Kernels pick up 14th straight home win

There was no way a team that plays its games at Veterans Memorial Stadium was going to lose on Memorial Day.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels popped into town between road trips just long enough to extend their impressive home win streak to 14 with four Ws over Wisconsin. That included 2-0 Monday afternoon before 2,331 fans.

The Kernels finished “Mustache May” with a 23-6 record, including 13-0 at home. They have won 13 of their last 14 games overall.

June begins in Michigan with three games at West Michigan beginning tonight and three at Lansing. In fact, the team took off for Grand Rapids about an hour and a half after their win Monday.

The first half concludes with 13 consecutive games at what have become very friendly home confines. Cedar Rapids is 18-4 at The Vet, The Popper or whatever else you want to call it.

“There's a comfort zone probably here, just like there is everywhere else,” said first baseman Casey Haerther, sans his May mustache. “We've also played good on the road, too. Extremely well on the road, actually. I think right now we're just playing good baseball. It doesn't really matter where we play.”

The Kernels are a season-high 33-18, in first place in the Western Division and tied with Lake County for the best record in the Midwest League. This from a team that was just 8-12 at one point.

“We believe we've got a good club,” said Kernels Manager Bill Mosiello. “If we can keep the game (close), we're going to execute, we're going to make you play baseball against us. That's the same thing we've always tried to do. It's just a good club. You knew my expectations at the beginning of the season.”

The preseason hype surrounding this group seems to have become justified. There are six guys who were first-round or first-round compensation picks of the parent Angels, and 21 of the Angels' top 30 minor league prospects are here or have been here at some point this season.

“Honestly, I just think it's been timely hitting lately,” said Haerther, whose two-run double in the sixth inning accounted for both of this game's runs. “We're stroking it a lot better than we were in April. Also, our pitching staff is holding (the opponent) down. Our bullpen is a lot better than it was. I feel like we're starting to develop roles in the bullpen. And our defense is also doing a lot better.

“We had games last month where we'd make three or four errors and end up losing by one or two runs. Once our defense got cleaned up and we started hitting, everything has worked out. Who would have imagined we'd go 13-0 at home in May? We've kind of pulled ourselves into first place, and that's where we want to stay.”

Starting pitcher Garrett Richards, one of those first-round guys, struck out 11 in six innings, including seven in a row at one point. He's unbeaten at home this season – naturally.

“I don't know that we pay much attention to that stuff,” he said.  ”Just take it game by game and wins will come. We're playing really good baseball right now.”

Really, really good baseball.