2033 St. Louis River Walkers: And the saga continues

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MBL news: July 9 -- Final All-Star game fan voting results

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MBL news: July 9 -- All-Star game rosters

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MBL news: July 9 -- Prospect Game rosters

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Walkers news: July 9 -- All-Star game and Prospects game selections
All-Star game -- 1B Nick Shaw, SP Jim Martin and RP Zachary Stella.
Prospects Game -- OF Hector Taverez (AAA, Memphis), OF Manuel Coke (AA, Springfield) and C Manny Martinez (AA, Springfield)

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Walkers news: July 9 -- Manny Martinez selected to prospects game

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Record: 46-45, 5th, 8.5 GB Des Moines and
Trailing 2-0, St. Louis' Will Banfield connected on a three-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the River Walkers in front, and they went on to defeat Detroit 7-3 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win gave St. Louis a split of their four-game series with the Diesels, and sent the Walkers into the All-Star break at 46-45.
That puts them in fifth place in the National League South Division, some 8.5 games behind Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, who are tied for first.
The Walkers got three singles from their first four batters -- Freudis Nova, Dan Hill and Nathaniel Dixon -- off Detroit starter Chris Rybicki to open the bottom of the fourth.
Banfield followed with his double into the gap in right-center.
St. Louis pushed its lead to 4-2 in the fifth.
Nova again got it started with a one-out single off Rybicki.
A Jose Ramirez single and walk to Dan Hillard later loaded the bases.
Dixon drove in Nova with a fly ball to right.
Doubles from Jovan Gill and Eric Peretz off Rybicki in the sixth made it 5-2.
A solo homer from Lee Oakley off Walkers reliever Gil Meier in the sixth made it 5-3.
St. Louis got its final two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Gil drove in the first with his second double of the game.
He later scored on a Tommy Dubose fielder's choice.
Rogers (5-4) pitched well after allowing a pair of runs in the top of the first.
The left-hander allowed two runs on three hits in six innings.
Meier, Zachary Stella and Nick Ruffalo all worked an inning apiece to close out the game.

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MBL news: July 9 -- Prospects Game - American League 2, National League 0

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MBL news: Week 13-- Awards and standings

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The St. Louis River Walkers have announced that right-handed starting pitcher Jesse McNaboe is expected to miss up to seven weeks with an elbow injury.
McNaboe, 25, suffered the injury during a 5-1 loss to Detroit on July 7 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The right-hander has made 18 starts for the Walkers this season, going 7-5 with a 3.75 ERA.
Kyle Smarr will get the first chance to fill McNaboe's spot in the rotation.
The 27-year-old has gone 5-6 with a 3.88 ERA in 16 starts this season for AAA Memphis.
He also made his MBL debut in a June 1 start against Akron.
Smarr pitched six innings that game allowing one run on four hits to earn the win.

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MBL news: July 10 -- Fort Wayne's Sheppard wins Home-Run derby

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MBL news: July 11 -- American League wins All-Star game 6-3

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The St. Louis River Walkers will open the post All-Star break portion of their schedule with center fielder Jose Segura and second baseman Daniel Becerra back in their lineup.
Segura, 29, has been out since June 27 with a rib injury.
In 79 games this season, Segura has hit .254 with 14 homers and 46 RBIs.
It's been an injury-plagued season for the 34-year-old Becerra, who is coming back from a bout with plantar fascitis.
He has played in 46 games this season, hitting just .237 with four homers and 21 RBIs.
Becerra got into eight games in a rehab with Memphis, hitting .370 with five RBIs.
Going down to AAA are center fielder Carlos Gallegos and infielder Tommy DuBose.

