Povich strikes out nine, Gray homers in loss to Wisconsin

Cedar Rapids, IA – Cedar Rapids southpaw tied a career-high with nine strikeouts over 5.0 innings of work on Wednesday afternoon but the lineup was quiet through eight frames as the Kernels fell 5-1 to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Seth Gray accounted for the lone Kernels run with two away in the ninth, crushing a solo home run out to left-center field. The Kernels are now 27-14, one game ahead of the Timber Rattlers in the West Division standings.

Povich punched out nine over 5.0 frames of three-run ball, scattering three hits and two walks. He piled up 19 swinging strikes on 89 pitches, throwing 55 for strikes.

Wisconsin struck first with a solo shot in the fifth, then tacked on four more in the sixth as the first seven batters reached. Timber Rattlers starter Justin Jarvis was stellar, earning the win with 6.2 scoreless innings of two-hit, two-walk baseball. The righthander threw 70 strikes on 101 pitches and struck out nine Kernels.

Gray’s two-out ninth-inning solo shot was followed by a Wander Javier single, but the Kernels comeback effort would end there.

Andrew Cabezas worked a 1-2-3 seventh, Ryan Shreve put up a zero in the eighth and Orlando Rodriguez tossed a scoreless ninth to close things out for the Kernels.

Game three of the series is set for 6:35 p.m. on Thursday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

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