2039 and beyond -- St. Louis River Walkers thread

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MBL news: July 18 -- Week 16 - Awards and standings

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Record: 47-43, 2nd, 5.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Ming Xiang took a shutout into the seventh inning and St. Louis put up six runs in the bottom of the third inning to pave the way for a 7-1 win over Des Moines at Busch Stadium (2006).
Xiang (9-5) allowed one run on four hits -- three singles and a double -- while striking out five and walking one.
The lone run scored by the Harvesters came in the seventh -- Josh Greer and John Docherty led off with back-to-back singles, with Greer later scoring on a Fernando Mendoza fly ball - and it made the score 7-1.
The River Walkers got on the board in the bottom of the first against Des Moines starting pitcher Drew Dillard.
Ryan Wibbenmeyer and Mark Herman opened the inning with back-to-back singles.
Wibbenmeyer later stole third and he scored on a wild pitch while Joe Allen was at the plate with two outs.
St. Louis busted it open with its six-run third.
Manuel Coke drove in the first three runs with his 24th home run of the season.
Joe Allen picked up a pair of RBIs with a single.
Xiang made it 7-0 with a run-scoring double.
St. Louis scored the runs on five hits -- four of them off Dillard the final two off reliever Andy Chavez -- and were helped by a walk, a wild pitch and an error by third baseman Ryan Rivet.
After Xiang exited, Frank Jimenez pitched a scoreless eighth for the Walkers.
Alex Rios followed suit in the ninth.

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Record: 48-43, 2nd, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Trailing 1-0, St. Louis scored four times in the bottom of the third inning and the River Walkers went on to defeat Des Moines 7-4 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The Harvesters got their first run in the top of the third off St. Louis pitcher Agustin Perdomo when Shane Speer doubled with one out and scored on a single by pitcher Chris Novotny.
But the Walkers answered back in a big way in the bottom of the inning.
Tony Urbalejo got things rolling with a lead off double, and he went to third when Alex Boychuk singled.
Perdomo then got down a squeeze bunt scoring Urbalejo to tie the game.
A Ryan Wibbenmeyer single loaded the bases.
Boychuk scored when Joe Allen hit into a fielder’s choice.
Nick Shaw made it 4-1 with a two-out, two-run double.
The Harvesters got a run off Perdomo in the seventh to pull within 4-2.
But St. Louis responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half.
The Walkers loaded the bases with one out against Teddy Loetzch.
Joe Allen drove in the inning’s first run with a fly ball off former St. Louis reliever Greg Sones.
Sones then hit Manuel Coke with a pitch to load the bases.
Shaw followed that with a walk to force in a run to make it 6-2.
Des Moines got a run in the top of the eighth off Chris Willett.
The Walkers got their seventh run without a hit in the bottom of the eighth drawing two walks and a hit by pitch.
A bases-loaded walk to Mike Goodman to Jose Ramon drove in the seventh St. Louis run.
Fernando Mendoza homered off Brett McVey leading off the ninth.
McVey retired the next three to end it.
Because of a glitch, probably on my part, Ming Xiang was given the start for St. Louis for the second consecutive game.
He retired the Harvesters in order in the first.
Perdomo, who should have been the scheduled starter, then worked 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Leo Hermosillo finished off the seventh for St. Louis.
The eighth and ninth belonged to Willett and McVey, respectively.

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Record: 49-43, 2nd, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Manuel Coke hit a three-run home run off Des Moines starting pitcher Ramon Leon with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning to snap a 3-3 tie and help lift St. Louis to a 7-3 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory gave the River Walkers a sweep of the three-game series.
Leon retired the first two batters in the bottom of the fifth, but Ryan Wibbenmeyer reached on a single and he walked Mark Herman.
Facing a 1-1 count, Coke blasted a pitch 417 feet over the wall in right field for his 25th home run of the season.
Coke added another RBI in the seventh with a sacrifice fly off Alex Rodriguez to score Ryan Wibbenmeyer who had led off the inning with a double.
That made it 6-3.
Coke's 85 RBIs tops the Midwest Baseball League by nine over Toledo's Andy Jordan.
The Walkers added another run later that inning when Mark Waterson doubled and scored on a Nolan Gorman single.
St. Louis starting pitcher Kevin Hrdlicka went six innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out nine and walked two.
After that, it was scoreless innings from Chris Willett, Alex Rios and Brett McVey to close out the win.

