Nichols gives Kernels a start that's millions

CEDAR RAPIDS - Heath Nichols took a deep breath.

“Finally,” he said.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher has something positive to build on. He can relax.

Seven shutout innings Wednesday afternoon at Memorial Stadium and a 2-1 win over Clinton. Yeah, finally.

“From the first pitch in the first inning on, he was just confident. His confidence built throughout the outing,” Kernels Manager Brent Del Chiaro said. “He made all the pitches today. That was the key factor. They were quality, they were down (in the strike zone), he didn't make too many mistakes. It was just a complete pitching performance.”

Nichols had been wondering if this is the level of the minor leagues he should be at right now. The polite 21-year-old right-hander from Queen Creek, Ariz., has been the weak link in the starting rotation, taking a 1-4 record and 5.45 earned run average into his eighth start.

He'd been getting hit around and walking guys, a deadly combo. But Nichols - a 29th-round pick of the parent Angels in 2009 out of an Idaho junior college - turned it around Wednesday.

He threw a season-best seven-plus innings, giving up five hits and two walks. His fastball-slider combination produced eight strikeouts.

“I felt comfortable letting them hit the ball to my defense today,” Nichols said. “I've been trying to get everybody out in the past on my own. That doesn't happen, you know? Throw strikes and let them hit the ball.”

“I pulled him in earlier in the year and told him that we were behind him,” Del Chiaro said. “That the stuff that he was showing us isn't who we think he is.”

Who he was Wednesday was plenty good. The Kernels (23-23) got just enough offense, as Travis Witherspoon led off the first with a triple and scored on a RBI groundout from David Harris, who homered to right in the sixth.

Dakota Robinson got the two-inning save, despite giving up a solo homer to Kalian Sams in the ninth

“It's definitely been frustrating,” Nichols said. “When it happens over and over, it's kind of like ‘Well, maybe I don't belong here.' But it feels good now. One game. It can change a lot of things.”

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