2024 St. Louis River Walkers -- Why can't this thing be fixed?

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MLB news: Week 16 awards and standings

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Record: 49-51, 3rd, 7 GB Des Moines
Des Moines scored three times in the bottom of the second inning to send Madison to a 4-1 win over St. Louis at Comiskey Park (1969).
Andrew Benintendi homered in the top of the first and Cole Brennan led off the bottom of the inning with a solo blast as both teams notched a single tally.
The Muskies added three more in the second, which happened to complete the scoring.
Jordon Myrow led off the bottom of the second with a single off River Walkers starter Argenis Batista.
He moved to second when a Batista pick off eluded first baseman Rhys Hoskins.
A double from M.J. Melendez scored Myrow and plated Ademan at third.
A second Batista pitched eluded catcher Jared Thomas, this one ruled a passed ball, allowing Myrow score to make it 3-1.
Melendez later scored on a Brannen ground out.
Gilbert (7-5) worked six innings, giving up one run on five hits. He struck out nine and walked none.
Trevor Rosenthal worked a scoreless seventh inning.
The combo of Justin O'Rouke (0.2 IP) and Luke Bard (0.1) handled the eighth.
Kyle Barraclough took care of the ninth for his 18th save.

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Record: 49-52, 3rd, 7 GB Des Moines
Trailing 3-1, Madison pounded the St. Louis bullpen for 12 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, sending them to a 13-4 win at Comiskey Park (1969).
It was an inning where the Muskies sent 16 batters to the plate and collected 11 hits.They also benefited from two walks and a hit by pitch.
Kevin Kiermaier drove in two runs with a single, while Nomar Mazara and Francisco Lindor both had two-run doubles.
Jake Brentz, Caleb Ferguson and Phil Maton were all credited with allowing two runs apiece. Sean Doolittle didn't retire a batter but gave up three.
Madison starter Jhon Vergara worked the first 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits. He struck out five and walked one.
Justin O'Rourke worked 1.2 scoreless innings before exiting with a mild shoulder strain.
Winning pitcher David McLoughlin (8-4) and Brusador Graterol took care of the final two frames.
River Walkers left fielder Andrew Benintendi hit two homers and drove in all four of his team's runs.

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Record: 49-53, 3rd, 7 GB Des Moines
St. Louis went into the bottom of the ninth inning with a 2-0 lead, it came out of it 3-2 losers to Madison in a game at Comiskey Park (1969).
The win allowed the Muskies to take the final two games of the three-game series.
Once again, River Walkers Edwin Diaz faltered when asked to maintain a lead.
He walked Francisco Lindor to open the inning before striking out Jordan Myrow.
Aramis Ademan followed with a triple, making it 2-1.
M.J Melendez was given an intentional walk.
Pinch-hitter Troy Gildner followed with a single, tying it.
Cole Brannen hit into a fielder's choice for the second out.
Nick Senzel singled on the first pitch he saw, giving Madison the win.
Diaz now has blown six saves and owns a 5.93 ERA.
Muskies starting pitcher Jorge Guzman worked five innings, allowing just one run on one hit. He struck out six and walked none.
He was followed to the mound by Luke Bard (1.1 IP), Brusdar Graterol (0.2), Carlos Carrasco (1.0) and David McLoughlin (1.0).
McLoughlin (9-4) earned a win for the second consecutive game.

