2039 and beyond -- St. Louis River Walkers thread

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Record: 30-34, 4th, 6 GB Cedar Rapids
Manuel Coke hit a three-run home run in the first inning and Joe Allen hit a grand slam to highlight a five-run second as St. Louis powered to an 8-0 lead and went on to defeat Des Moines 11-3 at Minute Maid Park.
Harvesters starter Ramon Lopez gave up all those runs.
In the first inning, he gave up a single to Ryan Wibbenmeyer and walked Mark Herman before Coke hit his homer.
The second saw Coke drive in his fourth run of the game with a single just before Allen hit his slam.
St. Louis would hit two more homers before it was over.
Nick Shaw hit a two-run shot off Davey Mattson in the seventh to make it 10-3.
Mark Waterson delivered a solo shot off Jason Dexheimer in the ninth to complete the scoring.
Walkers starter Kevin Hrdlicka (5-4) was not particularly good, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings, but he did not need to be to earn the win.
Hrdlicka struck out eight and walked two.
Frank Jimenez (0.1 IP) and Maximilliano Minelli (1.2) combined to pitch the seventh and eighth innings.
Alex Rios handled the ninth.

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Record: 30-35, 7th, 6.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Leo Cerna broke up a scoreless game with a two-run homer off St. Louis starting pitcher Xavier Wigfall in the bottom of the seventh inning and Des Moines went on to defeat the River Walkers 2-0 at Minute Maid Park.
The win allowed the Harvesters from being swept in the three-game series.
Wigfall had taken a shutout into the bottom of the seventh.
Ryan Rivet got on base in front of Cerna with a one-out double.
David Tapley, the next batter, flew out to center.
But Cerna got ahold of a 0-1 pitch and lined it 343 feet into the Crawford Boxes in left field for his eighth homer of the season.
Des Moines lost its starting pitcher Pat Walter to an abdominal injury after the first inning.
But the Harvesters bullpen managed to blank the River Walkers the rest of the way.
Former St. Louis reliever Greg Sones worked two innings and also recorded the first two outs of the fourth.
After that it was Carlos Calderson for an inning and a third, Davey Matteson for two innings, Teddy Loetzch for an inning and two thirds and Josh Ashton recorded the final out, getting Mark Herman to ground out with a runner on first.
The win went to Mattson (2-2).
Ashton collected his second save.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have completed a trade with Chicago which would sent outfielder Chris Gibbs and right-handed reliever Maximilliano Minelli to the G-Men in exchange for left-handed relief pitcher Carlos Hernandez and minor-league outfielder Juan Cortez.
St. Louis signed the 31-year-old Gibbs to a mutil-year deal in the off-season but he has proven not to be a good it.
In 47 games/30 starts, Gibbs has hit just .205 with two homers and 12 RBIs.
Minelli, 26, meanwhile, has had all kinds of potential but has never realized in the times he has been called to the majors by the Walkers.
In 22 games this season, Minelli is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA. He has pitched a total of 22.0 innings, during which he has struck out 24 but walked 28 and posted a 2.36 ERA.
For his career, Minelli has pitched in 93 games for the Walkers going 1-5 with two saves and a 4.53 ERA.
He has pitched 87.1 innings, during which he has struck out 117 but walked 74.
In Hernandez, St. Louis picks up a 28-year-old lefty who has pitched in 11 games this season and while posting no record or saves has an 2.31 ERA.
In 11.2 innings, he has struck out eight and posted a 1.20 WHIP.
For his major-league career, one season with Fort Worth, one season with Detroit and two in Chicago, Hernandez has pitched in 62 games, going 4-7 with a 4.73 ERA.
He has worked 72.1 innings, striking out 64 with a 1.45 WHIP.
A 24th-round pick in the 2036 draft, Cortez, 24, is a lifetime .290 hitter with 22 homers and 174 RBIs.
He was playing with Class A Hagerstown at the time of the trade.
Cortez is seen primarily as a left fielder, but can also play right and left field.

