Feliz Jorge has spoiled Cedar Rapids Kernels fans this season with a long string of outstanding performances on the pitching mound, so it comes as a small jolt whenever he struggles a little bit.

It happened for the second straight game Wednesday night.

Jorge surrendered six runs in six innings and the Kernels lost to Dayton, 8-3, before 3,312 fans in a Midwest League game at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Jorge, a talented 21-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic, allowed seven runs in 5 1/3 innings in his previous outing July 29 against Clinton. Prior to that, he mowed everybody down on a regular basis.

Jorge was touched for two home runs in the second inning when Dayton scored five times for a 5-0 lead. He was nicked for an unearned run in the third inning, then settled down and finished the night with three scoreless innings.

Jorge did not seem fazed by his second rough outing in a row. "It's going to happen," he said while enjoying a post-game meal in the Kernels clubhouse.

He said his arm feels fine at this point in the season. "Yeah, I'm OK," he remarked.

Jorge threw a combined 105 innings last year for Cedar Rapids and Elizabethton. He's thrown a career-high 114 1/3 innings this year with the Kernels with a month left in the season, but Manager Jake Mauer does not think he'll have to pull the plug on Jorge or carefully monitor his innings in the next 30 games.

"I think we're OK with him," said Mauer. "He pitched a lot last year and pitched a lot the year before, so I think he'll be OK."

Jorge (5-5) still ranks among the top pitchers in the Midwest League, but his ERA has jumped from 2.06 to 2.76 in his last two games after being so dominant for so long. He did not allow more than three earned runs in any of his first 16 starts, but now he's been touched for 11 earned runs in his last 11 1/3 frames.

"His fastball was up. And his off-speed stuff wasn't very good two nights in a row," said Mauer. "The combination of those two isn't going to work out too well.

"He was real good for a long, long time," said Mauer. "He's just had two tough outings."

The Kernels cut a 6-0 deficit to 6-3 with three runs in the fourth inning, thanks primarily to a two-run triple by Nick Gordon, but they never scored again.

Rafael Valera and Gordon had two hits. Tanner English went 1-for-4 and has reached base in 16 straight games.

Cory Thompson hit two home runs and drove in four runs for Dayton. Avain Rachel also belted a home run for the Dragons and went 4-for-4.

Cedar Rapids (63-46) and Dayton (57-52) meet again at 6:35 p.m. Thursday at the stadium.

DAYTON (8): Thompson, 2b, 4 2 2 4, Long, dh, 4 0 0 0, LaValley, 3b, 4 2 1 0, Aquino, rf, 4 0 1 1, Rachal, 1b, 4 1 4 2, Pickens, lf, 4 1 1 0, Reynoso, cf, 4 1 1 0, Tromp, c, 4 1 2 1. Totals 36 8 13 8.

KERNELS (3): English, cf, 4 1 1 0, Valera, 2b, 4 1 2 0, Gordon, ss, 4 1 2 2, Larson, lf, 4 0 0 1, Doe, dh, 3 0 0 0, White, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Kuresa, 1b, 4 0 1 0, Navarreto, c, 4 0 1 0, Diemer, rf, 4 0 0 0. Totals 34 3 7 3.

Dayton 051 000 011 - 8 13 0

Kernels 000 300 000 - 3  7 1

Paulson, Sullivan (7), Krauss (9) and Tromp. Jorge, Landa (7), Mildren (9) and Navarreto. W - Paulson (5-3). L - Jorge (5-5). E - Gordon (16). T - 2:22. A - 3,312.