Palacios walks off Clinton in 12th inning for C.R. Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS — The walk-off celebration Monday night for the Cedar Rapids Kernels came with a bit of a unique flourish.

Jermaine Palacios stepped on home plate following a three-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning to officially give the Kernels a 6-3 win over Clinton at Veterans Memorial Stadium. He got the usual jostling around, back and head pounding from teammates.

Everybody jumped up and down in unison. Then catcher-infielder Caleb Hamilton ran to the scene and unloaded a bucket.

Not of water, but bubble gum.

'Had to,' Hamilton said, with a smile. 'And then I had to go pick it all up.'

He didn't mind, and Palacios didn't mind getting doused with lots of Double Bubble. It's all good when you're the hero.

He pulled a 1-2 slider from losing pitcher Michael Koval just over the tall fence in left field. Even had it not left the yard, Ben Rortvedt certainly would have scored from second base, anyway.

Rortvedt led off the C.R. 12th with a single to right-center and went to second when Aaron Whitefield lined a one-hopped single off of what used to affectionately be called Moby, the great white wall. It's green now.

Christian Cavaness struck out after failing to advance the runners with two sacrifice bunts attempts. Those came on his own, according to Manager Tommy Watkins.

But Palacios made that inconsequential.

'I didn't think it was going out, but I thought that if it didn't go out, it was going to bounce off the wall and score a run,' Palacios said. 'When I saw it go a little bit over the wall, I just thought 'Yes.''

This was the sixth longball of the season for 20-year-old Venezuelan shortstop, who has never hit more than three in any of his prior three seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization. He has been the Kernels' most consistent hitter from day one, coming into this game with a .329 batting average.

He is not the same player he was in 2016, when he struggled to the tune of .229.

'I learned from last year,' Palacios said. 'This year, too. Maybe I have an 0-for-4 this year in a game, but I'm just thinking I've got another game. The next game, the next at-bat, maybe it will be something good.'

'It's improving as a hitter, getting older and stronger,' said Kernels Manager Tommy Watkins. 'The main thing is just putting the barrel on the ball. You put the barrel on the ball, good things will happen ... He's been putting the barrel on it, and that's why he's hitting the way he is.'

Cavaness had a walk and three hits, including a gift triple that tied things at 3-3 in the seventh. He lofted a high fly to right-center that Clinton right fielder Anthony Jimenez never saw in the dusk.

Colton Davis, Andrew Vasquez and Tom Hackimer combined for seven shutout innings out of the bullpen for Cedar Rapids (26-18), which moved a game up on Kane County for first place in the Midwest League's Western Division. Hackimer (2-1) got the win.

The teams play again Tuesday night at 6:35.

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