Kernels beat South Bend, 9-3, for 19th straight home win

CEDAR RAPIDS - Yes, the players know.

“I think it's 19,” Cedar Rapids Kernels shortstop Jon Karcich said after his team's 9-3 win last night over South Bend.

Right on, Jon. A night after scoring seven runs in the seventh inning, the Kernels scored six times in the sixth to rally and win their 19th consecutive game at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Nineteen. Wrap your mind around that for a minute.

The Kernels haven't lost a home game since April 28. No one's for sure, but that's believed to be a club record, if not a Midwest League record.

It's gotta be, right?

“I don't even think about it, we don't even talk about it as a club,” said Manager Bill Mosiello. “I know they know, though ... This is hard to fathom.”

“It's amazing,” Karcich agreed. “Unbelievable. I don't think we even realized it until we got about 15 or 16. It's just doing everything right. It's playing consistent baseball. Being aggressive, getting timely hitting early in the game, late in the game.”

Especially late in the game. South Bend led this one, 3-1, until the Kernels erupted.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Carlos Ramirez walked on four pitches to put C.R. on top, 4-3. Karcich (hitting .169) followed with a two-run, two-strike bloop hit to right and Mike Trout a line-drive RBI single to left.

The Kernels came into the game hitting .288 with runners in scoring position, 26 points higher than their team average.

“That's what baseball's all about,” Mosiello said. “When this club gets going, you see guys flying around (the bases).”

The Kernels (41-21) have reduced their magic number for clinching a first-half playoff spot to three and their magic number for capturing the Midwest League's Western Division to five. There are eight first-half games remaining for Cedar Rapids, including another one today at 2 against South Bend.

Yeah, 20 is a nice round number.