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Record: 30-36, 7th, 6.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Cesar Gamez shut out St. Louis into the eighth inning to lead Columbus to a 4-2 win over the River Walkers at Busch Stadium (2006).
Gamez (4-4) allowed three hits -- two singles and a double -- during his time on the mound.
He exited with a runner on first and one out in the bottom of the eighth after throwing 113 pitches.
George McCardell took over and got Ryan Wibbenmeyer to hit into a double play to end the inning.
Gamez struck out and walked.
The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth when the Golden Bears finally broke through against St. Louis starting pitcher Miguel Cisneros.
Justin Schneider led off the fifth with a double.
A ground ball hit by Carlos Longoria moved Schneider to third.
Gamez picked up an RBI with a deep fly out to center.
Matt Crawl made it 3-1 with a two-run homer off Cisneros in the sixth.
Longoria doubled off Cisneros in the seventh.
He scored on an Edgar Salas single to make it 4-0.
St. Louis broke a 17-inning scoreless streak in the ninth against the Columbus bullpen.
The inning's first three batters reached base against Jamie Gamm.
Mark Hermann and Manuel Coke both singled and Joe Allen got aboard on an error by Salas at second base.
Closer Pat Leadingham got called into the game.
He got Nick Shaw to hit into a double play, although Herman scored to make it 4-2.
Mark Waterson followed with a single to pull the Walkers within 4-2.
Leadingham then got Zach Wenman to fly out to center to end it.
The save was Leadingham's 23rd of the season.

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Record: 30-37, 7th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Columbus jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to a Justin Schneider grand slam and the Golden Bears never trailed in an 8-4 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
Schneider's slam came off River Walkers ace Ming Xiang, who after giving up a one-out double to Felipe Castillo issued a pair of walks to bring Schneider to the plate with two outs.
The homer was a bomb travelling 457 feet over the wall in left-center.
St. Louis did make it close, pulling to within 5-4 following a Mark Herman lead-off homer off Golden Bears reliever Stephon Harrison in the bottom of the sixth.
But Columbus responded with three runs off the Walkers bullpen in the top of the seventh to regain a comfortable lead.
The Golden Bears opened the inning with three straight singles -- Castillo, Neil Assenbjerg and Matt Crawl -- off reliever Leo Hermosillo.
Castillo scored on Crawl's single.
Brett McVey took over and gave up a two-out, two-run double to Antonio Burgos, which made it 8-4.
Columbus starting pitcher Jose Buenrostro didn't last long enough to earn the win.
He pitched 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked one.
Jorge Aristizabal got the final out of the fifth.
Harrison (0.1 IP) and Frank Garcia (0.2) combined to pitch the sixth.
The win went to Armando Ramos (1-0) who worked a pair of scoreless innings.
George McCardel set St. Louis down in order in the ninth.

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Record: 31-37, 6th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Agustin Perdomo shut out Columbus into the eighth inning and the St. Louis bullpen handled the rest as the River Walkers downed the Golden Bears 4-0 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Perdomo (6-4), who won 17 games while helping Columbus win the World Series in 2038, allowed four hits -- three singles and a double -- during his time on the mound.
The right-hander struck out five and walked two.
He exited after issuing two walks in the top of the eighth.
With one out, Leo Hermosillo replaced Perdomo and struck out pinch-hitter Mike Stone and got Matt Crawl to hit into a fielder's choice to keep the score 4-0.
The Walkers broke in front in the bottom of the first when Kerry Fackelman drew a lead-off walk from Bears starting pitcher Keegan Jensen.
Fackelman stole second and moved to third on a Rich Dodson ground out.
Manuel Coke drove Fackelman home with a double.
Perdomo scored St. Louis second run after he led off the third with a double off Jensen.
A wild pitch advanced him to third.
Rich Dodson scored Perdomo when he grounded out.
Coke hit his 19th homer of the season in the bottom of the sixth off Jensen.
Nolan Gorman scored the game's final run in the seventh.
Facing reliever Stephon Harrison.
Gorman reached on an error by first baseman Neil Assenjberg.
A single by Mike Vaughn drove him to third.
Perdomo picked up the RBI when he got down a squeeze bunt.
Brett McVey pitched a scoreless ninth for St. Louis.

