PEORIA, Ill. - The Peoria Chiefs did not collect their first hit until the seventh inning Wednesday, but they found a way to blank the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 2-0, before 4,758 fans at Dozer Park.

The Chiefs (11-7) scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings for the victory, despite getting only three hits in the game.

The Kernels saw their record dip under the .500 mark at 9-10. The Kernels began the season with an 8-3 record, but have lost seven of their last eight games.

Ethan Mildren started for Cedar Rapids and pitched five hitless innings. The righthander allowed only one baserunner on a walk to Cesar Valera in the third inning.

Mildren finished with a no-decision. He threw 78 pitches, including 52 for strikes. He struck out six batters. Alex Muren (0-1) allowed a scratch run in the seventh inning and took the loss.

Peoria used four pitchers in the shutout. The Kernels collected only five singles. Chad Christensen went 0-for-3, snapping his hitting streak at 10 games.

Cedar Rapids put runners in scoring position in the second, fourth, sixth and seventh innings, but could not get a run across.

The same teams meet Thursday night at 6:30 in Peoria, with Kohl Stewart (0-1, 4.50) on the mound for the Kernels.

KERNELS (0): Hinojosa, ss, 3 0 0 0, Vavra, 2b, 3 0 1 0, Christensen, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Haar, 3b, 4 0 0 0, Larson, rf, 4 0 1 0, Wade, lf, 4 0 2 0, Licon, dh, 1 0 0 0, Santy, c, 3 0 0 0, Kanzler, cf, 3 0 1 0. Totals 28 0 5 0.

PEORIA (2): McElroy, cf, 4 0 0 0, Bosco, lf, 3 0 0 0, Peoples-Walls, dh, 3 0 0 0, Castillo, rf, 4 1 2 0, Katz, 2b, 4 0 0 0, Bean, c, 3 0 0 1, Stone, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Valera, ss, 1 1 1 0, Schulze, 3b, 3 0 0 0. Totals 28 2 3 1.

Kernels   000 000 000 - 0 5 2

Peoria    000 000 11x - 2 3 1

Mildren, Muren (6), Boyd (8) and Santy. Reyes, McKnight (6), Barraclough (8), Thomas (9) and Bean. W - McKnight (1-0). L - Muren (0-1). S - Thomas (3).

2B - Castillo (3), Valera (3). SB - Larson (2), Christensen (3), Valera 2 (3). E - Santy (1), Hinojosa (1), Reyes (1). T - 2:36. A - 4,758.