Beeker Continues Win Streak Against TinCaps

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - Cedar Rapids Kernels right-hander Clark Beeker earned his fourth consecutive victory in a 4-1 win Sunday over the Fort Wayne TinCaps at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Cedar Rapids (17-12) won this three-game series against Fort Wayne (11-19) by a 2-1 margin and also finished 4-2 in a six-game homestand.
Beeker (4-1) posted his fourth quality start with the Kernels, giving up just one run over six innings pitched. He retired eight straight batters in one stretch and also allowed only one runner to reach second base. Beeker also became the first Kernel to win four starts in a row since Fernando Romero went 4-0 for Cedar Rapids from May 20, 2016 through June 8, 2016.

Christian Cavaness put Cedar Rapids in front, 2-0, during the second inning of Sunday's tilt. Travis Blankenhorn and Ariel Montesino drew walks earlier in the inning, and Cavaness plated both runners by hitting a two-run double to right field.
The Kernels increased their lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Aaron Whitefield collected a leadoff single and scored on a one-out RBI double by Lewin Diaz. Two batters later, Blankenhorn brought in Diaz with a two-out single.
Fort Wayne tallied its only run against Beeker within the sixth inning. Rod Boykin led off with a walk and stole second base. Late in the frame, a two-out single by Fernando Tatis Jr. drove in Boykin and cut the TinCaps' deficit to 4-1.
Max Cordy relieved Beeker and tossed three shutout innings in his longest appearance of the season to secure a Cedar Rapids triumph. Cordy earned his team-best third save in as many opportunities.
Hansel Rodriguez (1-3) took the loss after conceding four runs over 4.2 frames while also allowing a career-high six walks. The Kernels drew a season-high eight total walks from the TinCaps in Sunday's rubber game.
Coming up, Cedar Rapids starts a six-game road trip Monday by opening a three-game series at the Dayton Dragons. Monday's opener is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. CT) with Kernels right-hander Eduardo Del Rosario (2-1, 3.04) starting against Dragons right-hander Tony Santillan (1-2, 4.00). Catch the coverage with Chris Kleinhans-Schulz on 1450 KMRY AM and 93.1 KMRY FM and also online at www.kmryradio.com, www.kernels.com, and MiLB.TV.
The next Kernels homestand begins May 15 with a doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. against the Peoria Chiefs. Fans can purchase tickets for all Kernels home games by visiting www.kernels.com, going to the Kernels Ticket Office, or calling (319) 896-7560. The Kernels Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. On Sundays when the Kernels have a home game, the Kernels Ticket Office will open at 11:00 a.m.