Cedar Rapids Kernels shut out for 1st time this season

CEDAR RAPIDS — Even the mighty fail every once in a while.

That’s not to say the Cedar Rapids Kernels’ offense has been mighty so far this High-Class A Central League season, but it’s been pretty good.

The Kernels lead the league in team batting average, home runs and OPS (on base plus slugging), among other things. Those are numbers that all took a downward trajectory after Wednesday night’s 5-0 loss to Wisconsin at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Wisconsin broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the eighth inning. Cedar Rapids (9-11) stranded the bases loaded a couple of times but mustered just three hits.

Only Wander Javier’s oppo double off the right-field wall in the fourth inning was of the extra-base variety. Hey, it happens.

“Early in the game, I thought we hit some balls really hard,” said Manager Brian Dinkelman. “Their center fielder did a nice job of tracking some balls down. So the at-bats early were good, some solid contact. We just couldn’t find holes. Then we had a chance with runners on in the middle of the game but couldn’t get a big hit. We kind of got away from our plan probably with guys on base. Yeah, just one of those nights.”

The Wisconsin center fielder Dinkelman referred to is Korry Howell. The 12th-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 ranged far to his right in the first inning to run down a long drive off the bat of Gabe Snyder in the gap.

Offensively, he went 2-for-4, his pulled double down the right-field line against losing relief pitcher Owen Griffith (1-1) scoring the game’s first run with one out in the eighth.

Howell came into Wednesday’s game tied for the league lead in home runs with six.

The Kernels placed outfielder Matt Wallner and starting pitcher Blayne Enlow on the injured list Wednesday with a sprained right wrist and strained right elbow, respectively. Both had performed very well in the early going, with Wallner hitting .333 with a 1.005 OPS in 17 games and Enlow going 1-1 with a 1.84 earned run average and 23 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings over three starts.

Those are significant blows. Dinkelman said the pair will be out a few days, without being specific.

Roster replacements are expected, he said. Cedar Rapids has 25 active players, though teams can have as many as 30.

The Kernels and Wisconsin are scheduled to meet again Thursday night at 6:35, though there is a heavy chance of rain Thursday and Thursday night.

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