DAYTON, Ohio - The Cedar Rapids Kernels are coming home in the thick of a pennant race in the Midwest League, but they lost an opportunity to gain ground Monday night.

The Kernels were trimmed by Dayton, 3-2, before 8,118 fans at Fifth Third Field in the final game of their road trip.

Cedar Rapids could have pulled within one game of Kane County for first place in the second-half standings in the Western Division with a victory. Instead, the Kernels find themselves two games behind Kane County with 34 games left in the regular season.

Kane County leads the Western Division with a 22-14 record. Cedar Rapids, Peoria and Quad Cities are tied for second place at 20-16. Burlington is sitting at 19-16 and Wisconsin is 19-17 in the compact standings.

The Kernels will host Burlington Tuesday night at 6:35 after making the long bus ride home from Dayton, Ohio.

Mitch Garver hit his 14th home run for Cedar Rapids Monday night, a solo shot in the sixth inning that brought the Kernels within 3-2. The visitors could not get the equalizer, however, and fell to 51-55 overall for the campaign.

Garver and Alex Swim went 2-for-4 for the Kernels.

Aaron Slegers (7-7) allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings and took the loss. Josue Montanez and Jared Wilson pitched scoreless ball in relief for the Kernels.

KERNELS (2): Vielma, ss, 5 0 1 0, Wade, 2b, 4 0 1 0, Christensen, 1b, 4 0 1 0, Garver, dh, 4 1 2 1, Haar, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Swim, rf, 4 1 2 0, Williams, lf, 4 0 1 0, Quesada, c, 3 0 0 0, J.Murphy, cf, 3 0 0 0. Totals 34 2 8 1.

DAYTON (3): McGruder, 2b, 4 1 2 1, Reynoso, lf, 4 1 2 1, Ramirez, 1b, 3 0 1 1, Ervin, rf, 3 0 1 0, Rahler, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Hudson, c, 3 0 1 0, Morillo, dh, 3 0 0 0, Bueno, ss, 3 1 1 0, Benedetto, cf, 3 0 0 0. Totals 29 3 8 3.

Kernels    010 001 000 - 2 8 2
Dayton     100 020 00x - 3 8 0

Slegers, Montanez (6), Wilson (8) and Quesada. Romano, Howard (6), Quezada (7), Chacin (9) and Hudson. W - Romano (7-9). L - Slegers (7-7). S - Chacin (12). 2B - Williams (14), Ramirez (5), Reynoso (3). 3B - Bueno (2), McGruder (7). HR - Garver (14). SB - McGruder (11), Ervin (23). E - Quesada (4), Haar (16). T - 2:50. A - 8,118.