[rink23]

Record: 56-66, 5th, 19 GB Des Moines
Trailing 2-1, Grand Rapids pounded St. Louis starting pitcher Jim Martin for five run in the bottom of the third inning as the Traders went on for an 8-3 win at the Polo Grounds (1923).
River Walkers rookie staked his team to an early lead with a two-run homer off Traders starting pitcher Brian Southers in the top of the first.
Grand Rapids cut that lead in half in the bottom of the second.
Alvaro Lovato singled off Martin with one out.
With Sean Nettles at the plate, Lovato stole second and went to third when Nettles singled.
Lovato scored when Jamie Lipscomb hit into a fielder's choice.
Martin then unraveled after striking out Southers to being the third.
He gave up eight straight hits -- the first three singles, one of them from Leonardo Rodriguez driving in the tying run, before Matt Crawl hit a three-run homer -- as the Traders went ahead 4-2.
Jerrion Early, who had the second single, was thrown out stealing during this stretch.
Lovato continued the onslaught after the homer with a single.
Nettles made it sixth straight hits with another single.
Lipscomb drove in Lovato with a single.
Melvin Cadena collected the eighth straight hit, and the seventh single, with a hit which scored Nettles.
It's lead at 6-3, Grand Rapids got its final two runs in the seventh.
Bruce Herrera drove in the first with a single off Scott Rissler.
A sacrifice fly by Marcos Francis plated the other.
Southers (8-0) racked up his eighth straight decision, he allowed three runs on three hits in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
Victor de Leon worked the eighth and got the first two outs of the ninth.
Shane Duke retired the only batters he faced to end the game.