Mustache mania for streaking Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS - There's only a little more than a week left in Mustache May, which is a good thing and a bad thing for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

It's good because players and coaches can finally shave off those cheesy looking hair growths under their respective noses. It's bad because, coincidence or not, a lot of victories have come with these ‘staches.

That includes Thursday afternoon's 4-2 win over Quad Cities before a kid-dominated crowd of 3,608 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“It's just kind of a team bonding thing as a joke that we did,” said first baseman Casey Haerther. “We've all got 10 more days of this. I'm ready for it to get over with. It looks pretty funny.”

Most of the mustaches are like Haerther's, the traditional 1970s variety. Pitching coach Brandon Emanuel is rocking a Fu Manchu look.

Then there's poor pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

“I can't grow one,” Skaggs said, feeling his bare upper lip. “I'm only 18.”

The Kernels (23-17) are 13-5 in Mustache May, sweeping this three-game series to jump ahead of Quad Cities (22-18) in the Midwest League's Western Division. Cedar Rapids was tied for second with Peoria, one game behind first-place Beloit, with both of those teams playing last night.

The Kernels head back to the road for four games at Beloit and three at Peoria. If you want to look that far ahead, they end the first half with 13 straight home games in early and middle June.

“I've been eyeing that from the beginning (of the season),” said Kernels Manager Bill Mosiello. “I'd like to have a two-game lead or so going into that (homestand) and go from there.”

Cedar Rapids rallied from a 2-0 hole with back-to-back solo home runs in the fifth from Justin Bass and Carlos Ramirez. Haerther scored the winning unearned runs with a two-out, two-run single up the middle in the eighth.

Orangel Arenas (4-4) threw eight strong innings for the win. Mike Kenney got the save.