2030 St. Louis River Walkers -- This could be the last time

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This is the new thread for the St. Louis River Walkers 2030 season.

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The St. Louis River Walkers decided to let veteran reliever Jose Alvarado taste free agency, but in the end they brought him back into the fold.
Alvarado, 34, agreed to a two-year deal worth $2.64 million per season to return to the Walkers.
The second year is a team option.
In 2029, when Alvarado served primarily as a lefty specialist, he got into 46 games during which he was 1-1 with three saves and a 2.63 ERA.
In two total seasons with the Walkers, Alvarado has appeared in 108 games posting a 4-6 record with 11 saves and a 2.11 ERA.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have signed 30-year-old left-handed starting pitcher Izzy San Juan to a four-year contract.
San Juan has spent his entire career with the Quad City Thunder.
In 2020, San Juan was 6-9 with a 3.94 ERA in 29 starts.
For his career, he is 43-55 with a 3.63 ERA in 204 games/154 starts.
The deal is worth $15 million per season, with the fourth season featuring a team option.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have signed right-handed reliever pitcher David Amador to a two-year contrct worth $2.25 million.
The second season includes a team option.
The 34-year-old Amador spent last season with Springfield, where he got into 89 games during which he was 3-4 with a 4.78 ERA.
In his career, Amador has pitched in 582 games, all but one in relief, going 27-31 with 20 saves and a 4.55 ERA.

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MBL news: Jan. 9 -- Miggy and Cano make Hall of Fame cut

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The St. Louis River Walkers have made a trade with Rockford, which will bring 26-year-old left fielder Jose Ramirez to St. Louis in exchange for a quartet of prospects headed by LHP Kurt Halter.
Ramirez earned himself a top 10 finish in the NL MVP voting in 2029, after a season during which he batted .292 with 37 homers and 79 RBIs for the Lightning.
In exchange, St. Louis sent to Rockford, Halter, first baseman Joey Egan, center fielder Mark Middleton and second baseman Brad Carlson.
Halter is the biggest prospect among the group.
He earned PCL pitcher and reliever of the year honors in 2029.
A season in which he went 7-5 with 16 saves and a 2.05 ERA in 49 games for AAA Memphis.
Egan has been a mainstay at AAA Memphis for the past two season.
In 2029, the then 27-year-old hit .289 with 33 homers and 106 RBIs.
That followed a season, during which he hit .276 with 30 homers and 102 RBIs.
The 21-year-old Middleton split the 2029 season between State College (low A) and Palm Beach (High A), he hit .293 (low) and( (.370 high) with a combined 12 homers and 35 RBIs.
Carlson, 23, spent all of 2029 at High-A Palm Beach, he hit .211 with 13 homers and 41 RBIs.

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Walkers news: Jan. 9 - More players from Ramirez trade

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MBL news -- February 25 -- Preseason predictions on first day of spring training games

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Walkers news: March 1 -- Player Development Report

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The St. Louis River Walkers have dealt left-handed starting pitcher Jason Froehlich along with minor-league prospect Rusty Klick to the Springfield Railers in exchange for a pair of minor-league prospects.
The trade was made because Froelich was not expected to make the Walkers' opening day roster and with no options remaining was unlikely to make it through waivers.
Froelich had made 62 starts in the majors over four seasons for St. Louis, going 19-14 with a 4.41 ERA.

But a recent string of injuries had slowed his development, he went on the injured list three times in 2029 and suffered a torn rotator cuff in early September, a campaign in which he went 3-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 13 starts.
He also struggled in spring training, going 0-2 in five games/two starts with a 6.57 ERA.
St. Louis acquired Klick in a trade with Des Moines before the 2028 season.
He had shown some early promise, but his development may have slwoed.
In 2029, where he spent all of four games with AAA Memphis, he batted .270 with 15 homers and 86 RBIs in 131 games.
There also were rumors he was a problem in the clubhouse.
In return, St. Louis received a pair of AA players from Springfield, left fielder Josh Tyndall and second baseman Eric Granger.
Both are considered very good defensive players.
Tyndall, 26, batted .203 with five homers and 18 RBIs in 46 games for AA Altoona.

