Clevinger hangs in there, but Kernels fall to Quad Cities

CEDAR RAPIDS - Mike Clevinger gave the Cedar Rapids Kernels a chance. If you watched him pitch the first couple of innings Thursday night, you'd have never bet on that.

“Keep your team in it,” he said after Quad Cities beat the Kernels, 6-4, before 886 fans at Memorial Stadium. “Keep it close.”

Clevinger got roughed up early, allowing five hits and three runs the first three innings. But he settled down and ended up pitching through the seventh, retiring 12 of the final 13 hitters he faced.

Instead of having to burn the bullpen, the Kernels (5-2) rallied to tie. Two runs in the eighth and another in the ninth gave the River Bandits the victory.

“The first (three) innings, I didn't feel like my mind was completely in the game,” said Clevinger, a fourth-round pick of the Angels last June out of Seminole State junior college in Florida. “I kind of took a breath after that third inning ... I focused on getting my pitches inside. More in, in instead of just getting it across the plate.”

“He's a competitor, and he's the type of kid that can make adjustments,” said Kernels Manager Jamie Burke. “He's got a great fastball, (but) there's times he tries to throw offspeed pitches in different counts (instead). He started going right at them. He kept his breaking pitches down, got ahead of the hitters. And that's what so important. Get ahead of those guys.”

Cedar Rapids simply didn't get enough offense, limited by three Quad Cities pitchers to three hits. Three of its four runs came in the fourth inning and were unearned.

“I give credit to their pitching staff,” Burke said. “They kept our hitters off balance pretty much all night.”

The Kernels made their first roster move of the season Thursday, as relief pitcher Lay Batista was promoted to high-Class A Inland Empire. Right-handed pitcher Frank DeJiulio has joined the club from Los Angeles Angels extended spring training.

Batista was 1-0 with a save and 1.13 earned run average in two appearances. DeJiulio spent the majority of last season with the Arizona Rookie League Angels.