Rodriguez pops Kernels past Lugnuts

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Emmanuel Rodriguez homered twice to help the Cedar Rapids Kernels (20-12, 60-38) score five unanswered runs and beat the Lansing Lugnuts (13-19, 44-53), 5-3, in a Wednesday matinee at Rise 2 Greatness Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Two outs into the bottom of the fifth inning, the game was looking a fine recovery for Lansing, which had lost a 12-9 slugfest in the series opener on Tuesday. Five singles in a six-batter stretch in the fourth inning gave the Nuts a 2-0 lead against Cedar Rapids starter Zebby Matthews, and a Junior Pérez home run in the fifth increased the lead to 3-0. It was Pérez’s eighth homer of the year and his second straight game with a roundtripper.

But after Mitch Myers retired Kyler Fedko and Keoni Cavaco on a strikeout and a lineout to open the home fifth, Noah Miller singled to left, the 20-year-old Rodriguez – Minnesota’s No. 2 prospect – swatted a two-run shot to right, and Kala’I Rosario followed with a solo home run to left to tie the score at 3-3.

Myers departed due to pitch count after allowing a two-out triple to Jeferson Morales in the sixth, and Kyler Fedko greeted Stevie Emanuels with an RBI single to give Cedar Rapids its first lead.

An inning later, Rodriguez ruined Emanuels’ personal 17-inning scoreless streak with another home run to right.

The Lugnuts’ offense was blanked in the sixth and seventh innings by Malik Barrington and eighth and ninth innings by Jordan Carr, sealing the Kernels’ second straight win in the series.

In defeat, Pérez went 2-for-3 with a walk, single, homer and two runs scored, and Euribiel Ángeles finished 2-for-4 with an RBI single, though he was caught stealing third base by Barrington to squash a potential rally in the seventh.

Starter Myers set a new professional high with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks.

The series will see night baseball the next three evenings, with the Lugnuts and Kernels reconvening for the third game of the six-game set at 6:35 p.m. local / 7:35 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday.

The Nuts’ next home game is on August 8, beginning a two-week homestand against Fort Wayne and Great Lakes. Tickets are available via lansinglugnuts.com or by calling (517) 485-4500 during office hours.

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