Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball

Jorge, Corcino help Kernels slam Beloit

BELOIT, Wis. – Felix Jorge tossed eight scoreless innings and Edgar Corcino hit a grand slam as the Cedar Rapids Kernels blasted the Beloit Snappers, 8-1, before 424 fans Wednesday night at Pohlman Field.

The victory came a day after Beloit topped the Kernels by the same score in Cedar Rapids.

Jorge (4-3, 2.00 ERA) scattered six hits, striking out seven and walking one. He has pitched at least six innings in 13 of his 14 starts this season and this was the second time he lasted eight full innings.

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Healthy Booser working on his command

First he had knee surgery. Then a broken back. Then Tommy John Surgery.

Cedar Rapids Kernels relief pitcher Cam Booser had a hard time staying healthy during his sports career in high school and college.

Booser, 23, has spent a long time out of action.

"Three years altogether," he said Monday. "This is my first year staying healthy all season."

Booser pitched three innings Monday afternoon in an 8-1 loss to Beloit in a Midwest League game before 3,734 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

He tossed two scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth innings, then had a spotty ninth inning when the Snappers scored three runs (two earned). He struck out four batters, but walk three and allowed two hits.

Booser went straight to the video machine in the Kernels clubhouse after the game, studying how he pitched to see if he could spot any problems.

Booser has enjoyed a good year for the Kernels, for the most part. He has a 1-2 record, 2.63 ERA and eight saves and was named to the Midwest League All-Star team for the first half of the season.

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Gordon proud of his all-star brother

Cedar Rapids Kernels shortstop Nick Gordon is mighty proud of his older brother.

Dee Gordon, 27, of the Miami Marlins has been selected as the starting second baseball for the National League in the Major League All-Star Game that will be played next Tuesday night in Cincinnati.

Gordon also made the all-star team last year when he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He got traded during the offseason but has not missed a beat, hitting .339 for Miami for the third-best batting average in the National League.

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English delivers in clutch for Kernels

Tanner English’s July at the plate had not been worth celebrating so far, with just one hit in the month going into the Kernels’ game Monday night against Beloit.

The Cedar Rapids center fielder finally got untracked, driving in three runs with a pair of hits and leading the Kernels to a 7-5 win before 1,701 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

His fourth-inning double drove in Rafael Valera and Brian Navarreto to put the Kernels up, 4-2. After the Snappers put three runs on the board in the visitor's half of the sixth, English tied things 5-5 with an RBI single in the home half of the frame. He came around to score Cedar Rapids’ seventh run for a two-run cushion.

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Rosario happy to be healthy again

Cedar Rapids Manager Jake Mauer was not trying to be mean or insensitive when he removed Randy Rosario from Sunday's game against Burlington with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning and the Kernels holding a commanding 7-0 lead.

Rosario made his first start for the Kernels since having Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in May of 2014 and he was on a strict pitch count Sunday, even though he needed just one more out to qualify for the victory.

Rosario got a strikeout for the second out in the fifth inning with his 80th pitch and Mauer promptly came out to the mound and made a change.

"That's OK," Rosario said with a big smile after the 9-6 victory, signing autographs for Kernels fans while sitting in the outfield grass. "I say to Jake, 'Thank-you.'"

Rosario began the 2014 season with the Kernels and made three starts with the club before going on the disabled list April 23. He had surgery a few weeks after that and began the long rehab process, so Sunday's start against Burlington was a big hurdle to overcome on his road back.

Rosario's overall health and welfare are much more important than getting him a "W" in the boxscore.

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Big holiday crowd sees Kernels sting Bees

Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher Zach Tillery was a little too busy to soak in the atmosphere and pay much attention to the big holiday crowd at Veterans Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Tillery just wanted to throw strikes and get outs.

"I was mainly focused on that," he said in the Kernels clubhouse. "I didn't really see the fans."

The fans saw him, however.

Tillery fashioned seven shutout innings Saturday as the Kernels blanked the Burlington Bees, 4-0, before a sellout crowd of 5,645 folks on the Fourth of July.

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Kernels stung by Burlington Bees

BURLINGTON - The Burlington Bees ended the Kernels' four-game winning streak Friday with a 4-1 victory before 2,391 fans at Community Field in Burlington.

The Kernels tallied just five hits and one extra-base hit.

Burlington (39-39) took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the second. Natanael Delgado led off the frame with a single down the right field line. Zach Houchins followed with a double down the left field line, giving the Bees runners on second and third.

Wade Wass drew a walk, loading the bases for the Bees. Back-to-back bases loaded walks drawn by Trevor Gretzky and Nick Flair put the Bees in front of the Kernels, 2-0. Michael Hermosillo extended the Burlington lead to 3-0 with an RBI fielder's choice.

Cedar Rapids  (46-33) cut the Burlington lead to 3-1 with a run in the top of the third. T.J. White recorded the Kernels' first hit of the game with a one-out single to left-center. White moved to second courtesy of a Burlington fielding error.

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Kernels blow past Burlington Bees

BURLINGTON - The Cedar Rapids Kernels knocked off the Burlington Bees, 8-2, in their series opener before 690 fans at Community Field on Thursday night for their fourth straight win.

Ethan Mildren (2-0) collected the win for Cedar Rapids. The right-hander yielded one run on three hits and two walks while striking out three in seven innings.

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Kernels sweep series at Wisconsin

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels finished a three-game sweep of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Wednesday night with a 3-2 victory before 3,072 fans at Fox Cities Stadium.

The Kernels swept the Timber Rattlers for the third time this season and raised their record against them to 11-1. Felix Jorge tossed six shutout innings for Cedar Rapids but got a no-decision.

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