Before that, he had played 89 games at Class A Brazleton, where he had hit .223 with nine homers and 35 RBIs.
Granger, 25, spent all of 2029 with Altoona where he played in 61 games. He batted .161 with one homer and 10 RBIs.

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MBL news: April 1 -- Final spring training standings and leaders

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MBL news: April 1 -- Preseason predictions and River Walkers spring training statistics

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Walkers news: April 1 -- Player Development Report

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The 2029 campaign was one the St. Louis River Walkers were eager to see in the rear-view mirror.
Coming off an appearance in the 2028 World Series, where they lost to Fort Worth, and three playoff trips in the previous four seasons, the Walkers stumbled to an 81-81 record and a fifth-place finish in the National League South Division.
The record marked the first time the franchise had not finished above .500, and only the second time it did not place in the top four in the division since the league’s establishment in 2018.
Although they sat above .500 for most of the season, the Walkers never seem to get on track and a five-game losing streak to wrap up the campaign dropped them to that 81-81 finish.
Although the loss of the No. 2 starter Brendan McKay to a season-ending rotator cuff injury hurt the Walkers, as he was never really replaced, they’re pitching staff still ranked among the best in the league and their bullpen may have been the best.
It was the offense which really let them down.
St. Louis, which went through two hitting coaches, ranked near the bottom in nearly every statistical category in the National League with nearly every player seeing significant drops in their key numbers.
Francisco Cordova served as the Walkers hitting coach, after Bryan Engelhaupt was fired 45 games into the season.
The team batted .234 under Engelhaupt tutelage but weren’t any better for Cordova checking in at .233 over the final 117 games.
Cordova has been re-assigned into the St. Louis farm system where he will be the hitting coach for High-A Palm Beach.
The hitting coach duties now belong to Wendell MaGee, who has put together a strong resume in the Frontier League.
However, the Walkers hitting woes continued during spring training of 2030, where they scored three runs or less in 21 of 30 games. (St. Louis finished 10-20 as a team).
So the leash on MaGee may be short if the team fails to hit early in the season.
St. Louis did make a couple of key additions in the offseason, bringing in power-hitting left fielder Jose Ramirez from Rockford, where he put together a top-10 finish in the MVP voting.
On the pitching staff, left-hander Izzy San Juan was a free agent signing from Quad City where he went 6-9 with a 3.94 ERA last season.
No longer here
LHP – Brendan McKay, 34, 1-0, 0.90 ERA, 2 GS, signed as free agent by Springfield
Penciled to be the River Walkers No. 2 starter, McKay suffered a torn rotator cuff in his second start of the season and never returned. Although, Trey Benton pitched well after being acquired in a July trade, St. Louis never really found a solid top four starter to replace McKay. His injury history made him too much of a risk to re-sign.
LHP – Jason Froehlich, 26, 3-4, 4.56 ERA, 13 GS, traded to Springfield
The still young Froehlich did some nice things as a starter over three seasons for St. Louis, going 19-14 with a 4.41 ERA over 62 starts. But three stints on the injured list in 2029 loomed as a red flag, and with no options available to send him to the minors when he failed to make the team after a rough spring training, the Walkers needed to see what they could get for him. (It was a couple of middling minor-league prospects). He’s expected to be the No. 3 starter for the Railers.
OF – Carlos Vidal, 34, 123 G, .259 BA, 12 HRs, 37 RBIs – Unsigned free agent
The left-handed hitting Vidal had a nice five-year run with the River Walkers, he batted .257 with 82 HRs and 232 RBIs over 609 games, including some big hits in the run to a World Series championship in 2025. But his numbers have started to slack as has his defense. He’s also been slapped with a fragile injury label.
IF – Vidal Brujan, 32, 89 G, .210 BA, 2 HRs, 17 RBIs – Unsigned free agent.
A vital utility player for St. Louis since 2026, Brujan just didn’t bring much to the table for the Walkers in 2029. He’s a good defender at second and third, but when he does not hit, he becomes easily replaceable.
C – Keegan Fish, 30, 34 G, .214 BA, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs, unsigned free agent
The switch-hitting catcher had a decent three-season run as the backup to Jared Thomas, but his offensive numbers have become so deficient a change need to be made. He also is lacking in the leadership categories also sought for in a backup catcher.
LHP – Nick Lodolo, 32, 2-3, 1 Sv., 2.84 ERA, 47 G, signed with Des Moines
Lodolo simply got caught up in a numbers game of too many left-handed relievers for just four spots. He didn’t pitch poorly, in fact 2029 may have been his best in the parts of six seasons he spent in St. Louis.
LHP – Kurt Halter, 24, 1-0, 15.88 ERA, 9 G, traded to Rockford
Probably the biggest piece heading to Rockford in the trade for Jose Ramirez. Halter didn’t show much in the time he spent in the majors, but he shined as the closer at AAA Memphis where he put up 16 saves and a 2.05 ERA in 49 games. The youngest has great stuff, but is very susceptible to the long ball. Right now, Halter is expected to be part of the Lightning’s starting rotation.
New faces
OF – Jose Ramirez, 26, B-L, T-L, .292 BA, 37 HRs, 79 RBIs, 125 G, -- Trade with Rockford
The 26-year-old Ramirez appeared to have a breakout season for the Lightning, where he posted a top-10 finish in the National League MVP voting. He’s expected to play left field and bat third or fourth for St. Louis. Also brings in some leadership qualities.
2B/OF – Peter Ahn, 31, B-L, T-R, .289 BA, 15 HRs, 58 RBIs, 123 G, -- w. Peoria (Free-agent signing)
Second base proved to be black hole for the Walkers in 2029. Duke Kinamon was acquired in the offseason to be the starter, but was so bad, along with being a clubhouse distraction, that he was traded to Ann Arbor at the end of June. The job was then handed to Thairo Estrada, who had performed so well as a utility player the previous season, and he was well struggled to make an impact. So the Walkers decided to take a gamble on Ahn. He’s primarily been an outfielder much of his career, but also is rated as a positive defender at second base. He’s also been decent at getting on base. Also described as captain’s material.
C – Luke Berryhill, 31, B-R, T-R, .202 BA, 3 HRs, 25 RBIs – AAA Syracuse (free-agent signing)
Primarily brought in for his high defensive ratings along with being captain material. Jared Thomas has proven to be a workhorse the last few seasons, so Berryhill’s appearance hopefully will be minimal.
LHP – Izzy San Juan, 31, B-L, T-L, 6-9, 3.94 ERA, 29 GS – w. Quad City (free-agent signing).
The Walkers hope San Juan can give them the solid top four starting pitcher they so desperately needed a year ago. He’s a ground ball-pitcher, which should benefit him with a strong group of infield defenders behind him.
RHP – David Amador, 34, B-R, T-R, 3-4, 4.78 ERA, 89 G –w. Springfield (free-agent signing)
The hard-throwing right-hander has proven to be a workhorse over the course of his career, and worked in 89 games last season for Springfield. Had perhaps the best season of his career in 2029 for the Railers.

