Castro's Dominant Outing Helps Kernels Even Series

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - The Kernels picked up a 5-2 win on Wednesday night behind a gem on the mound from Ricky Castro, who got his first High-A win in his longest start of the season.

The 25-year-old right-hander who began the year in independent baseball delivered six innings, allowing just one run on four hits, while walking two and striking out six.

The Cubs won 4-1 on Tuesday and came out strong, scoring in the first inning for the second night in a row. Andy Garriola drew a walk with one down to give the Cubs their first baserunner. Cristian Hernandez worked a terrific at-bat with two outs and with Garriola off on a full count pitch, Hernandez laced a run-scoring double into right.

In the bottom of the first inning Cedar Rapids bounced back and tied the game. Gabriel Gonzalez started the rally with a scorching liner to deep left that ricocheted off the wall for a long single. Rubel Cespedes promptly drove him home on a double down the right field line.

The bottom of the lineup came through to kickstart the Kernels second inning. Nick Lucky and Misael Urbina singled to set the table and give Cedar Rapids men at the corners with one away. It drizzled throughout the majority of the game and Drew Gray lost a fastball to the backstop to put the home team up 2-1. Gray walked the nine-hole hitter Kyle Hess and then Walker Jenkins shattered his bat on a liner back to the mound that Gray knocked down but had no play on. With the bags packed, a walk to Gonzalez brought home a run but Gray escaped with no more runs crossing thanks to back-to-back strikeouts.

It took Cedar Rapids just two innings to match the five hits they tallied in game one. In the fourth they scored again. A leadoff walk to Urbina came around to bite the Cubs starter. Urbina stole second, moved to third on a fielder’s choice, and scored on Gonzalez’s two-out single.

Nick Hull dazzled out of the Cubs bullpen and looked like the man we’ve seen throughout most of the last two months. He worked two-and-a-third innings, allowing just one hit, no runs, no walks, and striking out four. Hull kept the Cubs in it but the offense struggled to mount a comeback.

In the eighth South Bend got a run back when Garriola knocked one over the wall in left, a solo homer to make it 4-2. Garriola reached all four plate appearances tonight including three-straight extra-base hits to end his night: a double off the bat at 110 mph, another double at 109 mph, and his 20th homer of the season.

Jose Romero delivered a scoreless seventh inning but gave up a run in the eighth. Nate Baez doubled to start the inning and came around to score from third on a double play.

The series is now tied one game each, with the season series deadlocked as well, 4-to-4.