in the top half of the frame. LeBlanc reached on a one-out throwing error by Swing second baseman Chris Patrick before moving to third on a double by right fielder Richard Giannotti. Torres retired Greg Dini on a liner to right before giving up a well hit single to Sean Rodriguez that cleared the bases. Rodriguez's shot smacked off the top of the left field wall and caromed directly to Matt Lemanczyk in left, thus holding the Kernels shortstop to just a single.

Sutton and Toussaint each collected two hits for the Kernels, who had nine as a team.

The Swing got out of the gates quickly with a three-run first off Kernels starter Nick Green. Green tossed 6 1/3 innings and was touched up for 12 hits and six runs. He struck out six but fell to an even 3-3 on the season. Quad City also pushed two runs across in the ninth inning off Kernel reliever Francis Abreu, who entered the game after lefty Joe Torres hurled 1 2/3 hitless innings.

After a night of rest, the Kernels will depart for Geneva, IL, Friday morning where they will open up a season-ending four-game series with the Kane County Cougars. The Kernels will need to get some help from other teams around the league in order to lock up a playoff spot, but sweeping the Cougars would go a long way in getting the job done. They'll look to get started on a good note when left-hander Gustavo Espinoza makes his debut for the Kernels on the mound.

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Midwest League Stories from September 1, 2005


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