Kernels rally in 9th for 3-2 win

CEDAR RAPIDS - It's what first-place teams do.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels didn't necessarily have their ‘A' game last night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. They couldn't buy a clutch hit, fell behind late and committed an error when their first baseman had his sunglasses on his hat instead of his face when he lost a routine throw from a teammate in the setting sun.

Yet they found a way. Two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, including Luis Jimenez' two-out game-winning single, gave the Kernels a 3-2 win over Wisconsin before 3,144 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“Good teams find a way to win,” said Kernels shortstop Jon Karcich. “We battled, stuck with it, got our opportunity and took it.”

There's no question Cedar Rapids has overcome a poor start and become a good team. The Kernels moved their record to a season-high 12 games over .500 (30-18) with this victory, their fourth when trailing after eight innings.

Cedar Rapids is two games up on Quad Cities for first place in the Midwest League's Western Division and two and a half ahead of third-place Clinton. The Kernels are 9-1 in their last 10 games but haven't been able to build much of a cushion because QC and Clinton also continue to play good baseball.

“Those teams keep winning. Jiminy Christmas,” Kernels Manager Bill Mosiello. “But they're saying the same thing about us. We keep winning, too ... We're a good team. We do just about everything well.”

That includes rally. It was Karcich's leadoff walk against Wisconsin closer Andre Lamontagne (2-2) that got the ball rolling in the ninth.

Mike Trout then bunted back toward the mound, got his track-type speed going and reached when Lamontagne's hurried throw got past first, allowing Karcich to scoot into third. Trout stole second (his league-leading 24th), with a one-out sacrifice fly to right by Casey Haerther eventually scoring Karcich and moving Trout to third.

Jimenez, or “Lucho,” as everyone around the ballpark calls him, picked on Lamontagne's first pitch and lined it sharply into right field to win the game.

“It was a slider,” Lucho said. “I was just trying to make good contact right there. We had a good comeback. All the time we're just trying to do this. Keep it going. The last inning is the first inning for us. The game starts right there.”

David Carpenter (1-2) got the win in relief. Newcomer Ariel Pena made his first start since being sent to Cedar Rapids from high-Class A Rancho Cucamonga and threw six effective innings.

The teams play again tonight at 6:35.

Here's video of the postgame celebration following Jimenez' hit: