Russell finally a winner as Kernels blank Bowling Green

CEDAR RAPIDS - It wasn't quite two months, but close enough to notice the relief in Max Russell's face.

Sometimes pitchers forget how precious victories are until they can't get one. Russell finally got one last night.

“I was going so well, then all of a sudden, I start losing,” Russell said, after seven shutout innings helped the Cedar Rapids Kernels to a 3-0 win over Bowling Green before 2,327 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium. “Sort of makes you appreciate each win that you get. Really makes you concentrate on every single pitch. You've got to execute every pitch, be confident with every pitch that you throw.”

Russell (5-9) was named to the Midwest League All-Star Game because of a strong beginning to the season. A victory May 19 against Kane County took his record to 4-2 and his earned run average to 2.39.

But that was the last time the left-hander would see the win column. He lost seven of his next eight starts, despite not pitching all that poorly.

His team just hasn't been able to score many runs for him. That will get into a guy's head, big time.

“I'm extremely happy for him,” said Kernels Manager Brent Del Chiaro. “Every team has that guy on their staff that, for whatever reason, they don't score a lot of runs for. It's Max with us. He hasn't pitched all that bad. You look at the record and the ERA, and they don't match up.”

That ERA is 3.35.

“Haven't lost nine games since probably Little League. All my losses combined from Little League to college might be nine. I don't know,” Russell said, shaking his head. “You just keep grinding every day. It's great to have defense behind you. They were unbelievable tonight with (two) double plays. That was huge. And (catcher) Marcus (Nidiffer) called a great game.”

Russell gave up five hits, striking out four. Daniel Tillman, Russell's old college teammate at Florida Southern, retired all six guys he faced in relief to close it out.

The Kernels (40-49, 8-11 second half) finally ended a scoreless dual with an unearned run in the seventh and two earned runs in the eighth against Bowling Green reliever Nate Garcia. The eighth-inning runs were plate on Jean Almanzar's two-run triple.

The teams play again Thursday night at 6:35. After the game, the Kernels announced second baseman Wes Hatton (.201 in 73 games) has been re-assigned by the parent Los Angeles Angels to Rookie-level Orem.

The active roster is at 24 players, one shy of maximum.