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Record: 46-46, 5th, 9.5 GB Des Moines
Des Moines pummeled St. Louis starting pitcher Jim Martin for eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, busting open a scoreless game, and the Harvesters breezed to a 10-4 win at Green Canyon Park in the first game of the post All-Star break schedule for both teams.
Martin, who had started the All-Star game for the National League, got through the first three innings allowing just one hit.
The bottom of the fourth, however, was a different story as Des Moines put six straight batters on base to open the inning on its way to scoring eight times.
The first three batters all singled, capped by an RBI it by David Tapley which opened the scoring.
Martin then uncorked a wild pitch before walking Kyle Roberts to load the bases.
Steve Carroll followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0.
A throwing error by Martin on a ball hit by Jared Poland then reloaded the bases.
Aaron Nixon drew a walk to plate the inning's fourth run.
Pitcher Marshall Larcombe recorded the first out, but hit fly ball was deep enough to score a run.
Jackson Miller connected on a two-run double to make it 7-0, and send Martin to the shower.
Luke Dunkin took over for the River Walkers, only to be greeted by a double by Leo Cerna which capped the outburst.
A three-run pinch-hit homer by Eric Perentz off Lacrcombe in the top of the fifth did make it 8-3.
Larcombe (5-5) went 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out nine and didn't walk a batter.
Jaden Foster (2.0 IP) and Mario Reyes (1.0) took care of the final three innings.

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Record: 46-47, 5th, 10.5 GB Des Moines
Pitcher Yelin Rodriguez and David Tapley hit back-to-back home runs off St. Louis relief pitcher Gil Meier to lead off the bottom of the 13th inning and lift Des Moines to an 8-7 win at Green Canyon Park.
The River Walkers had gone up 7-6 in the top of the 13th when Chris Duncan led off with a double off Rodriguez and later scored on an Eric Peretz fly ball.
But with their bullpen running out of arms, St. Louis sent Meier out for a second inning and it failed miserably.
Batting for just the second time all season, Rodriguez smacked a 3-2 pitch from Meier 375 feet over the fence in right field.
Tapley also worked his count to 3-2, but hit his homer to left field as it carried 380 feet over the wall to win it.
Both teams had five-run innings early in the game.
Des Moines jumped on St. Louis starter Devin Rogers for five runs in the bottom of the first to go up 5-0.
Jared Poland drove in two of the runs with a double.
A grand slam from Jared Thomas off Harvesters starter Rich Nelson highlighted a five-run top of the fourth for St. Louis.
Kyle Roberts hit a solo homer off Rogers in the fifth to make it 6-5 Des Moines.
St. Louis tied it in the top of the sixth with three singles.
Freudis Nova collected the third, it coming off reliever Kodi Medeiros.
Nelson lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing five runs on six hits.
Medeiros followed, finishing the fourth and getting the game to the sixth.
After that, it was Dave Vacarri for two scoreless innings, Mario Reyes for 1.2, Keith Talley for 2.1 and Rodriguez in the top of the 13th.

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The St. Louis River Walkers and Cincinnati River Sharks have completed a seven-player trade.
The trade features four players from the River Walkers major league roster, shortstop Kyren Paris, relief pitchers Gil Meier and Cory Tiller and backup catcher Will Banfield.
Cincinnati will send one player from its major league roster to St. Louis, right-handed reliever Justin O'Rourke.
It also includes minor leagues second baseman Daniel Benjamin and starting pitcher Daniel Ochoa.
Sitting 10.5 games out of first place, shedding salary had a lot to do with the Walkers decision to do this deal.
Paris, 32, was signed before the 2033 season to what seems to be a bad six-year contract worth $12.2 per season.
This season, Paris has played in just 32 games because of injuries and batted .260 with three homers and 10 RBIs.
The Wakers acquired Meier from Fort Worth before the 2033 season, hoping to turn a very good long reliever/starter into a full-time starter.
He could not make the transition and could not make the conversion to closer either.
With free agency approaching, and him making $9 million per season, it was decided to cut ties.
Meier, 30, pitched in 33 games for the Walkers in 2034 going 4-3 with two saves and a 4.91 ERA.
He gave up back-to-back homers in the top of the 13th inning, to take the loss in his final game in St. Louis.
Banfield, 34, was acquired by St. Louis before the 2034 to serve as backup catcher.
He's played well, hitting .291 with 11 RBIs in 28 games but has consistently complained about his playing time.
The right-handed Tiller, 32, has for the previous six seasons been a key part of the Walkers' bullpen.
The decision, however, to bring him back as a free agent in 2034 was a bust.
In 32 games, Tiller went 1-3 with two saves and a 5.60 ERA giving up six homers in 27 innings.
O'Rourke will look to pick up the slack from the loss of Meier and Tiller in the St. Louis bullpen.
In 45 games for the Sharks this season, O'Rourke has gone 3-3 with four saves and a 4.10 ERA.
Benjamin, 24, has split his season between Portland (AA) and Pawtucket (AAA).
He hit .349 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 36 games with Portland.
Benjamin batted .342 with one homer and 15 RBIs in 47 games at Pawtucket.
Ochoa, 23, has pitched at three levels this season.
He started out at Class A (low) Daytona Beach going 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two games.
After that, it was up to Class A (regular) Daytona Beach where he was 3-0 with a 3.42 ERA in 20 games (four starts).
He also made one start in the rookie league, going 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA.

