Diaz's hot bat burns Captains in 7-3 loss

(Cedar Rapids, IA) - Lewin Diaz gave the Cedar Rapids Kernels (14-10) all the offense they needed to beat the Lake County Captains (9-15) on Tuesday night. Diaz caught fire, hitting two home runs and knocking in the game-winning runs with a three-run double to lead Cedar Rapids to a 7-3 victory in the series opener at Perfect Game Field.
Diaz began his assault on Captains pitching in the first inning. With two outs and nobody aboard, Diaz lifted a high fly ball that sailed over the right field foul pole. The solo homer against Captains starter Juan Hillman gave the Kernels an early 1-0 lead, but Diaz was far from finished. In the fourth, the left-handed hitter lined another solo shot against Hillman, this one barely sneaking over the right field wall to make it 2-0. It was the first multi-homer game of Diaz's career.

Later on in the ballgame, with the score tied at 3-3, Diaz provided the heroics the Kernels needed again. Tanner Tully was on the mound for Lake County and was trying to work around a bases loaded jam. Tully fanned Mitchell Kranson for the second out and then put Diaz back on his heels in a 2-2 count. Diaz, however, hit the next pitch off the end of the bat to left field. Trenton Brooks dove at the Diaz liner, but came up empty-handed. All three Kernels runners scored on the double by Diaz and Cedar Rapids went back on top, 3-3. Diaz finished the day 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a double and five RBI.
Diaz's early home runs did not deter Lake County. Down 2-0 in the fifth, the Captains rallied against Kernels starter Eduardo Del Rosario. Luke Wakamatsu led off with a single, Conner Capel followed with a single and Brooks singled to load the bases. Alexis Pantoja came up next and worked the count full before earning a walk to force home Wakamatsu and trim the Kernels' lead to 2-1.
Gabriel Mejia followed Pantoja. With the bases still loaded and nobody out, Mejia hit a hard grounder to first base. Diaz fielded the ball, but threw wildly to second base, pulling shortstop Jermaine Palacios off the base. Capel scored to tie the game and everyone was safe after the error, leaving the bases loaded, still with nobody out.
The Kernels made a call to the bullpen, removing Del Rosario who could not get an out in the fifth and replacing him with right-hander Hector Lujan.The Captains, however, quickly took the lead. Catcher Caleb Hamilton misplayed a pitch and Brooks raced home on the passed ball to give Lake County its first lead of the night, 3-2.
Lake County had a chance to extend its lead, but the Kernels caught a break. The bases loaded after Jorma Rodriguez walked, but Logan Ice hit a sharp liner to second baseman Brandon Lopez who caught the drive and flipped to second base to double-off Mejia. Shortly thereafter, Rodriguez was thrown out trying to steal second, putting an end to the inning.
Aaron Whitefield promptly tied the game for the Kernels. In the bottom of the fifth, Whitefield drilled a solo homer over the high wall in left to knot the score at 3-3. The score remained tied until Diaz's three-run double in the eighth. Whitefield finished the day with a homer, a double and a single. He had a chance to hit for the cycle in the eighth, but grounded out.
The Kernels tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning to put the game away. Caleb Hamilton laced a triple and Lopez plated him with a single. Tom Hackimer came in from the bullpen in the ninth and struck out the side in order to seal the win for the Kernels.
Lujan (1-0) earned the win in relief. The right-hander lasted three innings and did not allow a run or a hit. He struck out two and walked one.
Tully (0-1) took the loss after giving up the go-ahead runs. The southpaw pitched three frames and allowed four runs on six hits. Tully also struck out six men, including three in the sixth when he struck out the side in order.
The Captains and Kernels square off again on Wednesday night at Perfect Game Field in Cedar Rapids. First pitch is scheduled for 7:35 PM EST.
Individual game tickets for all Captains games are on sale at the Classic Park box office, online at captainsbaseball.com and by phone at 440-954-<st1:stockticker w:st="on">WINS (9467). Full season tickets plans, 12-, 20-, and 35-game mini ticket plans for the 2017 season are on sale now at great prices complete with several exclusive benefits. Information can be found at the Captains website www.captainsbaseball.com.