Starting rotation
1 – RHP – Angel Tiburcio, 29, 15-11, 2.74 ERA, 32 G/31 GS
Tiburcio remains among the top starting pitchers in the game, as evidenced by him winning his second straight National League Cy Young award. He topped the NL in inning’s pitched (213.2) and WHIP (0.86), ranked second in strike outs (241) and third in ERA (2.74). He also won his second Silver Slugger award.
2 – LHP -- Kaneo Kawamoto, 32, 20-8, 3.16 ERA, 33 G/33 GS
The only pitcher in the league to win 20 games, he combined to Tiburcio to give the Walkers the top 1-2 starting duo in the Midwest Baseball League. His 213.1 innings pitched ranked second in the NL. A real workhorse who turned in 24 quality starts.
3 – RHP -- Trey Benton, 30, 10-10, 3.64 ERA, 35 G/27 GS (overall), 6-5, 3.24 ERA, 16 G/16 GS with St. Louis
Acquired in a late June trade with Ann Arbor, Benton acquitted himself well when thrust into a top-three starting role for the Walkers. His ability to get the opposition fits in well with the strong infield defense possessed by St. Louis
4 –LHP -- Izzy San Juan – see above
5 – Robby Albarran, 25, 6-5, 3.59 ERA, 19 G/19 GS
Made the jump into the rotation after McKay was injured in early April, but than missed two months himself with a rotator cuff injury. Came back with some solid performances late in the season to garner a spring training look at earning the No. 5 spot in the rotation. The spot is his, it’s up to him to run with it,