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Record: 50-43, 2nd, 3.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Trailing 1-0, St. Louis scored four times in the bottom of the fourth inning and went on to defeat Des Moines 8-2 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win was the fourth in a row for the River Walkers since the All-Star break and improved them to 12-2 for the month of July.
Monarchs starting pitcher Tyler Martin actually retired the first two batters of the bottom of the fourth but after he issued back-to-back walks Mark Waterson and Nolan Gorman, the roof fell in.
Catcher Alek Boychuk singled to load the bases.
Kerry Fackelman then reached on an error by first baseman Nick Kline to score the inning's first run.
With pitcher Xavier Wigfall at the plate, a wild pitch by Martin put St. Louis in front.
Wigfall made it worse with a single to make it 4-1.
A solo homer leading off the bottom of the fifth by Joe Allen off Bobby Stover made it 5-1.
With the score 5-2, Manuel Coke connected for his 25th homer of the season -- a three-run shot off Juan Crespo -- in the bottom of the seventh to complete the scoring.
Wigfall (3-2) pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked two.
Frank Jimenez and Kyle Smarr both pitched scoreless innings to close it out.

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Record: 50-44, 2nd, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Yushiro Onishi pitched into the seventh inning -- allowing one run -- and a trio of Kansas City relievers shut out St. Louis the rest of the way as the Monarchs won 7-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Onishi (9-9) allowed the one run on six hits -- a home run by the River Walkers' Alek Boychuk made the score 2-1 -- and struck out four and walked one while working 6.2 innings.
He exited after throwing 100 pitches.
Omar Moreno took over with two outs and a runner on first and got Manuel Coke to fly out to end the inning.
Bobby Stover worked a scoreless eighth and recorded the first out of the ninth.
Josh Bankes took over and was greeted by a Josh Allen double, but he retired the next two to end the game.
KC took a 2-0 lead with single runs off St. Louis starting pitcher Juan Farias in the second -- Sean Sumner with a two-out RBI double -- and third -- Bobby Scheid doubled off Frias with one out and scored on an Alejandro Crespo single.
With the score 2-1, the Monarchs broke the game open with a five-run eighth against the Walkers bullpen.
Alex Rios allowed three straight hits -- including a run-scoring single by Jim Peebles -- to score the first run.
Sumner did the rest with a grand slam off Carlos Hernandez.

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Record: 50-45, 2nd, 5.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Kansas City scored six runs in six innings off St. Louis starter Ming Xiang and survived an ugly ninth by close Jose Patricio to defeat the River Walkers 6-5 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory was the Monarchs second in a row to wrap up the three-game series.
KC's Jose Sotelo staked his team to a 3-0 lead with a three-run homer off Xiang in the top of the second inning.
An inning later, Bobby Scheid led off with a single off Xiang.
He scored on a one-out double by Gerald Bernal.
Bernal later scored on a Jim Peebles ground out, making it 5-0.
Mark Waterson made it 5-2 with a homer off KC starter Josh Paul in the bottom of the fourth.
But T.J. Leitch cranked a solo homer off Xiang in the sixth getting one of those runs back.
Waterson drove in his third run of the game in the bottom of the eighth with a fly ball off Bob Robbins.
In the ninth, Patricio allowed three of the first four hitters to reach with one out to load the bases.
Mark Herman then drew the third walk of the inning, making it 6-4.
After Manuel Coke flew out.
Patricio walked Joe Allen, his free pass of the inning, slicing the gap to a single run.
But Waterson flied out to end it.
Paul (3-3) went five innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out two and walked the same.
After that, it was scoreless innings from Juan Crespo, Eric Hammond and Bob Robbins before Patricio took the mound for the ninth.

