Horrible 6th inning foils C.R. Kernels in 10-4 loss to Quad Cities

CEDAR RAPIDS — Things were going along so smootly Saturday night for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

They'd scratched across a couple of runs, starter Dereck Rodriguez was pitching a gem and it seemed another win was inevitable. Then the top of the sixth inning rolled around.

A half-hour later ...

Quad Cities hung a six spot to knock off the first-place Kernels, 10-4, before 3,604 fans on fireworks night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The most disappointing thing about the rally was that Cedar Rapids aided it with suspect defense.

'Very frustrating stuff,' said Kernels Manager Jake Mauer.

Had plays been made that should have been made, Rodriguez would have made it through the sixth with a 2-1 lead. Instead the son of former major league catching great Ivan Rodriguez dropped to 1-5.

The Kernels and River Bandits play again Sunday afternoon at 2:05. Cedar Rapids (23-18) remained in first place in the Midwest League's Western Division, though Clinton climbed into a tie with it.

Now back to the fateful sixth. Arturo Michelena doubled leading off, with Aaron Mizell reaching on a bunt single.

Myles Straw laid down another bunt in front of the mound that scored a run and went for a hit when C.R.'s Zander Wiel inexplicably left first base. Kyle Tucker followed with what appeared to be a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play, but a slow turn allowed Tucker to beat the throw at first.

That proved pivotal because Connor Goedert hit an ensuing fly to short right field that was dropped by right fielder Brad Hartong for a run-scoring error that tied things at 2-2. Theoretically that should have been the third out.

Pat Porter, hitting .125, followed with a three-run home run the other way to left. A double and a walk then ended Rodriguez's night, which had been so promising.

The right-hander gave up three harmless hits and a walk the first five innings. A sixth River Bandits run crossed the plate before reliever Williams Ramirez could finally end all the pain.

'It's just paying attention,' Mauer said. 'Having a feel. That's a problem, especially this time of the year. We're getting surprised by things.'

Quad Cities added three runs in the eighth against reliever C.K. Irby. It got a run in the ninth thanks in part to a flyball double that dropped between three Kernels defenders, with no one covering second base.

That kind of night defensively.

Third baseman Sean Miller went 4-for-4 for Cedar Rapids to improve his batting average 30 points (.194 to .225). LaMonte Wade walked, singled and scored a run. He has reached base via hit or walk in 22 consecutive games, which is quite a streak.

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