Bullpen
CL – Ernesto Barbosa, 27, 53 G, 5-2, 20 Svs., 0.92 ERA
In just his second season since being signed out of Cuba, Barbosa continues to ranked as one of the elite relievers in the MBL. His save totals are not off the charts, but Jake Brentz was often called upon to finish the game when a string of left-handed hitters were scheduled to bat. Barbosa struck out an eye-popping 98 batters in 58.2 innings.
CL – Jake Brentz, 35, 50 G, 4-5, 15 Svs., 2.24 ERA
The veteran Brentz decided to return to St. Louis rather than test free agency, signing a two-year deal worth $3.6 million per season. The second season features a top option. Brentz may not be the reliever he was when he was racking up three NL Reliever of the Year awards, but he’s still among the best lefties in the game. Once again, he’ll in a way share closer duties with Barbosa depending on who is scheduled to bat as the game is coming to an end.
RHP – Cory Tiller, 28, 64 G, 1-1, 0 Svs., 2.21 ERA
Tiller seems to be getting better with each passing season. He’s probably passed up Travis Krogman as the team’s No. 2 right-handed reliever. Tiller struck out 76 batters in 61 innings.
RHP – Travis Krogman, 30, 75 G, 1-3, 4 Svs., 4.46 ERA
The last month or so of the 2029 season was rough on Krogman, but he’s still got the stuff of a closer when he’s performing well.
LHP – Ricky Cisneros, 25, 30 G/27 GS, 8-14, 0 Svs., 5.19 ERA
Cisneros got his chance to show what he could do as a starter in 2029, and it didn’t go well. So it’s back to the bullpen for the talented left-hander, where he will hopefully be groomed to replace Brentz as the team’s top left-hander in the relief corps.
LHP – Jose Alvarado, 34, 46 G, 1-1, 3 Svs, 2.63 ERA
Like Brentz, Alvarado decided to test the free-agent market and agreed to return to St. Louis on a one year deal. His is worth $2,694.000 with a team option. Alvarado has difficulty getting out right-handed hitters, but when pitted primarily against left-handed hitters or situationally the veteran remains very effective.
LHP – Yeison Santos, 28, 51 G, 3-0, 0 Svs., 4.78 ERA
Acquired off waivers during the season from Toledo, Santos was a bit of hit-and-miss. However, he is still young and has a lot of upside.
RHP – David Amador (see above)

