Cedar Rapids Kernels are one win from Midwest League championship

CEDAR RAPIDS — Four months ago, Carson McCusker was playing independent baseball in a place called Troy, N.Y., for a team called the Tri-City Valleycats.

Some of the opponents he and his Frontier League team were playing included the Trois-Rivieres Aigles, the Florence Y’alls and the Washington Wild Things. His manager was former big league slugger Pete Incaviglia.

Sunday afternoon found the 25-year-old outfielder in affilliated pro ball, playing left field for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in Game 1 of the Midwest League Championship Series. And helping them win that game with a ninth-inning hit as large as he is.

McCusker’s three-run home run turned a one-run deficit into a two-run lead, and Emmanuel Rodriguez followed later with a two-run insurance homer as Cedar Rapids dramatic-ed its way to a 10-6 win over Great Lakes at Dow Diamond in Midland, Mich.

The five-run ninth capped a clutch Kernels comeback. Dalton Rushing hit three-run and two-run home runs in that order as the Loons built a 6-3 edge after four innings.

“The boys kept battling,” Kernels Manager Brian Dinkelman said. “We got to the ninth inning and had a chance. McCusker comes up with a big home run to give us the lead, and then Rodriguez gives us some insurance. I think it kind of just symbolizes our season. The boys have battled all year and had some comeback wins, and they did it again today.”

Noah Cardenas drew a one-out walk against Great Lakes relief pitcher Michael Hobbs, then Jose Salas was hit in the foot with a two-strike pitch. Salas had a solo home run in the seventh to bring Cedar Rapids within 6-5.

McCusker took a Hobbs breaking ball for a strike, then another one for a ball. He got a third one on the next pitch that was over the plate and up in the zone, and he smoked it over the fence in left-center field.

“Seems like every day, someone steps up for us,” Dinkelman said. “Today it was him.”

“First and second there, I’m just trying to get something to the outfield to hopefully move the guy over or get him in,” McCusker said. “The guy was heavy breaking ball, cutter-slider, so I was just kind of looking for something that was spinning away from me. I got it.”

McCusker played at Oklahoma State University but went undrafted and unsigned following his senior season. He went the indy ball route, posting huge numbers in a little over a month this season for Tri-City.

The Minnesota Twins signed him in late June, he hit well at low-A Fort Myers and was assigned August 3 to Cedar Rapids. At 6-foot-8, he has mammoth power when he barrels one up.

Evidence came in the ninth inning.

“It’s honestly crazy,” McCusker said. “I’ve worked to get here, but honestly didn’t expect it at the same time. You know, it’s a tough road, but I’m just kind of living in the moment, just being present every day and enjoying all of it.”

The Kernels scored three times in the top of the second for a 3-1 lead, only to have Rushing, one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ better prospects, counter with his three-run longball against C.R. starting pitcher Christian MacLeod

Rodriguez homered to dead center in the fifth to cut the Kernels’ deficit to 6-4. Malik Barrington got the victory in relief with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, with Gabriel Yanez recording the final out.

The best-of-3 series shifts to Cedar Rapids. Game 2 is Tuesday night (6:35) at Veterans Memorial Stadium, with an if-necessary Game 3 coming the following night.

The Kernels find a way to win either of those games, and they’ll have the city’s first Midwest League championship since 1994.

“In a short series, getting that Game 1 win is huge. No doubt,” Dinkelman said. “Now we get to go home, have a day off tomorrow and reset a little bit, then come back Tuesday and hopefully win one more ballgame.”

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