2039 and beyond -- St. Louis River Walkers thread

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Walkers news: March 29 -- Final spring training statistics

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MBL news: April 1 -- Preseason predictions on Opening Day

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MBL news: April 1 -- League financials and minor-league rankings

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Walkers news: April 1 -- Opening Day roster

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Walkers news: April 1 -- Major league coaching staff and misc.

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Walkers news: April 1 -- Player Development Report and Owner's note

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Record: 0-1, 6th/(Tied/w. Quad City), 1 GB Des Moines and Los Angeles
Down 4-1, Los Angeles' Amarai Simpson hit a grand slam off St. Louis reliever Darren Xu with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Turtles to a 5-4 Opening Day win at Petco Park.
The River Walkers got a 4-for-4 performance from Manuel Coke, including a three-run home run in the top of the fifth off L.A. starter Travis Mays, to take that 4-1 lead
The St. Louis bullpen coughed it up in a big way in the eighth.
Curt Donaldson allowed three straight hitters to reach -- two walks and a single -- to open the inning.
Xu eventually took over and struck out Josh Ames.
But he surrendered the long ball to Simpson, as he crushed a 2-1 pitch and drove it 417 feet over the wall in left center.
Compounding things, Xu hit the next batter, Sean Summer, resulting in a brawl which will probably lead to his suspension.
Mayr went five innings, allowing the three runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked two.
Orlando Soto pitched two innings and allowed the fourth St. Louis run on a double by Mike Casebolt.
Eric Hammond (1-0) earned the win after a scoreless eighth.
Jose Patricio set the Walkers down in order in the ninth for his first save.

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St. Louis River Walkers reliever Darren Xu and Los Angeles Turtles outfielder Sean Sumner both have been suspended for four games after they started a bench-clearing brawl during the bottom of the eighth inning of their April 1 game in Los Angeles.
Sumner charged the mound after he was hit by a Xu pitch.
Xu had just given up a grand slam to the previous batter, Armari Simpson, which helped give the Turtles a 5-4 win.

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Record: 1-1, 5th/(Tied/w. Los Angeles), 1 GB Des Moines and Cedar Rapids
Tied 1-1, St. Louis scored three times in the top of the 11th inning and went on to defeat Los Angeles 4-1 at Petco Park.
The Turtles' Orlando Soto walked the River Walkers' Nick Shaw with one out to get things going in the top of the 11th.
Mark Herman, who had homered off L.A. reliever Mike McGregor in the seventh to tie it 1-1, followed with a triple, putting the Walkers in front.
St. Louis wasn't done.
Mike Casebolt singled to score Herman.
A single by Josh Hurley then put runners at first and third.
Casebolt made it 4-1 when he scored on a Savion McMullan fielder's choice.
Walkers starting pitcher Kevin Hrdlicka went 5.1 innings, allowing one run on one hit. He struck out four and walked four.
Antonio Cruiz got the final two outs of the fifth for St. Louis.
Chris Willett worked a scoreless seventh inning.
After that, it was two-thirds of an inning from Aaron Attaway Jr., Kyle Smarr and Josh Joyce to get the game into extra innings.
Closer Tom Floria earned the win after a scoreless bottom of the 10th.
Curt Donaldson allowed two hits but no runs in the 11th for his first save.

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Record: 1-2, 6th, 2 GB Des Moines and Cedar Rapids
Tied 2-2, Los Angeles exploded for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and went on for an 8-2 win over St. Louis at Petco Park.
The win gave the Turtles wins in two of three games in the series.
The River Walkers grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs off L.A. starting pitcher Yushiro Onishi in the top of the first.
The Turtles tied it with single runs off St. Louis starter Allan Almon in the fourth and fifth.
Almon was still on the mound to open the bottom of the sixth for St. Louis.
He set the table for the Turtles with a pair of walks to open the inning.
Antonio Cruiz took over.
All he did was allow three straight hits -- a Juan Ortiz single, an RBI single to pinch-hitter Willie Chavez and a two-run double to Jordan Lawlar -- as L.A. took a 5-2 lead.
With Bobby Scheid at the plate, Cruiz uncorked a wild pitch allowing another run to score.
After a ground out by Scheid, Josh Joyce took the mound.
He gave up a sacrifice fly to David Johnson making it 7-2.
Johnson picked up another RBI when Mike Pillsbury scored on a fielder's choice in the seventh, with Aaron Attaway on the mound, to make the final score.
Onishi went 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked one.
McGregor (1-0) retired just two batters to complete the sixth but got the win.
Eric Hammond (1.0 IP) and Elijah Cue (2.0) combined to finish the game for the Turtles.