Catchers
Jared Thomas, 29, 137 G, .223 BA, 24 HRs, 62 RBIs
Thomas’ first season as part of a six-year deal paying him $19.8 million per was a bit of a disappointment. He did hit a career-high 24 homers, but his batting average sat at .215 or lower for much of the season beforea bit of a surge in September. The Walkers consistently have one of the best pitching staffs in the MBL, which he has to get some credit for, although the stolen bases allowed remain high. He’s also an ironman having played at least 132 games for three straight seasons.
Luke Berryhill – See above
Infielders
1B – Cris Rosario, 28, 155 G, .265 BA, 30 HRs, 101 RBIs
His home runs (44 in 2028) and RBIs (119) both took a significant dip, but a lot of that could be attributed to the fact he had no protection. Rosario batted .267 in 2028 and his on-base percentage was an identical .322. He makes contact, although his strikeouts did make a significant jump. He’s a workhorse having started all but a handful of games in his two seasons as a starter.
2B Peter Ahn (see above)
SS – Jean Carmona, 30, 119 G, .268 BA, 7 HRs, 39 RBIs
Like Jared Thomas, Carmona got his big contact ($22.5 million over seven seasons) and proceeded to have one of his worst seasons. He did miss five weeks with a hamstring injury. But also saw his home runs dip from 15 in 2028 to seven. At least, he remains an elite defender at shortstop.
3B – Jordan Gorshans, 30, 150 G, .238 BA, 23 HRs, 73 RBIs overall), 129 G, .234 BA, 20 HRs, 61 RBIs (w/St. Louis)
Acquired on April 25 in a trade with Twin Cities, Groshans had a great first couple of weeks for the Walkers before pretty much vanishing for the remainder of the season. He struck out 169 times in 129 games while with St. Louis. At least. He’s a good defender at both corner positions.
IF – Thario Estrada, 34, 133 G, .218 BA, 3 HRs, 25 RBIs
After hitting .302 with eight homers and 31 RBIs as a utility player for the Walkers in 2028, Estrada was handed the third base job to bigin the 2029 season. When Duke Kinamon tanked as the second baseman, and Groshans was acquired to play third, Estrada was moved to second. He didn’t produce offensively like he had before in either role. Now he finds himself back as an utility player.
IF – Alberto Checchinato, 26, 49 G, .196 BA, 4 HRs, 11 RBIs
Primarily a defensive replacement, and it helps that he’s a switch hitter, at second base, third base and shortstop. Better options may exist in AAA, but those young players need to be on the field every day.

Outfielders
RF – Edward Olivares, 34, 110 G, .257 BA, 19 HRs, 39 RBIs
He’s bounced back and forth between AAA and the majors for the past few seasons but put together his best campaign in 2029, especially from a power standpoint. Good defender. He will like work a platoon in right fielder with another veteran, Alek Thomas.
OF – Alek Thomas, 31, 149 G, .282 BA, 7 HRs, 49 RBIs
Could have become a free agent, but agreed to a two-year deal worth $2 million, with season No. 2 being an option. His numbers dipped considerably from 2029 – when he hit .320 with five homers and 62 RBIs – but he’s still a pest at the plate and a good defender.
CF – Jose Segura, 24, 109 G, .210 BA, 23 HRs, 61 RBIs
Considered one of the top prospects in the game, Segura proved he has the power but still needs to work on his eye at the plate. He struck out 139 times in his 109 games. His elite defense also didn’t seem to show itself. Still could be a great player.
LF – Jose Ramirez (see above)
LF – Andrew Benintendi– 35, 138 G, .235 BA, 9 HRs, 51 RBIs
Not many years ago, Benintendi was an elite player and a center piece for a St. Louis team which was among the league’s elite. Now they could not give him away for a bag of balls. (And believe me, I’ve tried). His defense (20 rating) makes you afraid to put him in the field. And with a league with no DH, all he’s good for is to be a roll-the-dice pinch hitter. I spent the entire off-season trying to deal him, but got no takers unless I wanted to take on another useless highly-paid player while paying his freight out of town. I’ll probably just have to cut him, but am not quite ready to do so and get nothing for the $15 million he is still owed. Thankfully, there is a buy out for the final season of the deal.

Top minor leaguers
1B/OF – Rick Scott. 25, 117 G., .233 BA, 17 HRs, 80 RBIs (AAA), .176 BA, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs (StL)
Would have made the major league club if not for the necessity to keep Benintendi. He’s going to strike out quite bit, but will also launch a bundle for homers. And the River Walkers need some power.
2B – Izzy Almonte, 25, 128 G, .266 BA, 4 HRs, 66 RBIs (AAA)
An elite defender, if the Ahn experiment at second base falls flat, Almonte will likely get a shot to show what he can do in The Show.
SP – Ron Peterson, 24, 28 G, 8-7, 3.74 ERA (AAA)
Ranked as the No. 11 pitcher in the minors, there is no doubt Peterson has great stuff. It’s his propensity to give up the long ball which is an issue. He did pitch 21 innings in the majors in 2029, during which he allowed six home runs. He did pitch well in a handful of spring training starts, but was sidelined with a back injury. This will force him to start the season in Memphis.
RHP – Zach Evans, 25, 52 G, 1-3, 0 Svs., 3.59 ERA
Forced to stay in the majors after being taken in the 2029 Rule 5 draft, Evans accorded himself very well for a pitcher who had never worked above Class A. Now with the ability to move back and forth between the majors and minors this season, Evans will open the season in AAA where he will be asked to work in high level situations after being somewhat protected while in the majors with the Walkers.
RHP – Jesse McNabee – 21, 21 G, 2-2, 0 Svs., 3.99 ERA
A fast-riser in the St. Louis organization, McNabee will likely be the closer for AAA Memphis this season, and if he pitches well could rise to the majors before season’s end.