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Walkers news: July 19 -- Players moving from St. Louis to Cincinnati

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Walkers news: July 19 -- Players moving from Cincinnati to St. Louis

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With three of the four players in their deal with Cincinnati being designated for the minors, the St. Louis River Walkers have called up three players from AAA Memphis.
* Veteran catcher Bobby Wescott was signed as a free agent by the Walkers on July 4. The 32-year-old played in six games at Memphis, hitting .368 with two homers and five RBIs.
* Right-handed reliever David Amocacci, 26, got into 28 games for the Redbirds, 22 in relief, during which he went 3-0 with seven saves and a 1.58 ERA.
* Infielder Eric Granger, 29, played in 76 games for Memphis, hitting .253 with one homer and 18 RBIs.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have traded right fielder Eric Peretz along with minor league third baseman Pablo Lopez to the Milwaukee Crushers in exchange for minor-league first baseman/third baseman Jose Gonzalez.
The Walkers acquired Peretz before the 2034 season, and while the 30-year-old has performed well with the team going into rebuilding mode it was decided it was better to trade him -- along with his $7.8 million per year contract, which goes for another season -- to open a spot for top prospect Hector Tavarez in right field.
Peretz batted .294 with three homers and 29 RBIs in 78 games for St. Louis this season.
Going to the Crushers with Peretz is third baseman Pablo Lopez.
Primarily a designated hitter in the minors, Lopez, 27, batted .232 with nine homers and 47 RBIs in 87 games this season for the Redbirds.
He has spent the past few weeks at AA Springfield, where he hit .235 with one RBI in five games.
In Gonzalez, St. Louis gets a 24-year old corner infielder who hit .256 with nine homer and 34 RBIs at AAA Leigh Valley.
He started the season at AA Reading, where he hit .330 with five homers and 19 RBIs in just 22 games.
The big reason for this deal is to make Tavarez a full-time shot in the majors.
At AAA, Tavarez, a top-10 prospect in all of the MBL, hit .260 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs in 70 games.
He also has spent eight games with the Walkers, hitting . 281 with two homers and four RBIs in eight games.

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Record: 46-48, 5th, 11.5 GB Des Moines
Orlando Torres hit a three-run home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Angel Tiburcio in the bottom of the fourth inning, turning a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead, and the Harvesters went on for a 4-3 win to complete a three-game sweep at Green Canyon Park.
Kellum Clark opened the bottom of the fourth by reaching on an error by Tiburcio.
Two batters later, Jared Poland singled to put a pair of runners aboard.
Torres followed with his homer, a 414-foot blast on a 1-1 pitch.
St. Louis did draw within 4-3 in the top of the eighth -- Jose Segura tripled off reliever Teddy Loetzch and scored on a Nick Shaw single -- but that was the end of the scoring.
Harvesters starting pitcher Bill Van Gieson (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. He struck out five and didn't issue a walk.
Dave Schaeffer finished the sixth inning and worked a scoreless seventh.
Loetzch took care of all of the eighth, when the Walkers climbed to within a run.
Keith Talley earned his second save with a silent ninth.