Des Moines moved its road record to 37-28 (.569). The Kernels now come home to the Kum & Go for four against Omaha and then head to Louisville for four. Then it's back home to host YS9. By that time, 1b Flinn and SP Cantrell should be off the IL.
Clayton (14-4, 4.32) has now won eight straight decisions and 12 out of his last 13. The Kernels won Clayton's four no-decisions during that time, including most recently against Madison and TWC.
Rookies Carl McLeod and Ken'ichi Okubo led the team with seven hits each this week. Carlos Rodriguez led the team with two home runs. Julio Perez got a team-leading six rbis. That moved his '62 total to 90, and that's nine short of last year's 99, his single-season best. Perez, voted an All Star, has a quiet and steady season, supported by a lot of bats around him. His fielding has improved, with a 3.9 ZR in 109 starts in right field; the last three years he had a -2.3, -6.4, and -5.2 at that position. No one in Des Moines is complaining about his improvement. He also has 11 assists, five short of his mark of two years ago.
Salah Lutfi has been moved into the starting rotation and Alonso Amaya put in the pen.