The sun is shining for the Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS – Tanner English knows as well as anyone how tough popups and flyballs can be during the day at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

There was that game earlier this season when Minnesota Twins pitcher Ricky Nolasco was making an injury rehabilitation appearance here. An opposing hitter lofted a long fly to center field that English went back for but lost in the sun.

The ball literally hit him and dropped to the turf.

'Sundays are tough here,” English said. 'When Nolasco was pitching, I got charged with an error on a sun ball. I didn't like that error, but that's all right. It's tough. I had a ball earlier in the game like that today. You've got to try and get around it. That's home-field advantage.”

And that home-field advantage helped English and the Cedar Rapids Kernels pick up a 6-5, 11-inning victory Sunday over Clinton. With two outs and two on, English looped a ball to shallow center field that Clinton's center fielder appeared to freeze on and its second baseman appeared to lose in the sun as he ran back for it.

It fell between them, allowing Pat Kelly to run home and win it.

'All game, I was kind of getting jammed, so I figured he was going to come with another fastball,” English said. 'I wasn't trying to get jammed on it, especially with runners in scoring position. It turned out to be the exact opposite. I was way ahead of it. I nestled it in there, man. That's baseball. I've hit a couple of balls hard. That one just happened to find its way in.”

The Kernels (33-18) came back from a 5-0 deficit, scoring three times in the sixth inning and twice in the eighth. All of those runs were unearned.

Hard to believe, but Cedar Rapids is only two games behind Quad Cities for first place in the Midwest League's Western Division. Just a couple of weeks ago, the River Bandits had the best record in all of minor-league baseball.

There are 19 games remaining in the MWL's first half.

'We have kept battling. That's just it,” said Manager Jake Mauer. 'Quad Cities was hotter than anybody in America for the longest time. We figured if we just keep taking care of business, they were going to come back to earth eventually. Now we're in the mix here with about 20 games left, with maybe a chance to win the first half. Which would be pretty nice.”

'When someone has an off night, there's always somebody else there to pick them up,” English said. 'I think we've got a great group of guys. We have great chemistry in the clubhouse, on the field, off the field. I think that really, really helps.”

A handful or so of new players have come in from parent Minnesota Twins extended spring training recently, and this team still hasn't skipped a beat.

Outfielder Edgar Corcino has three hits in the two games he has played with the Kernels. Pitcher Sam Gibbons made his first start Sunday and was solid in five innings of work.

Pitcher Keaton Steele was terrific in a win Friday night. Reliever Jose Velez has been terrific.

The latest transaction came before Sunday's game, when first baseman Tyler Kuresa was sent back to extended and replaced on the roster by catcher-infielder Alex Real.

A teammate of 2014 Kernels catcher Mitch Garver at the University of New Mexico, Real had to serve a 50-game suspension at the start of this season after testing positive for a stimulant. The teams conclude their four-game series Monday at 12:05 p.m.

Cedar Rapids then has a day off before embarking on a road trip to Eastern Division teams South Bend and West Michigan.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com