Controversial call helps West Michigan rally past Kernels in Game 2

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. - The wheels fell off the Cedar Rapids Kernels' playoff bus Thursday night. They couldn't help but wonder if there was a little extra help loosening the lugnuts.

West Michigan scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning and evened the Midwest League Championship Series with a come-from-behind 4-1 win at Fifth Third Ballpark.

The Whitecaps' rally was aided by a blocking-the-plate call, of all things, on C.R. catcher Brian Navarreto that scored what turned out to be the winning run and got Kernels Manager Jake Mauer ejected for arguing it. The best-of-5 series shifts to Cedar Rapids for Games 3, 4 and 5, if needed.

Game 3 is Saturday afternoon at 3:35, with Game 4 Sunday afternoon at 2:05.

'That hasn't been called all year,” Mauer said. 'To take it out of the boys' hands like that is very unfortunate, especially in a championship series.”

The Kernels appeared on the verge of taking a commanding series lead until things fell completely apart after fans sang 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” Kade Scivicque led off with with a walk, then Christin Stewart (the parent Detroit Tigers' first-round draft pick in June) drove a double to the fence in center field against starting and tough-luck losing pitcher Sam Gibbons.

Joey Pankake followed with a line-drive single to left field to score Scivicque and Stewart, but not without controversy. On the throw home, Stewart slid on his side but never came close to touching the plate, futily reaching out his hand.

Home plate umpire Richard Genera immediately signaled safe, then out when Navarreto went back and tagged Stewart. Genera's final verdict was indeed safe via interference, causing Mauer to storm from the dugout.

After several heated words and gestures, Genera finally had enough and tossed the manager just as he got back to his dugout, causing Mauer to trot back to the field and get a few parting shots in.

'I was not blocking the plate,” Navarreto said. 'I was doing what they teach me, stepping out to the front of the plate. He called him out, then he changed. For me, that was a bad call.”

'The guy slid, and he gives the safe sign,” Mauer said. 'He never got to the plate, Navy goes back and tags him, and he calls him out. Then all of a sudden, he signals to count the run, saying he was blocking the plate. I disagreed.”

Things unraveled completely from there, with errors on Gibbons and shortstop Nick Gordon scoring two more Whitecaps runs.

Cedar Rapids won Wednesday night's Game 1, 5-0, and took the early lead here as well. Chris Paul doubled to left with two outs in the second and scored on Max Murphy's triple to the center-field fence.

But that was the only damage against West Michigan starter A.J. Ladwig, who gave up just six hits in seven innings. Joe Jimenez struck out two in the ninth to record his second playoff save.

So now it's a short series, with Cedar Rapids sending Keaton Steele to the mound for the ultra-important third game. West Michigan has not officially announced its starting pitcher.

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