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Record: 50-53, 3rd, 7 GB Des Moines
Down 7-0, St. Louis rallied scoring the game's next nine runs -- including six in the bottom of the eighth -- to defeat Milwaukee 9-8 at Busch Stadium (1997).
The Keg Lifters chased River Walkers starting pitcher Steven Brault by scoring four runs in the first inning and three in the second.
They didn't know it, but St. Louis began its comeback in the bottom of the third, when Romy Gonzalez led off with a homer off Milwaukee starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks.
A two-run shot from Bo Bichette off Hendricks in the sixth slided it to 7-3.
And it all came together in the eighth.
Christian Arroyo led off with a single off Daniel Espino and scored on a Bichette single.
Andrew Benintendi followed with a homer, and all of a sudden it was 7-6.
Josiah Gray took the mound, but the Walkers kept coming.
Pinch-hitter Alan Dondero doubled and scored on a two-out single from Jean Carmona, tying it.
Rookie Nick Poirier then put St. Louis out front with a two-run homer off Gray.
It was now 9-7.
Milwaukee definitely made some noise in the ninth.
Marcus Wilson hit a one-out homer off Kenley Jansen, bringing the Lifters to within a run.
Jansen then hit Andrew Kinzer with a pitch.
But it was all strike outs after that, as Daniel Brito and Raynel Delgado both went down swinging as St. Louis came away with the win.
It the effort of seven pitchers for the Walkers to come away with the victory.
Brault wasn't good at the start, allowing seven runs on eight hits in just two innings.
Jason Jester picked up the slack with three scoreless innings.
Phil Maton worked a scoreless sixth and recorded the first two outs of the seventh.
Caleb Ferguson bridged the seventh (getting its final out) and eighth (notching its first out) before John Curtiss came on to close it out.
Curtiss (5-1) would collect the win.
Jansen allowed a run, but still came away with his fifth save.

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Record: 51-53, 3rd, 6 GB Des Moines
Red-hot rookie Alan Dandero hit a grand slam to highlight a six-run bottom of the second inning and Jimmy Lambert turned in another strong start as St. Louis downed Milwaukee 6-3 at Busch Stadium (1997).
Down 1-0, Andrew Benintendi got things going for the River Walkers in bottom of the second with a lead-off single off Keg Lifters starter Francisco Juston.
A single by Romy Gonzalez and a walk to Nick Poirer loaded the bases.
Jared Thomas chased home the inning's first run with a single, another single, this one from Lambert, put St. Louis in front 2-1.
Dondero then whacked a 2-2 pitch from Justo 411 feet over the wall in right-center and all of a sudden it was 6-1.
Lambert (8-5) allowed two runs on seven hits in his six innings. He struck out nine and walked three.
Caleb Ferguson worked the seventh and allowed Milwaukee's third run, a homer from Kyle Seager.
Kenley Jansen and Sean Doolittle worked a scoreless inning apiece to end it.
It was Doolittle's first save since joining the Walkers on June 26.

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Record: 52-53, 3rd, 5 GB Des Moines
Christian Arroyo's two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning off Milwaukee reliever Antonio Santillan scored Jared Thomas with the game-winning run as St. Louis downed the Keg Lifters at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory allowed the River Walkers to sweep the three-game series.
Thomas had led off the ninth with a single and moved to second and then third on ground outs.
Arroyo lined a 3-1 pitch into left to bring home Thomas.
Down 1-0, the River Walkers tied it in when Romy Gonzalez led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer off Milwaukee reliever Jason Johnson.
St. Louis starting pitcher Argenis Batista worked 5.2 innings, allowing one run on seven hits. He struck out nine and walked none.
Phil Maton got the final out of the sixth and the first out of the seventh.
Jake Brentz closed out a scoreless seventh.
John Curtiss (6-1) took care of the eighth and ninth to earn the win.
Walkers outfielder Andrew Benintendi left the game with a knee injury.
He is expected to miss approximately five games.

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MBL news: Week 17 -- Awards and standings

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Left fielder Andrew Benintendi may have just earned the National League Player of the Week award, but it will be at least five days before he takes the field again.
Beintendi, 30, suffered a knee injury while running the bases in a 3-2 win over Rockford on July 28.
He is expected to miss three games.
To add another outfielder, St. Louis sent third baseman Nick Poirier back to AAA Memphis and called Dahaindy Johnson up from the Redbirds.
Poirier, 28, had played in 15 games with the Walkers batting .294 with two homers and four RBIs.
It is the second call up of the season for Johnson.
In his first stint in the show, Johnson, 24, batted .256 with three homers and five RBIs in 16 games.

