Andro Cutura collects career-high 8 strikeouts as Cedar Rapids Kernels win, 6-2

CEDAR RAPIDS – With temperatures beginning their descent toward the freezing mark and faint snow flurries whirling at 30 miles per hour, Andro Cutura was in control.

The 22-year-old starting pitcher struck out a career-high eight batters in five innings and earned his first victory for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 6-2, in front of 833 hearty souls Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

'That's actually the first time I've ever pitched in that cold of weather, for sure,' Cutura said. 'Especially in snow. I just tried to tell myself, 'Don't think about the weather. Don't think about the cold.''

Cutura was drafted by the parent Minnesota Twins in the seventh round of the 2014 draft out of Southeastern Louisiana, but missed his first season of minor league ball with a lower back injury. The 6-foot, 195-pound right-hander returned last season and was 3-2 with a 1.34 earned run average in 11 starts for rookie-level Elizabethton.

'Took a little longer to rehab than expected,' Cutura said. 'It was a long process, but it got me to learn how to take care of myself.'

Friday, Cutura struck out five of the first six batters while his offense got on the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the second inning after Max Murphy singled and Zander Wiel doubled off Quad Cities starter Jose Hernandez (0-1). Designated hitter J.J. Fernandez lofted a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Murphy, and Wiel scored on a wild pitch.

The Kernels added two more in the third inning on a pair of triples from Rafael Valera and Max Murphy, then a sacrifice fly by Wiel extended the lead to 4-0.

'We're pretty comfortable, our guys are swinging the bat pretty good,' Cedar Rapids Manager Jake Mauer said. 'We're seeing it good early in the year, so that's good. It's all positive.'

Cutura ran into some trouble in the top of the fifth inning when Antonio Nunez and Johnny Sewald led off with back-to-back singles. A sacrifice fly by Daz Cameron – son of former big-leaguer Mike Cameron – scored the first run of the game for the River Bandits (0-2). Kyle Tucker – the fifth overall pick in last June's MLB Amateur Draft by the Houston Astros – cut the lead in half at 4-2 with an RBI groundout.

Cutura surrendered three hits and two runs with three walks for Cedar Rapids (2-0).

'I had good command of my changeup,' Cutura said. 'I fell behind a few batters. I'd fall behind first pitch a lot of batters. ... I think I did a good job of instead of going 2-0, I'd get to 1-2, throw the next two pitches for strikes. ... I was able to execute. Changeup, slider, fastball, whatever it was.'

Cedar Rapids added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh when Rafael Valera and LaMonte Wade each scored on a pair of wild pitches.

Murphy finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. He and Valera both scored two runs.

Relievers C.K. Irby and Nick Anderson each pitched a pair of scoreless innings, and the Kernels are 2-0 for the fifth time in six years.

The teams begin a new series in Davenport Saturday at 1:15 p.m.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com