WP-Creighton, Sisco, Baez, HBP-Maher (Creighton), PB-Fox, SO-Coats, McGehee, Dopirak 2, Creighton 3, Fox 2, Chirinos 2, Butler, Cosby 4, Aybar, Pavkovich 2, Maher 4, Abram, BB-Pie, Chirinos, Johnson 2, Butler, Cosby, Aybar, Porter 2, Abruzzo 2, Weed, Abram U-Buzz Laird, Brian Reilly T-4:01, A-2,078 Notes-17 minute delay due to hom plate umpire injury, 1:23 rain delay.
Cedar Rapids Kernels Finally
Pavkovich sac fly in 11th ends bizarre game
Adam Pavkovich's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Quan Cosby with the winning run and lifted the Cedar Rapids Kernels past the Lansing Lugnuts, 7-6, Monday night before a paid crowd of 2,078 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The win kept the Kernels (33-30) 6.5 games behind Beloit (39-23) in the Midwest League's Western Division. The Kernels moved to two games behind Clinton (35-28) in the race for the division's final playoff spot with seven games to play. Beloit beat Clinton, 4-2, Monday. Burlington is tied with the Kernels. The Bees whipped West Michigan, 14-6, Monday.
There were two stoppages of play in Monday's game. The first, for 17 minutes, occurred when umpire Buzz Laird was dinged by a foul ball in the facemask. Players from each team umpired the bases with umpire Brian Reilly moving behind the plate. The second delay, for 1-hour and 23 minutes, came when a powerful thunderstorm streaked through the area.
Playing time of the game was 4 hours, 1 minute. It concluded at 12:56 a.m. Central Daylight Time. Erick Aybar had five hits and was on base all seven times he came to bat. Alberto Callaspo had three hits, making him Cedar Rapids' modern day (since 1949) single-season hits leader with 164. The game was tied, 3-3, after six innings. Solo home runs by Casey McGehee and Jake Fox in the Lansing seventh put the Lugnuts ahead, 5-3.
With lightning flashing all about, the Kernels tied the game in the bottom of the eighth. Cosby drew a one-out walk and scored on Aybar's triple. Pavkovich's RBI single tied the game, 5-5. Callaspo lined out to left. With a 1-2 count on Caleb Maher, umpire Brian Reilly called the teams off the field just before the heavens opened up. Play resumed after a 1-hour, 23-minute rain delay. Jason Wylie came on and struck out Maher. Buck Coats' two-out RBI single in the top of the 10th put Lansing ahead, 6-5.
The Kernels loaded the bases after two were out in the bottom of the 10th, without benefit of a hit. B.J. Weed drew a bases-loaded walk that forced in the tying run. Alex Dvorsky then hit a screamer that Lansing third baseman McGehee snared and stepped on third for the forceout to end the inning. Lansing loaded the bases in the top of the 11th, all reaching base after two outs. Aybar speared J.J. Johnson's line smash to end the inning.
The Kernels collected 18 hits, matching their season hit set a day earlier in an 11-5 win over Beloit. Callaspo flared an RBI single in the third inning that made him Cedar Rapids' modern day (since 1949) single season hits leader with 163.