In any language, Segura needs patience

CEDAR RAPIDS -  Some Latin players prefer to have a bilingual teammate help them whenever an interview is requested. It's for comfort, so they can be asked questions and answer them in their native Spanish.

But not Jean Segura.

"I'm not scared to speak English," the Cedar Rapids Kernels second baseman said after his team beat Lake County, 5-1, Monday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. "When you are scared, you never speak it and you never learn."

Segura, who is from the Dominican Republic, obviously enjoys learning. He does a good job with the English language, and now he's tackling something that might prove even more problematic.

Being a good leadoff hitter.

"It's a lot different because when you leadoff you have to take a strike, you have to take a lot of pitches," Segura said. "Even if they throw it right down the middle. I have to see what kind of pitches the pitcher has."

That goes against Segura's nature since he likes to swing, sometimes from the heels. But with the promotion of Mike Trout, he has gone from third to first in the Kernels' batting order.

Leadoff means selectivity.

"When he gets good pitches to hit, he can really hit," said Kernels Manager Bill Mosiello. "He just gets himself out, chases pitches. I've told you he's a batting crown type of guy if he was more patient. If he didn't throw away at-bats. He's still going to end up hitting .300. When it's all said and done, he's going to hit .300 (this season), drive in 70 runs and steal 45 bases. He's a heck of a talent."

Segura went 2-for-4 Monday to inch up his batting average to .298. He has Trout-esque speed, proven by his nine triples and 33 stolen bases.

But he also has just 29 walks in 339 at-bats.

"My start this season was not too good," Segura said. "My first month. It was too cold. We never play in cold like that. We play in the Dominican where it's hot all year long. But you have to be ready for that."

The Kernels (56-35) took the rubber game of this three-game series, following up Sunday's crazy 18-11 victory with a more traditional 'W.' Starting pitcher Fabio Martinez (6-2) went a season-high seven innings, shutting out the Captains (56-37) on four hits.

Michael Wing, Carlos Ramirez and Kevin Bass all had home runs.

"That was more like it," Mosiello said. "That's the kind of baseball I like to play."

The Kernels have Tuesday off, then embark on a nine-game road trip that includes long bus rides to

Dayton and

Bowling Green. The next home game is July 31.