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MBL news: July 25 -- Week 16 -- Awards and standings

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Record: 50-46, 2nd, 6.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Cory Maddox shut out St. Louis into the seventh inning as Cedar Rapids won 3-1 at Connie Mack Stadium (1960).
Maddox (7-10) worked the first 6.1 innings, silencing the River Walkers on three singles. He struck out five and walked two.
Joe Ross finished the seventh and worked a scoreless eighth for the Grapplers.
Closer Hector Miro gave up a solo homer in the ninth to Joe Allen, but it wasn't enough with a 3-0 deficit.
It was Miro's 30th save of the season.
The Grapplers jumped in front 1-0 in the first thanks to a pair of St. Louis errors.
Miguel Mato led off with a single but was thrown out by Mike Vaughan trying to steal.
But Jose Morillo reached on an error by right fielder Mark Waterson.
Eric Gerhardt followed by reaching on an error by second baseman Ryan Wibbenmeyer.
Santos Villaneuva drove in Morillo with a fly ball to center.
Mato made it 3-0 with a two-run, one-out homer off St. Louis starter Agustin Perdomo in the sixth.

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Record: 50-47, 2nd, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Edwin Rivera limited St. Louis to a single run over 6.1 innings and Cedar Rapids scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and that was enough to give the Grapplers a 2-1 win at Connie Mack Stadium (1960).
Rivera (8-6) allowed one run on seven hits -- five singles and a double -- over 6.1 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
He exited the game after Mike Vaughan had singled with one out.
Rivera had thrown 96 pitches.
Justin Sterner took over and retired the next two to keep the score 2-1.
Antonio Echevaria set the River Walkers down in order in the eighth.
Hector Miro did in the ninth for his 31st save.
Jose Ramon led off the top of the second inning with a double off Rivera.
He later scored on a Kerry Fackelman ground out, as the Walkers went up 1-0.
Jose Morillo tied it when he led off the bottom of the fourth with a homer off St. Louis starter Kevin Hrdlicka.
The Grapplers added the winning run later that inning.
Eric Gerhardt followed the homer by drawing a walk.
A Ryan Cleaver single moved Gerhardt to second with one out.
Santos Villanueva connected for another single scoring the game-winning run.

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Record: 50-48, 2nd, 8.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Gary Hughes snapped a 1-1 tie when he led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Xavier Wigfall and Cedar Rapids went on to defeat the River Walkers 2--1 to complete a three-game sweep at Conne Mack Stadium (1960).
Hughes seventh home run of the season came on a 2-2 pitch and soared 465 feet over the wall in left center.
Cedar Rapids had jumped in front in the bottom of the third.
Miguel Mena led off the inning with a single off Wigfall.
A bunt by Grapplers starting pitcher Jake Richardson moved Mena to second.
He scored on a two-out single by Miguel Mato.
The River Walkers tied it when Joe Allen led off the top of the fourth with his 19th homer of the season.
Richardson lasted five innings, allowing one run on three hits -- two singles and the Allen homer - -he struck out six and walked two.
After that, four relievers (Joey Ross, Justin Sterner, Antonio Echevaria and Dave Vacarri) all pitched scoreless innings.
Sterner (7-0) earned the win.
Vacarri notched his second save.

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Record: 51-48, 2nd, 8 GB Cedar Rapids
Nolan Gorman doubled with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning and later scored the winning run on a Nick Strother wild pitch as St. Louis edged Fort Wayne 1-0 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the River Walkers. However, it was the fourth consecutive game they had managed just one run.
Gorman's double off Strother came on a 3-1 pitch.
Alek Boychuk then drew a walk.
Daylen Reyes worked to a 2-2 count against Strother, who then uncorked a wild pitch to give one of his former teams the win.
St. Louis got an impressive start from rookie Juan Farias, who allowed just three singles over the first seven innings.
He struck out seven and walked four.
After that, Leo Hermosillo, Brett McVey and Chris Willett all worked scoreless innings.
Willett (3-4) came away with his third win of the season.

