Miles Nordgren throws a gem, but Kernels fall to Wisconsin in 11 innings

CEDAR RAPIDS — Miles Nordgren's fastball probably never got any faster than 90 miles per hour Saturday night.

'That comes on a good day,' the Cedar Rapids pitcher said.

Truthfully, it was consistently in the high-80s. But in this day and age when baseball is a velocity crazed game, the Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher proved you don't have to throw gas to strike guys out.

Strike a lot of guys out.

'No, but it'd definitely help if I did throw 94-plus,' Nordgren said, after his team's 2-1, 11-inning loss to Wisconsin at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The right-hander fanned a career-high 12 in seven innings, yet took a no-decision. At least that's better than the loss he was in line for until his teammates got him a game-tying run in the bottom of the ninth.

'It's sinker, slow it down, spin it. Nordgren was really good,' said Kernels Manager Jake Mauer. 'They really didn't square many balls up against him. We didn't score any runs, but I thought we hit the ball way harder tonight than they did. We just didn't have any luck ... That's just how baseball works sometimes. He was just really, really good.'

'I threw sliders today instead of curveballs,' Nordgren said. 'I think the last time I threw against them, it was mainly curveballs. I think the harder slider was working better. And I kept it low in the zone.'

Carlos Belonis led off the Wisconsin 11th with a single to left. Blake Allemand bunted, with Kernels reliever C.K. Irby fielding and firing late to second, his throw hitting Belonis in the side of the face, allowing him to move to third.

Aviles followed with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Timber Rattlers pushed across the game's first run in the sixth inning. Luis Aviles singled with two outs, stole second base and scored on an Isan Diaz single to center.

Nordgren shattered Diaz's bat with the pitch, but the ball ended up finding grass.

'I think I focused too much on that runner,' Nordgren said. 'I should have focused more on the hitter. He got to second, and I was behind in the count, had to throw a fastball to get out of a 2-1 count. Had I been in a 1-2 count, it might have been a different story.'

The Kernels (27-21) had all kinds of baserunners but couldn't bring any of them home, stranding eight, three at third base, until the ninth.

'I think I focused too much on the runner there,' Nordgren said. 'I should have focused more on the hitter. I got behind in the count."

J.J. Fernandez doubled into the right-field corner leading off. Pinch runner Alex Perez went to third base on a slow chopper to third and scored when Jermaine Palacios battled from a two-strike hole and delivered a sacrifice fly to center field.

A 23-year-old right-hander from NCAA Division III Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama, Nordgren has been a human yo-yo the past two seasons. This season alone, he was sent from Minnesota Twins extended spring training to C.R. on April 10, went back to extended 10 days later and returned four days after that.

In 2015, he had a successful stint as a reliever but still spent the majority of his time at Rookie-level Elizabethton, where he was a starter. He has five starts this season, four bullpen appearances.

'I kind of went through it last year,' he said. 'I don't want to say I was used to it, but I guess it has helped me go through it last year and not let it faze me too bad. If I'm pitching, I'm pitching.'

He appeared to have a real good breaking ball that accounted for several of his Ks Saturday night. He struck out the side in the second inning and two guys each in the third, fifth and sixth.

Williams Ramirez added five more strikeouts in relief, bringing C.R.'s total to 17.

The teams play again Sunday afternoon at 2:05. The Kernels remain in first place in the Midwest League's Western Division.

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