Cabbage Powers Cedar Rapids to 5-2 Win

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Multiple home runs from Trey Cabbage provided the winning margin in a 5-2 Cedar Rapids Kernels victory Thursday against the Lansing Lugnuts at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Kernels are now 25-20 overall with a season-high eight-game win streak and a 3-0 lead in this six-game series.

Lansing (20-25) was only able to score a couple of unearned runs against Ben Gross (2-0) who came away with his second consecutive victory. He tossed a game-high-tying six strikeouts over five innings pitched and only yielded lone tallies during the third and fourth innings.

The Kernels turned a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 advantage within the bottom of the fourth. Spencer Steer drew a leadoff walk before Seth Gray launched a game-tying homer to left field. Wander Javier followed with a walk and scored when Cabbage belted his own two-run blast to left field that broke the brief tie.

In the eighth, Cabbage stretched the lead to 5-2 Cedar Rapids. He hit a towering solo shot to right field for his ninth overall round-tripper this year. The Kernels totaled three home runs for all of their scoring Thursday and currently top all High-A Central teams with 62 clouts in 45 games played.

Derek Molina and Zach Featherstone combined for four shutout innings in relief. Molina worked into the eighth inning and received credit for his first hold. Featherstone got the final five outs and notched his second save.

Richard Guasch (1-3) retired the first nine batters that he faced and tied Gross with six strikeouts, but he also allowed the crucial home runs to Gray and Cabbage and ended up as the losing pitcher.

Friday’s contest for the Kernels and the Lugnuts is slated for 6:35 p.m. with Cedar Rapids right-hander Cody Laweryson (0-0, 2.57) and Lansing right-hander Reid Birlingmair (1-4, 6.10) listed as the probable pitchers. Chris Kleinhans-Schulz will broadcast the game on www.kernels.com and MiLB.TV.

Casey’s Night includes a drawstring bag giveaway for the first 500 fans through the gates, and all individuals attending the contest are encouraged to bring food for a donation to HACAP. Two for One Friday sponsored by 98.1 KHAK means that 16 oz. draft or canned beer and 20 oz. bottled soda or water are two for the price of one at the concession stands.

Fans can purchase tickets for all Cedar Rapids 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 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. On Sundays when the Kernels have a home game, the Kernels Ticket Office will open at 11:00 a.m.