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Record: 51-49, 2nd, 9 GB Cedar Rapids
Marco Zurita hit a two-run home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Ming Xiang in the top of the first inning and Angel Solis drove in a pair with a single in the third to help power Fort Wayne to a 5-3 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
Jario Trujillo reached on a throwing error by Xiang to open the game.
Two batter later, Zurita put the Mad Men in front.
Xiang hit Adan Valette with a pitch with one out in the fourth.
An Adam Vargas double put runners at second and third.
Solis drove them both in with his two-out single.
A three-run bottom of the eighth by the River Walkers against the Fort Wayne bullpen made it interesting.
But the Mad Men got one of those runs back in the top of the ninth when Zurita reached on a throwing error by third baseman Nolan Gorman and later scored on a fly ball by David Kurnick hit off Carlos Hernandez.
Fort Wayne starter Alex Yanez (8-8) tossed six shutout innings before getting knocked around for three runs in the seventh.
For the game, Yanez allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked one.
Mitchel Alexander finished off the eighth inning.
Nick Strother worked the ninth for his 24th save.

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Record: 52-49, 2nd, 9 GB Cedar Rapids
Agustin Perdomo worked four scoreless innings before leaving the game with a back injury, but the St. Louis bullpen kept the shut out going as the River Walkers blanked Fort Wayne 6-0 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Perdomo allowed just two base runners -- on a pair of singles -- during his time on the mound. He struck out three and didn't issue a walk.
The back injury isn't expected to force him to miss his next start.
Alex Rios turned in three scoreless innings to keep the shut out going.
Rios (1-1) would earn the win,
Carlos Hernandez pitched a scoreless eighth.
Frank Jimenez followed suit in the ninth.
Alek Boychuk had a big day with the bat going 3 for 4 with a double, a homer and three RBIs.
He was part of a four-run bottom of the second against Mad Men starter Tony Algeria as it was his double which scored Mark Herman with the first run of the game.
Manuel Coke later drove in Boychuk with a single.
An error by Fort Wayne first baseman Jairo Truijllo on a ball hit by Perdomo scored Coke to make it 3-0.
Joe Allen drove in the inning's fourth run with a fly ball to center.
Boychuk provided the game's final two runs with a homer off Nick Tracy with two outs in the seventh.

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Record:53-49, 2nd, 9 GB Cedar Rapids
Manuel Coke snapped out of a slump with a pair of home runs and five RBIs to power St. Louis to an 8-2 win over Fort Wayne at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory was the third of the four-game series for the River Walkers.
St. Louis jumped in front 3-0 with single runs in each of the first three innings, all off Mad Men starter Tony Rosenberg.
Ryan Wibbenmeyer led off the bottom of the first with a single.
Joe Allen followed with a double.
Mark Herman made it 1-0 when Wibbenmeyer scored on a ground out to shortstop.
Coke led off the second with his 27th homer of the season, making it 2-0.
Wibbenmeyer scored again in the third.
He again led off with a single.
Allen connected for another single.
A two-out single from Alek Boychuk made it 3-0.
The advantage reached 5-0 in the fifth.
After retiring the first two batters, Rosenberg allowed a single to Jose Ramon and walked Boychuk to put two runners aboard.
Coke cashed in with an RBI single off Edward Kunselman.
Nick Shaw followed with another single, making it 5-0.
With the score 5-1, Coke capped the scoring with a three-run homer off John Fiefield in the seventh.
Kevin Hrdlicka (9-7) turned in a strong start for St. Louis.
He didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning, and over all he gave up one run on three hits over seven innings.
Hrdlicka struck out seven and walked two.
Frank Jimenz worked the eighth allowing a run.
Kyle Smarr pitched a scoreless ninth.

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MBL news: August 1 -- Week 17 - Awards and standings

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MBL news: August 1 -- Rookies of the Month for July and standings

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MBL news: August 1 -- Players and Pitchers of the Month for July

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MBL news: August 1 -- Rookies of the Month for July

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MBL news: August 1 -- American League leaders