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Record: 29-16, 1st, 2.5 GA Des Moines
Rookie Jerry Tate turned in his second straight strong start, allowing two runs over seven innings, to help lead St. Louis to a 7-2 win over Louisville at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory was the eighth in a row for the River Walkers.
Tate, who in his previous outing had thrown seven shutout innings in a 6-2 win over the Sluggers, this time allowed the two runs on three hits. He struck out six and walked one.
The two runs came on a two-run homer from Hisanori Yasuda in the top of the fifth inning, by which time St. Louis already led 4-0.
The Walkers got their first run in the bottom of the first.
Nathaniel Dixon led off with a double off Sluggers starting pitcher Trey Benton and scored on a Daniel Becerra single.
St. Louis added three more runs in the fourth.
After retiring the lead-off batter, five consecutive Walkers' batters reached base against Benton.
Jean Carmona drove in the first two runs with a single.
Dixon picked up an RBI when the inning's third run scored on a fielder's choice.
The Walkers answered Louisville's two runs in the top of the fifth with two in the bottom.
Jared Thomas drove in the first run with a double off Joe Wahl.
The next batter, Rick Scott, also doubled to make it 6-2.
Following Tate's exit after the seventh inning, Andres Hernandez pitched a scoreless eighth.
Nick Ruffalo ended it by striking out the side in the ninth.