Winder Blows Bandits Away in 6-2 Win

DAVENPORT, IOWA - Josh Winder registered a career-high-tying nine strikeouts within a quality start Monday at Modern Woodmen Park to lead the Cedar Rapids Kernels to a 6-2 victory against the Quad Cities River Bandits. Cedar Rapids (32-24, 71-55) clinched a winning overall record for the seventh season in a row.
Winder (7-2) picked up his seventh win and his team-high 10th quality start. He allowed just two runs over six innings pitched and eclipsed the 100-strikeout threshold by fanning nine batters and pushing his season total to 106 strikeouts. Winder and Austin Schulfer are the first Cedar Rapids teammates with at least 100 strikeouts apiece for the Kernels since 2013.

Schulfer pitched two shutout innings of relief and notched his 115th strikeout to secure the best individual single-season total for Cedar Rapids within its time as a Minnesota Twins affiliate. Dylan Thomas added a scoreless ninth inning to finish the game.
The Kernels built a 2-0 lead within the top of the second inning. DaShawn Keirsey received a one-out walk and reached third base on Tyler Webb's single. Trevor Casanova brought in Keirsey with an RBI double, and Kyle Schmidt delivered a sacrifice fly that plated Webb.
Quad Cities (31-25, 74-48) pulled even, 2-2, in the bottom of the second. The River Bandits rattled off four one-out singles in a row ending with a two-run single by Trey Dawson to drive in Alex Holderbach and Austin Dennis.
A four-run, two-out rally in the fifth put Cedar Rapids back in front, 6-2. LaMonte Wade Jr, who went 1-of-4 with a walk while continuing his Minnesota Twins rehab assignment, scored on a go-ahead walk for Keirsey. Gilberto Celestino and Wander Javier came home on Webb's two-run single. Keirsey capped the scoring during Casanova's second RBI double.
Felipe Tejada (6-1) was charged for his first loss of the season Monday. He surrendered all four runs that the Kernels scored within a decisive fifth inning.
Up next, Cedar Rapids and Quad Cities square off at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday in the finale of this four-game series. The probable pitchers are Kernels left-hander Kody Funderburk (0-2, 4.37) and River Bandits right-hander Matt Ruppenthal (4-6, 4.50). Chris Kleinhans-Schulz will have the call on 1450 KMRY AM and 93.1 KMRY FM and also online at www.kmryradio.com and www.kernels.com.
Fans can purchase tickets for all 2019 Cedar Rapids Kernels home games including the playoff opener September 4 against the Quad Cities River Bandits 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.