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MBL news: June 19 -- All-Star game fan-voting update No. 3

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Record: 31-38, 6th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Down 1-0, Columbus scored three times in the top of the fifth inning and added two more in the sixth and held on for a 7-6 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win was the Golden Bears third in the completed four-game series.
Walks have haunted the St. Louis pitching staff all season and they did again in the top of the fifth when Columbus took the lead.
River Walkers starter Kevin Hrdlicka walked three of the innings first four batters -- the other was a strike out -- to load the bases.
Pitcher Dae-Ki Jung then lifted a fly ball to left deep enough to score Justin Schneider with the tying run.
Edgar Salas followed with a two-run double to put the Bears ahead 3-1.
Columbus added two more runs while chasing Hrdlicka in the sixth.
Again, Hrdlicka walked the first two batters of the inning.
He then exited the game in favor of Alex Rios.
After getting Schneider to ground into a double play, Rios gave up two straight hits -- a single to Mike Stone and a Carlos Longoria double -- as the Columbus lead grew to 5-1.
St. Louis would make it close.
The Walkers scored twice in the bottom of the sixth, making it 5-3.
A Nick Shaw RBI double off George McCardell in the seventh sliced the deficit to 5-4.
But Longoria connected on a two-run homer off Carlos Hernandez in the eighth to push the Bears advantage to 7-4.
That was important as St. Louis tallied twice in the bottom of the eighth to make it 7-6.
But Columbus closer Pat Leadingham set the Walkers down in order in the ninth for his 24th save.
Jung (4-2) went five innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out two and walked one.
Josh Molnar started the sixth for Columbus but allowed three straight batters to reach.
Frank Garcia got out of the sixth with the score 5-3.
George McCardell worked the seventh and started the eighth and was charged with three runs.
Jamie Gamm finished the eighth.

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MBL news: June 20 -- Week 12 - Awards and standings

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Record: 32-38, 6th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis broke in front with a four-run top of the second inning and the River Walkers went on to defeat Kansas City 5-3 at Kauffman Stadium.
Zach Wenman got the inning going with a lead-off single of Monarchs starting pitcher Juan Crespo.
A wild pitch moved Wenman to second and when Nolan Gorman drew a walk, St. Louis had two runners aboard.
Jose Ramon followed with a single to fill the sacks.
The inning's first run scored when pitcher Xavier Wigfall reached on an error by KC first baseman Nick Kline.
Kerry Fackelman plated the inning's second with a single.
Joe Allen then drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0.
Wigfall scored on a Nick Shaw ground out to complete the outburst.
The Monarchs got on the board when Gerardo Bernal led off the fourth with a homer off Wigfall.
St. Louis got that run back in the top of the fifth.
Mark Waterson and Wenman led off the inning with singles off Josh Bankes.
Waterson later scored when Ramon hit into a fielder's choice.
The Monarchs would get single runs in the sixth -- Jim Peebles scored on a Wigfall wild pitch after leading off with a single -- and seventh -- Alejandro Crespo led off with a single off Alex Rios and later scored when Willie Chavez reached on a two-base error by third baseman Nolan Gorman -- but that wouldn't be enough.
Wigfall (1-2) went 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on nine hits. He struck out three and walked one.
After that, five relievers -- Kyle Smarr, Rios, Leo Hermosillo and Brett McVey -- all recorded two outs to get the game to the ninth.
Craig Fritzler set KC down in order for his 10th save.

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Ever since his 2036 MVP season St. Louis first baseman Nick Shaw has seen a steady slide in his offensive production.
It seems the River Walkers management has finally seen enough as the 30-year-old has been sent to AAA Memphis to work on his swing.
Shaw, who is making $28 million per season, and ironically his offensive struggles began after getting his big contract, is hitting just .235 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs through the team’s first 67 games/65 starts this season.
Getting called up from Memphis is 28-year-old first baseman Wilfredo Sotolongo.
Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Sotololongo has hit .256 with 18 homers and 48 RBIs in 69 games for Memphis this season.

