Jeremy Lee gives C.R. Kernels’ starting pitching rotation a huge boost in win over Beloit

CEDAR RAPIDS — Jeremy Lee’s earned run average in a half-dozen starts with the Cedar Rapids Kernels is 4.76.

That’s pedestrian, you say. It’s actually mediocre because the Midwest League is a pitcher’s league, you say.

No argument on both of those counts. But you’ve got to consider from where this kid has come.

Lee didn’t get anyone out in his first home start June 1 at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Not one batter.

He gave up three hits, hit two batters and walked two. He was charged with seven runs for an ol’ game ERA of infinity.

Ouch.

“That was definitely the worst outing I’ve had in my life,” Lee said. “But I knew that wasn’t my last outing, so you have to kind of forget it. That’s how it goes sometimes. Baseball is a hard sport. So it’s just working hard during the week, fixing some things and trying to be better every outing.”

Which he has been. The 22-year-old right-hander Thursday night outpitched a first-round draft pick in Miami Marlins top prospect Noble Meyer, throwing six strong innings and getting the victory as Cedar Rapids beat Beloit, 4-1.

A 13th-round draft pick last year out of the University of South Alabama, Lee gave up just five hits, didn’t walk a soul and the only run charged against him was unearned.

Only two guys got as far as second base against him. From ouch to yay.

“Lately just kind of been struggling a little bit with command,” Lee said. “So it was just going out there and trying to fill up the zone. I know my main two pitches in the zone are sinkers and cutters, and I just stuck with that heavy early, then went to the offspeed late. Just trying to stay in the zone.”

It was a shot in the arm, no pun intended, for a Kernels club that has a dearth of legit starting pitchers right now.

Three guys are on the injured list in C.J. Culpepper, Darren Bowen and Miguelangel Boadas. Two guys who began the season in the six-man starting rotation have been promoted to Double-A and are excelling (Zebby Matthews and Andrew Morris).

John Klein and Christian MacLeod are the only starters from opening day on the current active roster. Lee and former Iowa Hawkeye Ty Langenberg have been promoted from low-Class A Fort Myers.

That leaves two games per series where the Kernels are bullpenning it: using all bullpen guys for a couple of innings at a time, or however many outs they can get.

“There obviously are going to be growing pains and some struggles. But it’s been good to get some guys in there who maybe normally wouldn’t throw as much,” said Kernels co-pitching coach Jonas Lovin. “When they have to go longer innings and get stretched out, it allows you more quickly to figure out what some of those guys have to work on. It’s been good for growth and learning for those guys. And growth and learning for us honestly, too. To figure out how to get guys out when they’re going to see hitters multiple times or whatever.”

“When you have a couple of days a week where you’re kind of just going bullpen games, you try and find some guys who can give you some length or whatever,” said Kernels Manager Brian Dinkelman. “Depending on how the game is going: winning, losing, you kind of go with the guys you’ve kind of been relying on all year to see if you can get a victory. Not easy, but we’ve got some guys who have stepped up and done a nice job for us and gotten some outs. That’s all you can ask.”

The Kernels host Beloit to close out their six-game set Friday and Saturday nights (6:35) and Sunday afternoon (1:05)

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