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Record: 1-0, 1st (Tied/w. Quad City), 0.5 GA Des Moines and Springfield
Angel Tiburcio pitched seven shutout innings and drove in the game's only run as St. Louis opened its season with a 1-0 win over Cedar Rapids at Busch Stadium (1997).
The 2029 NL Cy Young winner, Tiburcio (1-0) allowed just two hits during his time on the mound. He struck out nine and walked one.
He also came through at the plate when he hit the backend of consecutive doubles with Peter Ahn in the third inning off Grapplers startintg pitcher Devin Eyre.
Ahn scored on the double.
Jake Brentz and Ernesto Barbosa both retired all three batters they faced in the eighth and ninth, respectively.
The save, of course, was Barbosa's first of the season.

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Record: 1-1, 2nd (Tied/w. Cedar Rapids), 1 GB Quad City
Cedar Rapids jumped on St. Louis starting pitcher Kaneo Kawamoto for two runs on the top of the first inning, and the River Walkers never got on the scoreboard as the Grapplers won 4-0 at Busch Stadium (1997).
Cedar Rapids lead-off hitter Jerrion Ealy reached on a throwing error by Kawamoto.
He scored two hitters later when Jose Morillo hit an inside-the-park home run.
Kawamoto was still on the mound to start the sixth when the Grapplers would score their other two runs.
Hammond and Rhys Hoskins led off the inning with singles, before Josiah Miller struck out for the first out.
Cory Tiller replaced Kawamoto and allowed a run-scoring single to Miguel Mena.
After a fielder's choice, Tiller struck out Brandon Martorano for what should have been the third out, but the ball eluded catcher Jared Thomas.
That allowed Martorano to score, and Hoskins to score to make it 4-0.
Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Edwin Rivera duplicated the effort from River Walkers starter Angel Tiburcio the game before, with seven shutout innings.
Rivera (1-0) allowed three hits, while striking out five and issuing one walk.
Matt Wailzer pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Victor Ortiz did the same in the ninth.

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Record: 2-1, 2nd. 1 GB Quad City
Cris Rosairo singled with one out in the bottom of the 12th inning to score Alek Thomas and give St. Louis a 2-1 win over Cedar Rapids at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory gave the River Walkers victories in two of the three games in the series.
Thomas had led off the bottom of the 12th with a single off Grapplers reliever Shuto Ogata.
Mike Boone replaced Ogata after the single and got Edward Olivares to fl out.
But Jose Segura single to move Thomas to third.
Rosario then singled on a 1-0 pitch to win the game.
St. Louis trailed 2-0 going intot he bottom of the seventh, but tied it wen Jose Segura and Jean Carmona hit solo homers off Grapplers starter Pablo Lopez.
River Walkers starting pitcher Trey Benton allowed two runs on three hits over six innings. He struck out six and walked two.
St. Louis shutout Cedar Rapids the rest of the way.
RIcky Cisneros worked a scoreless seventh.
Cory Tiller did the same in the eighth and got the first out of the ninth.
Jake Brentz finished the ninth and didn't allow a run in the 10th.
Closer Ernesto Barbosa worked a 1-2-3- 10th.
Travis Krogman (1-0) did the same in the ninth and came out of the game with a win.

