Thorpe shows his promise for Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS - A much needed effective start for Lewis Thorpe, a much needed win for him and his team.

The 18-year-old Australian lefty finally showed what all the experts in prospectdom have been talking about, pitching into the sixth inning to help the Cedar Rapids Kernels past Clinton, 6-5, Friday night before 3,456 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

If it weren't for an unlucky bad hop over first baseman Bo Altobelli, Thorpe just might have finished the sixth and taken a couple of runs off his final ledger in the process. That one-out gift single for Chantz Mack ended his night and made it three earned runs against instead of one.

But this was undeniable progress for the Midwest League's youngest player. By far the best of his four starts here.

'Yeah, I just felt normal,” Thorpe said. 'Free flowing and smooth in my mechanics.”

Thorpe won't blow anyone away with his fastball, though it was a solid low-90s most of Friday night. He knows how to pitch, how to change speeds and pound the strike zone.

He said work with Kernels pitching coach Ivan Arteaga led to a delivery change with his lead, right arm. That added velocity, he believed, though perhaps some of it was finally being comfortable in his advanced surroundings.

'Ivan helped me a lot,” said Thorpe, who came in with a 7.11 earned run average. 'I just felt free out there tonight. Everything was working. It was great.”

'I think when he (first) got here, he tried to do too much,” Arteaga said. 'The expectations (are high) for him. I mean, he's a kid. Let's put that into perspective. So I think it's just getting to a point where he feels comfortable and his body is adjusting to the level of competition. Talent is one thing. Then being able to compete and sustain performance is a different story.”

The Kernels (33-45 overall, 2-6) had a rough seven-game road trip to Peoria and Kane County to begin the MWL's second half, but played much better in the home opener, if you will. Jon Murphy hit a solo home run to tie things at 1-1 in the third, then Jason Kanzler's RBI triple an inning later put Cedar Rapids ahead for good.

Three runs in the fifth made it a 6-1 game, though the Kernels had to hang on in the end. Todd Van Steensel, another Aussie, picked up his seventh save by throwing the final 1 2/3 innings.

The teams play again Saturday night at 6:35, with Hall of Famer Rod Carew making an appearance. He'll sign autographs on the stadium concourse from 5:30 to 6.

ack end.

'We needed that one,” said Kernels Manager Jake Mauer. 'Now hopefully we can springboard off this.”

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