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Record: 1-3, 5th/(Tied/w. Louisville), 3 GB Cedar Rapids
Down 1-0, Rockford jumped on St. Louis starting pitcher Mike Harney for four runs in the top of the fifth inning and that was enough to give the Lightning a 4-1 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
Yui Watanabe opened the top of the fifth for the Lightning with a single off Harney.
The next two batters struck out.
But Javy Monjaraz got things rolling again with a double, tying the game.
Ernesto Ferreras followed with another double, as Rockford went up 2-1.
David Blanton was given an intentional walk.
Joe Allen foiled that with a single, scoring Ferreras to make it 3-1.
Jared Braude capped the outburst with another RBI single.
Lightning starting pitcher Rob Mincey (1-0) allowed one run on three hits over five innings. He struck out three and didn't walk a batter.
Jose Tapia pitched two innings of scoreless relief.
After that it was one inning apiece from Jerry Krajancic and Matt Whitmore to close out the win.
Whitmore earned his first save of the season.

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Record: 2-3, 5th, 2 GB Des Moines and Cedar Rapids
St. Louis scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning and three in the second and rode that to a 9-4 win over Rockford at Busch Stadium (2006).
The River Walkers banged four six first-inning singles off Lightning starting pitcher Gary Snelling -- to grab a 5-0 lead.
Nick Shaw drove in two with his hit.
Ronny Mauricio, Mike Vaughan and pitcher Billy Albies all plated one with their single.
An inning later, St. Louis banged out five more singles and scored three more times.
This time reliever Miguel Cisneros was on the mound.
For the second straight inning, Mauricio, Vaughan and Albies all drove in runs with their singles.
Albies (1-0) earned the win, he allowed four runs on six hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked four.
Chris Willett handled two innings of scoreless relief.
Curt Donaldson handled the eighth.
Closer Tom Floria worked a silent ninth.

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Record: 3-4, 4th/(Tied/w. Los Angeles), 1 GB Springfield and Cedar Rapids
Ming Xiang pitched into the seventh inning limiting Rockford to one run, and St. Louis downed the Lightning 5-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory was the second in a row for the River Walkers to complete the three-game series.
A two-run homer from Mark Herman off Rockford starting pitcher Raul Rivas in the bottom of the second inning staked St. Louis to a 2-0 lead.
Xiang gave up his and the Lightning's only run in the top of the sixth on an RBI double by Ernesto Ferreras.
The right-hander returned to the mound to start the seventh, getting Jared Braude to ground out.
He then exited with a string of left-handers due up for Rockford.
In his 7.1 innings, Xiang (1-0) allowed the one run on three hits. He struck out six and walked one.
The Walkers broke the game open with three runs off the Lightning bullpen in the eighth.
Ronny Mauricio drove in the first run with a pinch-hit double off Jerry Krajancic.
Savion McMullan plated the second with a fly ball to left.
An RBI single by Jordan Grullon made it 5-1.
Krajancic gave up all three runs.
Kyle Smarr got the final two outs of the seventh for St. Louis. He also recorded the first two outs of the eighth.
Curt Donaldson capped the eighth.
The scoreless ninth went to Josh Joyce.

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MBL news: April 8 -- Week 1 - Awards and standings

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Record: 4-4, 2nd/(Tied/w. Springfield and Cedar Rapids), 1 GB Des Moines
Tied 8-8, Mike Vaughan drove in two runs with a pinch-hit double in the top of the 11th inning and St. Louis held on to defeat Quad City 10-9 at Fenway Park (1976).
Rookie Carlos Martines had led off the inning with a double off Thunder relief pitcher Dennis Jones.
Mark Herman then drew a walk before Jones struck out Casebolt.
Salvador Rubalcaba then relieved Jones.
Rubalcaba got Savion McMullan to fly out for the second out.
But Vaughan lined a 1-2 pitch into left center to put the River Walkers in front.
QC almost won the game in the bottom of the ninth.
Reliever Darren Xu allowed three of the first four batters he faced to reach base.
The third batter Pang Shi doubled to make it 10-9.
After an intentional walk to J.P DiPietro to load the bases.
Rubalcaba grounded into a fielder's choice with Jim Waldron being retired at the plate.
Xu then struck out Paul Totten to end it.
The Walkers actually jumped out to a 7-0 lead over the first four innings.
But the Thunder climbed back into it.
A three-run fifth against St. Louis starter Kevin Hrdlicka followed by two more in the sixth made it 7-5.
A pinch-hit single from Mark Waterson off Armando Guadarrama in the seventh put the Walkers in front 8-5.
Shi drove in three in the bottom half with a two-out double off Curt Donaldson to tie it 8-8.
Hrdlicka went 5.2 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits. He struck out five and walked one.
Josh Joyce got the final out of the sixth for St. Louis.
Aaron Attaway Jr. started the seventh, recording two outs and being charged with the three runs that came on the double off Donaldson.
Tom Floria worked a scoreless eighth.
Antonio Cruiz handled the ninth and got the first two outs of the eighth.
The win went to Chris Willett (1-0), who retired the only batter he faced to finish the 10th.
Xu earned his first save in the 11th.