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Record: 3-1, 2nd, 1 GB Quad City
Jared Thomas hit a grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning off Louisville relief pitcher James Carney to give St. Louis an 8-4 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
Edward Olivares, who had homered in the first inning to give the River Walkers a 1-0 lead, led off the 11th with a single.
One-out singles from Cris Rosario and Jose Seguara loaded the bases before Jean Carmona flew out for the second out
Facing a full court, Thomas lined a Carney pitch 378 feet over the right-field wall to clear the bags.
Down 1-0 after Olivares early homer off Sluggers starter Andres Garcia, Louisville took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third when Heston KJestad hit a three-run homer off Walkers starter Izzy San Juan.
That advantage increased by one in the sixth, when Jonathan Vaughns and Brendon Clement hit back-to-back one-out doubles off San Juan.
The Walkers waited until the bottom of the ninth to tie it, and they used the long ball.
Jose Ramirez hit his first homer since being acquired from Rockford in the offseason, a two-run shot which made it 4-3.
Two batters later, Segura powered a pitch 464 feet to dead center to even matters.
Sluggers reliever Elian Acosta allowed both homers.
San Juan, making his first start with St. Louis after signing in the offseason as a free agent, allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits in seven innings.
He struck out five and walked three.
Yeison Santos, David Amador, Ernesto Barbosa and Juan Alvarado all contributed a scoreless innings apiece out of the bullpen.
Alvarado (1-0) came out of it with the win.

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Record: 4-1, 1st (Tied/w. Quad City), 0.5 GA Springfield
St. Louis won in walk-off fashon for the second consecutive game, as Jordan Groshans homered off Louisville reliever Tony Ramirez with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the River Walkers a 3-2 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
Groshans' first homer of the season came on a 2-2 pitch, it traveled 404 feet over the wall in left.
A two-run homer from Danny del Toro off Walkers starter Robby Albarran in the top of the second put the Sluggers in front 2-0.
St. Louis didn't get on the scoreboard until the bottom of the seventh against Louisville reliever Joe Wahl.
Wahl had replaced starter Jim Martin with one out in the bottom of the seventh.
In 6.1 innings, Martin shutout the Walkers on three hits. He struck out nine, walked none and had thrown 98 pitches.
Jared Thomas set things on motion for St. Louis with a two-out double.
A wild pitch moved him to third, and Thomas scored on a Groshans single.
An inning later, the Walkers tied it.
Thairo Estrada and Alek Thomas led off the inning with consecutive singles off Wahl.
Perched on third, Estrada scored on a Jose Ramirez sacrifice fly.
Albarran worked 5.1 innings for St. Louis, allowing two runs on six hits.
Travis Krogman got out of a jam to finish the six.
David Amador got the first out of the seventh, before giving way to Jose Alvarado, who recorded the next four outs.
Ricky Cisneros (1-0) completed the eighth inning, and worked a scoreless ninth to set himself up for the win.

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Record: 4-2, 2nd, 1 GB Quad City
Tied 2-2, Kellum Clark and Giancarlo Stanton led off the top of the sixth inning with back-to-back home runs off St. Louis ace Angel Tiburcio, and Louisville went on to defeat the River Walkers 7-5 at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory allowed the Sluggers to avoid being swept in the three-game series.
After the Walkers had pulled to within 4-3 with a run in the bottom of the sixth, Jose Segura doubled off reliever Lawrence Calfield to scored Edward Oivares, the Sluggers added three more runs against the St. Louis' bullpen in the eighth.
Jake Brentz opened the inning on the mound for St. Louis, and took a pounding.
He allowed three straight batters to reach to begin the inning -- Heston Kjerstad led off with a triple, Kellum Clark drew a walk, and Stanton followed with a single to Kjerstad --Jonathan Vaughns later scored Clark with a fly ball.
Cory Tiller replaced Brentz, but he also allowed a run, Jacob Campbell greeting him with a double to score Brandon Clement who had reached on a fielder's choice.
St. Louis made it closer with solo homers from Oliveras and Thairo Estrada in the eighth and ninth, respectively.
Sluggers starter Zachary Fuller allowed two runs on three hits in five innings.
Fuller (1-1) would earn the win.

Caulfield, Manny Pescosolido, Tony Ramirez and Elian Acosta all pitched an inning.
Acosta earned his first save of the season.