Cedar Rapids Kernels Manager Jake Mauer is a realist.

The Kernels are riding high right now with a 20-11 record and season-best seven game winning streak, but he knows at some point the Minnesota Twins are going to promote some of his best guys.

"I'm sure we'll get dismantled at some point," Mauer said Monday night. "It's inevitable, unfortunately."

The Kernels clipped Peoria, 3-1, before 1,627 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium with more excellent pitching, good defense and a 410-foot home run to dead-center by Jorge Fernandez.

Mauer has compiled a 181-128 record in two-plus seasons in Cedar Rapids and is bidding for his third straight trip to the Midwest League playoffs, but he's been around the block a few times and knows the score. He's here to help develop players and move them along, not win pennants in the low minor leagues.

"Some of these older guys who are putting up pretty good numbers, I don't see them sticking around too much longer," he said.

One of those guys is Max Murphy, the reigning Midwest League Player of the Week who went 2-for-4 Monday and drove in a run. Murphy, 22, has raised his batting average to .259 after a slow start.

"He's doing what we anticipated him doing earlier in the year," said Mauer. "Being that anchor in the middle of the lineup and taking good at-bats. And hopefully he keeps coming up with runners all over the bases."

Murphy was involved with an unusual - and exciting - play on defense in left field. He dove for a line drive by Darren Seferina and missed, but got up quickly, retrieved the ball near the wall and fired a strike to shortstop Nick Gordon, who turned and rifled the ball to catcher Rainis Silva to nab Seferina trying for an inside-the-park home run.

"Nick made a hell of a throw," said Mauer. "Showed some arm strength on that throw. That was really, really good to see."

Gordon, Trey Vavra and Murphy all went 2-for-4 to lead the Kernels' nine-hit attack. The Kernels also walked five times and struck out only three times as they continued to show better patience and discipline at the plate.

Meanwhile, starting pitcher Jared Wilson tossed five shutout innings for the Kernels and got the victory. He's now 4-0 with a sharp 1.98 ERA as part of a strong staff. Wilson wiggled out of a big jam early in the game to keep Peoria off the board.

"Bases loaded and nobody out and got out of it," said Mauer. "That tells you the type of stuff he has."

Randy LeBlanc followed Wilson with two innings, allowing one run. Then Trevor Hildenberger tossed two scoreless frames for his fourth save, lowering his ERA to a sparkling 0.50.

The Kernels host Peoria Tuesday night with Mat Batts (3-1, 2.05) on the mound.

PEORIA (1): Seferina, 2b, 4 0 1 0, Mercado, ss, 4 0 1 0, Ringo, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Thompson, dh, 2 0 0 0, Sierra, cf, 4 1 1 0, Radack, rf, 4 0 1 0, Bean, c, 3 0 1 1, Drake, lf, 4 0 1 0, Diekroeger, 3b, 4 0 1 0. Totals 32 1 7 1.

KERNELS (3): English, cf, 2 0 0 0, Gordon, ss, 4 2 2 0, Vavra, 1b, 4 0 2 1, Murphy, lf, 4 0 2 1, Larson, rf, 4 0 0 0, Fernandez, dh, 3 1 1 1, White, 3b, 2 0 1 0, Silva, c, 4 0 1 0, Kelly,2b, 3 0 0 0. Totals 30 3 9 3.

Peoria     000 010 000 - 1 7 0
Kernels    100 100 10x - 3 9 1

Perdomo, Alexander (6), McKnight (8) and Bean. Wilson, LeBlanc (6), Hildenberger (8) and Silva. W - Wilson (4-0). L - Perdomo (1-2). S - Hildenberger (4). 2B - Vavra (7). 3B - Seferina (3). HR - Fernandez (1). SB - Mercado (18). E - Vavra (1). T - 2:36. A - 1,627.