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Record:32-39, 6th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Tyler Martin pitched 5.2 scoreless innings and a pair of Kansas City relievers did the rest as the Monarchs blanked St. Louis 7-0 at Kauffman Stadium.
Martin (4-6) scattered six singles in his time on the mound. He struck out four and didn't issue a walk.
St. Louis had a runner on first and two outs in the sixth when Martin exited after having thrown 101 pitches.
Bobby Stover finished off the sixth and also worked the seventh and eighth.
Josh Paul set the River Walkers down in order in the ninth.
St. Louis starting pitcher Miguel Cisneros did not allow a base runner through the first three innings.
The right-hander didn't even get out of the fourth allowing six runs on six hits.
All of it coming with two outs.
Sean Summer started a string of seven consecutive batters reaching base -- six hits and one hit batter -- for the Monarchs with a double.
After that came an RI single from Juan Ortiz.
Two more singles from Jose Sotelo and Alejandro Crespo.
Crespo's hit scored Ortiz.
Cisneros hit Martin with an 0-1 pitch to load the bases.
Willie Chavez drove in a run with a single.
Christian Moore capped the outburst with a two-run double.
At that point, Frank Jimenez replaced Cisneros and struck out Jim Peebles to end the inning.
Moore scored the game's final run in the seventh when he led off with a double off Chris Willett and scored on a Sumner fly ball to center.

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Record:33-39, 6th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis starting pitcher Ming Xiang fell one out short of a shutout exiting the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the River Walkers defeated Kansas City 5-1 at Kauffman Stadium.
Xiang (6-5) allowed one run on four hits -- two doubles and two singles -- over the first 8.2 innings before issuing back-to-back walks to Amari Simpson and Juan Gonzalez.
Xiang also struck out six.
Brett McVey took over for Xiang, who had thrown 114 pitches and allowed a single to Sean Sumner to load the bases.
A walk to Willie Chavez then wiped out the shutout.
But McVey got Eric Marion to ground out to end it.
Joe Allen hit a pair of solo homers to lead the River Walkers offense.
An inside-the-park homer off Monarchs starter Luis Jimenez in the top of the third opened the scoring.
Allen later capped the scoring for St. Louis with a homer off Jose Patrico in the ninth.
In between the Walkers got their other three runs in a fifth inning where they cranked out four doubles.
The first three came via Zach Wenman, Rich Dodson and Ryan Wibbenmeyer off Jimenez.
Dodson and Wibbenmeyer both collected RBI,
Mark Herman hit the fourth double, it came off Josh Bankes and scored Wibbenmeyer.

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Record: 34-39, 5th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Tied 3-3, St. Louis scored three runs in the top of the 11th inning and held on to defeat Cleveland 6-4 at Cleveland Stadium (1980).
Wilfredo Sotolongo picked a good time to collect his first major-league hit when he led off the top of the 11th with a single off Juke Box Heroes reliever Chuck Irvin.
Sotolongo was eliminated when Kerry Fackelman hit into a fielder's choice, but a walk to pinch-hitter Daylen Reyes put runners at first and second.
David McLoughlin took over the mound duties for Cleveland and retired Rich Dodson for the inning's second out.
Ryan Wibbenmeyer, however, followed with a single scoring Fackelman.
Heroes right fielder Jon Howard then dropped a fly ball hit by Manuel Coke allowing Reyes to score.
A wild pitch with Mark Herman at the plate scored Wibbenmeyer to make it 6-3.
Cleveland had its chance in the bottom of the 11th.
Luis Ruiz led off with a double off River Walkers reliever Frank Jimenez.
Ruiz scored when Rodrigo Chavez reached on an one-out error by Wibbenmeyer at second base.
Jimenez then walked the next two to load the bases.
Brett McVey got the call and induced Edgar Bustillos to hit into a double play to end the game.
Much earlier, St. Louis had jumped out in front with a three-run top of the first against Cleveland starter Bob Granillo.
Joe Allen drove in the first run with a double.
A single by Zach Wenman plated the other two.
The Heroes tied it with single runs off Walkers starter Agustin Perdomo in the first, fourth and fifth innings.
A two-out single by Zachary Puckeridge in the fifth tied the game.
Perdomo went five innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out three and walked five.
Alex Rios pitched a scoreless sixth for St. Louis.
Leo Hermosillo followed with a pair of silent frames.
Closer Craig Fritzler handled the ninth inning and also recorded the first out the 10th.
Carlos Hernandez (1-0) finished off the 10th. He would earn the win.
The 11th belonged to Jimenez (0.1 IP) and McVey (0.2) with the latter earning his second save.

