S. Bend rallies past Kernels

Conventional baseball wisdom says that you don't give up a second out in an inning, especially trailing in a game.

But just such a bit of unintended strategy by South Bend Manager Mark Haley rallied the SilverHawks past the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 6-5, last night before a crowd of 1,501 at Memorial Stadium.

The loss was the Kernels' fifth in six games and dropped their lead in the Midwest League's West Division to 2 1/2 games over Peoria.

South Bend trailed 5-3 with one out, runners at first and second base and leadoff batter Reynaldo Navarro at the plate in its sixth inning. Navarro laid down a sacrifice bunt that advanced the runners to second and third. Alfredo Marte followed with a sinking liner down the left-field line for a two-run double that tied the game. A.J. Pollock, the Arizona Diamondbacks' first-round draft pick this past June out of Notre Dame, followed a with a run-scoring triple that put South Bend ahead, 6-5.

Haley said he did not want Navarro to give himself up with a sacrifice bunt.

“I was hoping (Navarro) would understand I wanted him to drag, not sacrifice. But he got squared around a little too much,” Haley said. “So, from here on out in my coaching career I'm going to have a drag-bunt sign.”

The rally came off Kernels southpaw Chris Armstrong (2-2), who gave up all three runs in his two-thirds of an inning.

“Anytime you have a lead and your guys give it up, you didn't do your job,” Kernels Manager Bill Mosiello said. “Once we scored our five runs, we didn't do a very good job on offense, either.”

The Kernels got only one runner as far as second base in the final four innings. Matt Crawford's RBI single highlighted the Kernels' three-run second inning. Anel De Los Santos' two-run home run in the fourth inning increased the Kernels' lead to 5-2. It was his first homer since May 18 and fourth of the season.

Million Dollar Monday, where one Kernels fan had a chance to win $1 million if the Kernels' starting pitcher threw a perfect game, turned into $1 beer, hot dog and soda night just two pitches into the game, when Navarro's grounder glanced off the glove of Kernels shortstop Adam Younger for an error.

There were nine other chances for fans to win $10,000, but none came to fruition.

The Kernels made a roster move Monday, acquiring catcher Nolan Brannon from Orem (Pioneer) and sending infielder Kevin Ramos to Orem.

The Kernels open a three-game series against Kane County tonight at 6:35.