Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball

Kernels' Batts promoted by Twins

The Cedar Rapids Kernels made a pair of roster moves on Thursday, including the promotion of opening-day starter Mat Batts to Fort Myers by the Minnesota Twins organization.

Pitcher Yorman Landa was placed on the 7-day disabled list with a right lat strain.

To fill the spots on the pitching staff, right-handers Luke Bard and Jose Velez will join the Kernels from Extended Spring Training.

Batts made seven starts for the Kernels this season, posting a 3-2 record and 2.21 ERA with one complete game. In 40.2 innings, he allowed 31 hits and 14 runs (10 earned) with 11 walks and 44 strikeouts.

Landa made one relief appearance vs. Peoria on May 19th, striking out one over an inning pitched. He was activated from the DL back on May 18th.

The Twins selected Bard in the Compensation Round (42nd overall) of the 2012 First Year Player Draft out of Georgia Tech. He did not pitch in 2014 due to injury and in 19 career games (one start) he has a 1-0 record and 3.72 ERA with one save. In 19.1 innings, he allowed 12 hits and nine runs (eight earned) with 16 walks and 16 strikeouts.

The Twins signed Velez as a non-drafted free agent on September 23, 2014.

Kernels blank Peoria on 1-hitter

PEORIA, Ill. - Stephen Gonsalves, Michael Cederoth and Zach Tillery combined on a one-hitter Wednesday night as the Cedar Rapids Kernels belted the Peoria Chiefs, 8-0, in a Midwest League game before 1,113 fans at Dozer Park.

Gonsalves (4-1, 1.50 ERA) pitched the first six innings for Cedar Rapids and allowed a single by Collin Radack for Peoria's only hit of the night. Gonsalves struck out seven batters and walked three.

Cederoth, who has been a starting pitcher for the Kernels, tossed two perfect innings in relief for the Kernels with three strikeouts. Tillery pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to finish the masterpiece.

The Kernels (24-16) scored single runs in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings before breaking the game open with four runs in the eighth.

Kernels catcher Brett Doe had a big game. He went 3-for-5 with a double and RBI, as well as catching the one-hitter.

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Peoria Chiefs 'slam' Kernels, 7-5

PEORIA, Ill. - Steve Bean’s grand slam in the sixth inning propelled the Peoria Chiefs to a 7-5 win over the Kernels Tuesday in a Midwest League game before 6,562 fans at Dozer Park.

Trey Vavra hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run for the Kernels in the third inning.

The Kernels (23-16) led 4-2 going into the sixth inning, but Bean’s grand slam put Peoria in front 6-4. Bean’s line drive got over the wall in right field.

Vavra’s three-run homer in the third gave the Kernels a 4-2 lead. With two runners on and Peoria leading 2-1, Vavra’s line drive went into the gap in right-center and became lodged in the wall.

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Kernels 'split' 2 games with Peoria

PEORIA, Ill. - It took the Cedar Rapids Kernels five days to win a ballgame against the Peoria Chiefs, but it took only 84 minutes to lose another one Monday night.

The Kernels clipped the Chiefs, 7-3, Monday in the completion of a game that was suspended May 14 in Cedar Rapids due to wet grounds in the fourth inning.

They finished that suspended game in Peoria because the teams do not meet in Cedar Rapids again during the first half of the Midwest League season. Once that was done, the Chiefs blanked the Kernels 1-0 on a one-hitter in seven innings.

The "split" left Cedar Rapids with a 23-15 record.

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River Bandits edge Kernels, 6-5

The Quad Cities River Bandits started the season hot and have gotten hotter from there, improving their record to 29-8 Sunday with a 6-5 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Kernels did their best to slow down the Bandits’ momentum, but fell just short, before a crowd of 1,610, Quad Cities won 2-of-3 in the series, building their Western Division lead over the Kernels to 6 1/2 games.

The Bandits have lost only one series all season, dropping two of three games to Burlington Bees in late April.

Sunday's game was a see-saw affair, with the River Bandits jumping up 1-0 in the top of the third inning and the Kernels moving ahead 2-1 in their half of the same inning.

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Kernels top Bandits in 13 innings

Trey Vavra gets a little emotional when he talks about his older brother Tanner, who is playing pro baseball in the Florida State League this season despite being blind in his right eye.

Tanner Vavra played for the Cedar Rapids Kernels last year and now Trey has become the leading hitter for the Kernels this season with a lusty .350 average, good for second best in the Midwest League.

Vavra had four hits for the Kernels Saturday night in a 4-3 victory in 13 innings over the Quad Cities River Bandits before 3,070 fans on Fireworks Night at the ballpark.

Max Murphy led off the 13th with a double down the third-base line and scored on a game-winning single to right field by T.J. White.

Vavra nearly won the game for the Kernels with a long blast to left-center in the 12th inning, but the ball was caught on the warning track.

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Kernels dumped by hot River Bandits

The Cedar Kernels got a good look at the best team in the Midwest League Friday night.

Too good, in fact.

The Quad Cities River Bandits spanked the Kernels, 10-3, before 2,439 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Kernels had not allowed more than six runs in a game this season, but the River Bandits scored six times in the first three innings and proceeded to the easy victory from there.

Quad Cities raised its record 28-7 for a winning percentage of .800, by far the best mark in the league. The Kernels fell to 21-13, which is the second-best mark in the MWL.

The River Bandits and Kernels stand 1-2 in the Western Division standings, but they are now 6 1/2 games apart.

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Rain suspends Kernels contest

The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Peoria Chiefs will have to wait until Monday to find out how Thursday night's game turns out.

Rain at Veterans Memorial Stadium caused Thursday night's game to be suspended after the top half of the fourth inning, with the Kernels leading the Chiefs, 6-2.

Kernels starting pitcher Stephen Gonsalves came out of the gate uncharacteristically erratic and gave up two runs on four singles in the top of the first inning, but he retired the last 10 Peoria batters he faced before rains suspended the game midway through the fourth inning.

The Kernels tied the game in the bottom half of the opening stanza and put a four-spot up on the board in the home half of the second.

Trey Vavra's fourth home run of the season highlighted the inning for Cedar Rapids.

The game will be resumed in Peoria on Monday at 5 p.m., followed by a seven-inning contest.

Kernels survive Peoria's trick defense

Kernels Manager Jake Mauer was a little surprised when the Peoria Chiefs used five infielders in the bottom of the 10th inning Wednesday, but he's seen tricks like that before.

His own family did it.

"My dad used to do that a lot," he said, relaxing in his office at Veterans Memorial Stadium. "But my dad used to put six infielders and play one outfielder. If you hit the ball to the outfield, you beat us."

The gambit almost worked Wednesday, but the Peoria first baseman committed a throwing error on a play at the plate and the Kernels collected a 6-5 victory over the Chiefs in 10 innings before a season-high crowd of 3,073 fans that included a lot of school kids.

The Kernels had runners at second and third with one out in the bottom of the 10th with Nick Gordon striding to the plate in a 5-5 game. Peoria skipper Joe Kruzel pulled right fielder Nick Thompson into the infield and put him on the right side between the first baseman and the second baseman, creating less space for Gordon hit a single through the infield.

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