Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher Randy LeBlanc runs his scoreless streak to 28 innings

CEDAR RAPIDS - He insisted it's not that big of a deal. Randy LeBlanc's focus doesn't get anymore laser-like or anything.

He's going to work to get outs, whether roving pitching instructor Eric Rasmussen is in town or not. He was Wednesday night, by the way.

'Naw, there's no difference,” LeBlanc said, after he and his Cedar Rapids Kernels pasted Beloit, 8-0, at Veterans Memorial Stadium. 'I wish he would have been here last week, though.”

LeBlanc grinned when he said that, referring to his first professional complete-game shutout. That came in his previous start last week.

This start wasn't his best, but it kept with the impressive pattern he has established. The right-hander threw the first six innings to increase his scoreless streak to 28 overall.

Not one opponent has scored against him in his last four starts, and his earned run average has cratered to an astounding 0.78 in seven starts this season. Beloit had four hits and three walks against him here, but LeBlanc (5-2) made pitches, using his sinker to get three inning-ending double-play balls.

'I'm definitely getting some good luck right now,” he said. 'I didn't have my best stuff tonight, for sure. I struck out one guy. But, you know, it's just getting groundballs like always. Got three or four double plays, the defense played good behind me, so it worked out.”

'He competes,” Kernels Manager Jake Mauer said. 'He's kind of our stopper. That's why he was our opening-day guy. Whenever we seem to have a game where we don't play our best, he pitches the next day and gives us a big lift. He's done a nice job here. He didn't have his best stuff, we all saw that, obviously. But he was effective enough to where he was able to get a bunch of groundball outs and three double plays. That's six outs there, two innings of work.”

As has been previously mentioned, LeBlanc pitched all last season with the Kernels and has nothing left to prove in the Midwest League. But Fort Myers, the next stop in the Minnesota Twins farm system, has six starters who are throwing well, which means there simply isn't any room for him right now.

He'll get to Florida at some point, likely sooner than later. But until he does, enjoy all these zeroes he keeps putting up.

'He's probably a guy that could have made Fort Myers out of spring,” Mauer said. 'But he's one that didn't put his head down. He's probably the best starter we've seen, including the opponents. We haven't seen everybody, yet, but he's probably the best starter in the league we've seen so far.”

The Kernels (21-17) put up a plethora of offense against a guy who came in with spiffy numbers of his own. Angel Duno had a 1.80 earned run average but allowed eight hits and six runs - five earned - to take the loss.

Every position player but one reached base via either walk or hit sans Jermaine Palacios, and he drove in a run. LaMonte Wade had a two-run single in the sixth to run his string of reaching base to 19 consecutive games.

The teams conclude their three-game series Thursday night at 6:35.

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