Javier’s Homer Ends 12-Inning Marathon

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Wander Javier hit a three-run, walk-off home run late Thursday night at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium to give the Cedar Rapids Kernels a 4-1, 12-inning victory against the Peoria Chiefs. Thursday’s tilt was the longest game of the season for both teams, and Cedar Rapids (31-26) is now 3-0 in this six-game series with Peoria (22-35).

Javier, who was 0-of-21 in July heading into the 12th, snapped his skid on the game-winning blast. Jair Camargo opened the inning at second base, and Seth Gray earned a walk. Javier fouled away multiple two-strike pitches before sending a full-count offering over the left-field wall and securing the 4-1 triumph for the team’s fifth walk-off win this year.

The game was scoreless until extra innings. Tyler Beck fired 4.2 innings for the longest shutout appearance of his professional career in a start for Cedar Rapids. Derek Molina and Owen Griffith added scoreless work in relief. Peoria’s Michael YaSenka posted his first shutout outing of the season and tallied a game-high eight strikeouts over six frames. Freddy Pacheco and Paul Schwendel kept the contest tied through the ninth.

During the 10th, the Chiefs and the Kernels each tallied one run. Moises Castillo put Peoria ahead, 1-0, after errors moved him from second base to home plate. Gray advanced to third base on Javier’s fly out and evened the contest at 1-1 via Michael Helman’s RBI single. No other tallies came until Javier lined his decisive dinger to left field within the 12th.

Ryan Shreve (2-1) yielded one unearned run over a season-high-tying three innings pitched and was credited with the win. Fabian Blanco (2-2) gave up Javier’s homer and lost the contest. His predecessor, Jacob Schlesener, allowed the game-tying 10th-inning run within a blown save.

Thursday’s 12-inning game was the longest outing for the Kernels since 2018 which was the first season of Minor League Baseball’s pace-of-play procedures for extra innings. Within this era, the only other games with at least three extra frames came May 27, 2018 versus Clinton (10 innings in doubleheader opener) and April 27, 2018 at Quad Cities (13 innings).

First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Friday night for the next contest between Cedar Rapids and Peoria. Kernels left-hander Kody Funderburk will start against Chiefs right-hander Logan Gragg (0-3, 6.32). Fans that are unable to attend the game can follow the action with Chris Kleinhans-Schulz on www.kernels.com and MiLB.TV.

Especially for You Night features special pink jerseys that will be worn by the Kernels that are being auctioned off via the Live Source app with proceeds to benefit the Especially for You Race Against Breast Cancer. It is also Two for One Friday sponsored by 98.1 KHAK.

Fans can purchase tickets for all Cedar Rapids Kernels home games 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.