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Record: 4-5, 3rd/(Tied/w. Quad City and Springfield), 3 GB Des Moines
Tied 1-1, Quad City scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and went on to defeat St. Louis 4-1 at Fenway Park (1976).
The Thunder had had tied it 1-1 in the top of the sixth on a Joshua Naylor sacrifice fly off River Walkers starting pitcher Mike Harney.
Shawn Jackson broke the tie with one out in the bottom of the eighth with a homer off St Louis reliever Chris Willett.
QC would score two more times, both of them scoring on a Luis Torres double, also off Willett.
Thunder starting pitcher Jason Gallahue went six innings, allowing one run on four hits. He struck out five and didn't issue a walk.
After that, it was a scoreless inning each from Carlos Torres, Kevin Vitale and Jorge Diaz.
Vitale (1-0) got his first victory of the season.
Diaz collected his first save.

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Record: 4-6, 5th, 4 GB Des Moines
St. Louis scored the first run of the game, but all the rest went to Evansville as the Bosses downed the River Walkers 8-1 at Yankee Stadium (1988).
Manuel Coke connected on a sacrifice fly off Bosses starter Matt Clark to score Joe Bien from third in the top of the first to put the River Walkers ahead 1-0.
The rest of the game belonged to Evansville.
Sam Muszynski put the Bosses in front in the bottom of the third with a two-run home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Billy Ables.
Two innings later, Evansville lengthened its lead with two more runs.
Back-to-back RBI doubles from Muszynski and Myles Faust off Ables did the job.
Evansville plated a pair in the seventh.
Faust drove in the first run with a single off reliever Darren Xu.
Larry Doherty handled the other with a double off Josh Joyce.
Curt Donaldson surrendered a pair of runs in the eighth for St. Louis.
Chris Cassidy plated the first with a single, scoring Emilio Delgado, who had led off the inning with a double.
Faust later collected his second RBI of the game with a single.
Clark (1-0) earned his first win of the season by going 6.1 innings. allowing one run on four hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Two relievers ,Ricardo Fuentes (1.2 IP) and Kevin Curylo (1.0) combined to shut out St. Louis the rest of the way.

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Record: 4-4
Accidently simulated this game. Didn't realize it until two games later.

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Record: 4-7, 5th/(Tied/w. Louisville), 5 GB Des Moines
Down 6-4, Evansville ripped the St. Louis bullpen for six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to send the Bosses to a 10-6 win at Yankee Stadium (1988).
The River Walkers grabbed a 4-0 lead over the first four innings against Bosses starting pitcher Travis Rinker.
A four-run bottom of the sixth against St. Louis starting pitcher Ming Xiang allowed the Bosss to tie the game.
Sam Muszynski drove in two of the runs with a single.
The Walkers regained the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.
But the Bosses busted loose in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead for good.
Muszynski opened the inning with a homer off reliever Josh Joyce.
Andy Reiss and Shenouda Sokoine followed with singles, chasing Joyce from the game.
Aaron Attaway Jr. took the mound and retired the first batter he faced.
But Tom Brooks followed with an RBI single.
Ellis Straub then received an intentional walk.
Antonio Cruz took over.
He got Jim Sukut to ground out.
But Chris Cassidy followed with a three-run triple to make it 10-6.
Travis Rinker went 5.2 innings for the Bosses, allowing four runs on nine hits. He struck out six and walked two.
Dennis Sullivan got the third out of the sixth for Evansville.
Andy Durivage worked the seventh for the Bosses and allowed the final two St. Louis runs.
Justin Lopez (2-1) earned the win after a scoreless eighth,
Fernando Bustamante handled the ninth with a four-run lead.

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Record: 5-7, 5th, 5 GB Des Moines
Kevin Hrdlicka took a shutout into the bottom of the eighth inning and St. Louis defeated Evansville 5-4 at Yankee Stadium (1988).
Beginning with a three-run top of the second inning and Bosses starting pitcher Lorenzo Cerda, the River Walkers built themselves a 5-0 lead.
St. Louis banged out three straight singles -- from Carlos Martines, Mark Herman and Joe Bien -- to load to bases to begin the top of the second.
Mike Casebolt drove in Martines on a fielder's choice.
Hrdlicka picked up an RBI with a single to score Herman.
Josh Hurley collected the fifth single of the inning, making it 3-0.
The Walkers later added single runs in the fifth -- Manuel Coke led off with a double and scored on a Bien single -- and seventh -- Cok was hit by a Dennis Sullivan pitch to open the inning and later scored on a Casebolt single off Fernando Bustamante -- to go up 5-0.
They needed all those runs as Bradley Mondesir opened the bottom of the eighth with a double.
A passed ball by catcher Savion McMullan moved Mondesir to second.
He scored on a Chris Cassidy fly ball.
Pinch-hitter Andy Reiss then triple, sending Hrdlicka to the shower.
Reiss would score on a Myle Faust ground out off Darren Xu.
St. Louis turned to closer Tom Floria to pitch the ninth.
The Bosses greeted him with back-to-back homers from Jeff Waldron and Shenouda Sokoine to pull to within 5-4.
But Floria retired the next three to end the game.
Hrdlicka went 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out eight and walked two.
Xu pitched two-thirds of an inning to close out the eighth.
The save was Floria's first of the season.