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Record: 34-40, 5th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Nick Kolcei and a pair of relievers combined to shut out St. Louis on eight hits in Cleveland 5-0 win over the River Walkers at Cleveland Stadium (1980).
Kolcei (5-5) handled the first six innings, allowing five hits (four singles and a double) while striking out two and walking one.
The other three River Walkers hits came off Ricky Cisneros, who allowed three singles while holding St. Louis scoreless in the seventh and eighth.
David McLoughlin set the Walkers down in order in the ninth.
The Juke Box Heroes took the lead in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs off St. Louis starter Kevin Hrdlicka.
John McCaskey led off the inning with a double.
A Kolcei bunt moved McCaskey to third.
Daniel Becerra scored him with a single.
Jordan Grullon followed with another single, as Becerra moved to third.
Edgar Bustillos hit a fly ball to center scoring Becerra.
The Heroes other three runs came in sixth.
Jon Howard led off the inning with a single off Hrdlicka.
He scored on a Ben Moorehead double.
Dan Huff did the rest with a two-run homer which sent Hrdlicka to the shower.

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Record: 35-40, 5th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Xavier Wigfall limited Cleveland to one run over the first seven innings to help St. Louis down the Juke Box Heroes 5-1 at Cleveland Stadium (1980).
Wigfall (2-2) allowed five hits -- two singles, two doubles and a triple -- during his time on the mound but managed to minimize the damage.
In his seven innings, he struck out nine and didn't walk a batter.
Leo Hermosillo took care of both the eighth and ninth inning mound duties for the River Walkers.
St. Louis jumped in front by scoring single runs in each of the first three innings off Heroes starter Hugo Vasquez.
Manuel Coke hit his 20th homer of the season with two-outs in the first to make it 1-0.
Mark Waterson tripled in the second and scored on a Mike Vaughan fly ball.
Kerry Fackelman led off the third with single.
He stole second and scored on a single by Coke.
The score at 3-1, the Walkers added a single run in the sixth.
Waterson singled with one out off John Holmes.
He scored on a double by Vaughan.
Nolan Gorman homered off Ricky Cisneros in the seventh to complete the scoring.

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MBL news: June 26 -- All-Star game fan-voting update No. 4

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Just when St. Louis' Rich Dodson was enjoying his best playing stretch in the majors, the 27-year-old utility infielder was hit with a back injury which will put him on the 14-day injured list.
Dodson suffered the injury during the River Walkers' 5-1 win at Cleveland on June 25.
Since being called to the majors this season, Dodson has hit .317 with three homers and seven RBIs in 20 games/14 starts.
Getting recalled to the Walkers s 35-year-old utility infielder Tony Urblejo.
Urbalejo started the season in St. Louis, but struggled hitting just .176 with one homer and one RBI in six games.
He did play well at AAA, hitting .339 with five homers and 23 RBIs in 43 games.

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Record: 36-40, 3rd, 6.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Miguel Cisneros held Cleveland scoreless over the first 5.1 innings before he had to leave the game with an injury and Nolan Gorman homered twice to help carry St. Louis to a 5-1 win over Cleveland at Cleveland Stadium (1980).
The victory was the River Walkers third of the four-game series.
Cisneros (5-6) allowed just a second-inning double to Javy Gutierrez during his time on the mound.
He left the game in the sixth after getting Franklin Ramirez to fly out to open the inning.
Cisneros struck out four and walked one.
His injury has not been announced.
Chris Willett took over and got the second out of the sixth for St. Louis.
Leo Hermosillo came in with two on and two outs and got Javy Guitierrez to fly out to end the inning and keep St. Louis in front 2-0.
The first of Gorman's two homers, this one off starter Dakota Franc, in the top of the fourth put the River Walkers ahead 1-0.
The lead reached 2-0 in the sixth against reliever David McLoughlin.
Mark Waterson tripled with one out and scored on a Gorman double.
Gorman completed his four-RBI game with a two-run homer off Jarrod Hardt in the top of the eighth.
After the sixth, three relievers combined to finish the game for St. Louis.
Brett McVey worked a scoreless seventh and got the first two outs of the eighth.
Carlos Hernadez was on the mound when the Juke Box Heroes got their lone run in the top of the eighth.
Craig Fritzler set Cleveland down in order in the ninth for his 11th save.

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MBL news: June 27 -- Week 13 -- Awards and standings