Culpepper, Kernels Ambush Chiefs on Friday

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Kaelan Culpepper, a 2024 first-round selection by the Minnesota Twins, lived up to his billing and stole the show Friday in a 13-2 Kernels win over the Chiefs.

The No. 4 prospect in the Twins system, Culpepper recorded four hits and launched a pair of home runs. He drove in four runs and scored three times in the win.

Peoria starter Gerardo Salas was up to the challenge early, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the third. With the game tied, Cedar Rapids teamed up for three consecutive singles to grab a 1-0 lead. Then, Culpepper left the yard for the first time. His three-run shot to left gave the Kernels a 4-0 lead.

Cedar Rapids starter Jeremy Lee worked around traffic before the Chiefs got to him in the fifth. Peoria scored a pair of runs in the top of the inning on sac flies from Graysen Tarlow and Brayden Jobert. The Chiefs departed the frame trailing 4-2, but were back in the ballgame.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Kernels quickly erased any signs of a Peoria comeback. Culpepper singled to lead off the inning and then scored on an RBI triple from Kyle DeBarge to grow the lead to 5-2. Three pitches later, Brandon Winokur mashed a two-run homer to make it 7-2. Then, the Kernels loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. After a sac fly made it 8-2, Jaime Ferrer delivered the exclamation point. An opposite field, three-run homer broke the game open for good. With the lead 11-2, Culpepper added his second blast for good measure, capping off an eight-run inning and pushing the lead to 12-2.

Salas, who was coming off his best start at the High-A level in his last outing, was charged with 11 earned runs over 4 ⅔ innings. It marked the second night in a row that the Peoria starter allowed 11 runs. Previously, a Peoria starter had not allowed such a number since June of 2019.

A wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning finished the scoring to complete the 13-2 margin.

Joshua Baez chipped in two hits for Peoria to push his on-base streak to 18 games. Baez is hitting .354 over the course of his streak and is up to .297 on the year.

Hard-throwing Cade Winquest takes the ball for the Chiefs on Saturday, as he makes his sixth start of the year. Ty Langenberg will oppose him for Cedar Rapids. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Fans can watch the game on MiLB TV or the Bally Live app with a subscription. For the hometown radio call, visit peoriachiefs.com and click on the “Listen Live” tab.