José Barrón (3-5, 4.41) threw a six-hit complete game win in his first start for Des Moines, as RF Wan-ling Koo (1.012 OPS vs LHP) hit two home runs including a grand slam as the Kernels defeated the Mounties 9-2 and departed Canada with three wins. Koo led off the game with a 473-foot blast to straight center (EV 113.8 MPH) against Mountie starter Dirk Bessi. Yes, 473 feet.
"That's the most tremendous home run I've seen in my career," DM mgr Mel Jenkins said. It made some of the great Kernel homers by a host of sluggers looks like child's play." Jenkins has managed Des Moines since 2055. "And then he hits a slam in the 9th. Koo Koo Ka-choo!"
In the ninth, Mounties hurler Alfredo Anaya was working on his fourth scoreless inning in relief until the pesky Des Moines offense said otherwise. Ziya Türkes (.305) hit a one-out double to right; rookie catcher Terry Pitzer, who had homered off Bessi in the 4th, was walked intentionally; and then CF Dan Morris, 0-20 in July, was down 1-2 in the count but walked; SS Gongora k'd for the second out; Koo hit a 1-2 pitch 372 feet to right for the slam. 101 feet shorter than his lead-off home run but worth 4x the points. 3B Domingo Pinto (.268-8-19) had two hits in the game, the third time he accomplished that in the four-game series.
Barrón limited Vancouver to five singles and a solo home run (C Rhys Atticus) and needed 109 pitches to put a W on the board for Des Moines. He struck out eight and walked one.
The Kernels took the series 3-1, 5-6, 7-2, 9-2. Scott Everard started and threw 89 pitches in the loss, his first ML start after 721 relief appearances. The Kernels next two series are on the road against Valencia and San Fernando.