Peoria Prevails at Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - In the opening game of Byron Buxton's rehab assignment from the Minnesota Twins, the Cedar Rapids Kernels had a 5-0 lead wiped away in the ninth inning Sunday as the Peoria Chiefs rallied for a 9-5 win in front of 4,248 fans at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Buxton, the 2013 Midwest League MVP and Prospect of the Year with the Kernels, batted 1-of-2 with a hustle double and a walk. He also scored a run in his first game played since landing on the injured list August 3 due to a shoulder injury.

The Kernels (33-29, 72-60) opened the scoring with the first five runs while building a 5-0 lead. An RBI groundout by Jared Akins plated Tyler Webb in bottom of the second. Matt Wallner added a two-run home run during the third, and Akins delivered a two-run double within the sixth.
Josh Winder and Dylan Thomas combined to pitch eight shutout innings for Cedar Rapids. Winder tossed five strikeouts over six scoreless frames within his team-high 11th quality start. Thomas kept the shutout intact in the seventh and eighth innings.
Peoria (20-42, 50-81) surged in front, 9-5, in the top of the ninth. Jonatan Machado's bases-loaded double drove in two runs to break up the shutout. Back-to-back hit batsmen allowed Josh Shaw to come home. Brendan Donovan followed with an RBI single, and Edwin Figuera tallied the game-tying run via wild pitch. Leandro Cedeno put Peoria ahead on a sacrifice fly. Insurance runs scored on Brandon Riley's two-run double and Shaw's RBI single.
Connor Coward (1-0) received credit for his first victory with the Chiefs, and Evan Sisk earned his fourth save. Austin Schulfer (7-6) was tagged for the loss and his first blown save. Peoria's comeback victory became the first Cedar Rapids loss this season when ahead at the end of the eighth.
Monday's contest between Cedar Rapids and Peoria will begin at 6:35 p.m., and the probable pitchers are Kernels southpaw Kody Funderburk (0-3, 5.26) and Chiefs right-hander Michael Brettell (5-9, 5.19). Chris Kleinhans-Schulz will have the call on 1450 KMRY AM and 93.1 KMRY FM and also online at www.kmryradio.com, www.kernels.com, and MiLB.TV.
This four-game series and seven-game homestand continues with the final Mark Down Monday of the regular season. Special deals include regular hot dogs for $1.50 apiece, and small popcorn, ice cream sandwiches, and chips are just $1.00 each.
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.