Playoff chances slipping away for Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS - There's no way you can say the Cedar Rapids Kernels have quit. But you're talking elimination numbers now when it comes to the Midwest League playoffs, and that's never a positive sign.

“You'd rather get blown out than lose the one-run games,” Kernels catcher Marcus Nidiffer said after Sunday's 3-2 loss to Kane County before 3,475 fans at Memorial Stadium. “We're close, we're close. I hope we don't run out of time. We're fighting. We've still got a chance.”

Realistically, it's a slight one at this point. The Kernels dropped six games behind Clinton for the second and final available second-half playoff spot in the Western Division, with 21 games to play.

Burlington and Quad Cities wrapped up postseason berths in the first half by finishing in the top two spots in the West. The top two second-half teams, minus QC and Burlington, also get in.

Kane County and Quad Cities are tied for first at 29-20. Clinton is 26-23, followed by Beloit (23-26) and the Kernels, Wisconsin and Peoria (all 20-29).

The Kernels' elimination number (combination of Cedar Rapids losses and Clinton wins) is 13, by the way.

“Still have a heartbeat,” Kernels Manager Brent Del Chiaro said. “Give them credit. They keep fighting ...

“Just coming up short. Today we had a few scoring opportunities. The few chances we had, we didn't come through.”

Del Chiaro particularly bemoaned the seventh inning, when Justin Bass tripled leading off but couldn't score the tying run. Kane County's Brett Eibner ended the eighth by running down Randal Grichuk's drive to dead center with runners on first and second.

“That was kind of an indication of how the whole year has gone right there,” Del Chiaro said.

Eibner's two-run home run barely onto the left-field porch in the sixth proved to be the game-winning hit.

“He's the hero today,” Grichuk said. “Made that catch and hit a bomb.”

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