Shoemaker shines in Kernels loss

Middle relief ain't a glorious role, but Matt Shoemaker was exemplary at it last night.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher came on in the third inning of his team's game against the mighty Fort Wayne TinCaps at Memorial Stadium and rolled up a bunch of zeros. Sure, the Kernels lost, 5-2, but it wasn't because of Shoemaker.

"No, it's not (glorious), but you've got to go out there and keep the game going," said Shoemaker. "You've got to give your team a chance to get some runs and win a game."

The Kernels (10-5 in the Midwest League's second half) didn't win, dropping a third straight to the team with professional baseball's best record, but Shoemaker picked it up. Or at least picked up the bullpen, soaking up five innings after starter Ryan Chaffee (6-3) failed to get more than one out in the third.

Chaffee walked six guys and hit another, unofficially throwing only 28 strikes in a 65-pitch struggle. Shoemaker didn't allow a thing until the eighth, when it appeared he tired.

Non-drafted free agents like the right-hander from Eastern Michigan get placed in middle and long relief a lot. But when you get a chance to pitch any time, you've got to make the most of it.

"I felt pretty good," said Shoemaker, who has allowed only three earned runs in 14 innings since returning to Cedar Rapids in mid-June from extended spring training. "Just try and throw strikes and locate the ball."

Fort Wayne won its 10th straight, moving its second-half record to 14-1 and overall record to a gaudy 59-26. The Kernels swept the TinCaps three first-half games in Indiana, but this was a much different series.

Cedar Rapids never led in any of the games.

"We just got beat," said Kernels Manager Bill Mosiello. "We got outplayed. Our pitching the whole series never gave us a chance to have a lead. ... As I've told you a million times, when we're behind in games, it's hard for us to play. Our starting pitching was bad, real bad."

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