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Record: 53-53, 3rd, 5 GB Des Moines
Rhy Hoskins homered and St. Louis hammered five balls over the wall in a 9-3 win over Rockford at Busch Stadium (1997).
The River Walkers first homer actually came from starting pitcher Aaron Nola, whose two-run shot off Thunder starter Shelby Miller put his team up 2-0.

Hoskins notched his first long ball in the fourth with a solo blast off Miller. putting the Walkers ahead 3-1.
Rockford actually tied in the sixth -- the Lightning would hit two homers in the game, Gage Canning going deep for their first in the top of the third -- when Drew Mendoza launched a two-run homer off Nola.
But Hoskins answered back with his second solo blast of the night in the bottom of the inning.
The remaining runs were all scored by the Walkers, and all featured the home run.
Romy Gonzalez led off the seventh with a homer off reliever Erasmo Pinales.
In the eighth, Dahiandy Johnson launched a grand slam off Shawn Semple to complete the scoring.
On the mound, Nola lasted 6.1 inning giving up the three runs on seven hits.He struck out six and walked none.
Sean Doolittle completed the seventh inning.
The eighth and ninth belonged to Jake Brentz and Jason Jester.

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Record: 53-54, 3rd, 6 GB Des Moines
Rockford jumped on St. Louis starting pitcher Alex Faedo for three runs in the top of the first inning and never trailed in posting a 6-1 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
It all started with a one-out walk to Gage Canning.
Drew Mendoza followed with a two-run homer.
But Estevan Florial made it three straight batters to reach with a double.
He would score on Bobby Gulden's two-out single.
Up 3-1, the Lightning added two more runs against the River Walkers bullpen in the eighth.

Gulden added his second RBI with a single off reliever Caleb Ferguson.
Jason Jester later hit Rece Hinds with a pitch with the bases loaded.
Rockford starter Jaden Foster worked 4.2 innings allowing one run on five hits.
Seth Lugo (5-2) finished the fifth and worked a scoreless sixth.
Erasmo Pinales (0.1 IP) and Gabriel Moya (0.2) combined on a quiet seventh.
Josh Fleming took care of the final two innings for Rockford.

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Record: 54-54, 3rd, 6 GB Des Moines
Jean Carmona's two-out single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Alan Dondero and gave St. Louis a 2-1 win over Rockford at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory gave the River Walkers wins in two of the series' three games against the Lightning.
Dondero led off the 10th with a double off Rockford reliever Alan Robles.
A bunt from Alek Thomas moved him to third.
Romy Gonzalez struck out for the second out before George Valera was intentionally walked.
Carmona then lined a 3-2 pitch into right-center field to win it.
St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the second with three straight singles -- from Valera, Carmona and Bo Bichette -- to open the inning.
Jared Thomas then drew a bases on balls from Rockford starter Konnor Pilkington to make it 1-0.
Pilkington tied it himself in the top of the third with a homer off Walkers starter Steven Brault.
Brault allowed just the one run on three hits in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
Caleb Ferguson, Sean Doolittle and Edwin Diaz alll worked an inning apiece to set the Walkers up to win it in the 10th.
Diaz (2-2) got the win.

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MBL news: Players and Pitcher of the Month for July

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MBL news: Pitchers of the Month and August 1 standings

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MBL news: American League leaders on August 1

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MBL news: National League leaders on August 1

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Walkers news: Team statistics for July and entire season

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Player of the Month: Alan Dondero -- Called to the majors for the first time on July 4, the 28-year-old Dondero provided a major spark to a month where the River Walkers went 18-8. In 21 games, he batted .356 with three homers and 12 RBIs. He also scored 12 runs while posting an on-base percentage of .395 and a slugging percentage of .726.
Starting pitcher of the Month: Aaron Nola: After scuffling through the first three months of the season, Nola turned in a dominant month going 5-0 in six starts with a 3.31 ERA. He pitched a total of 35.1 innings posting a WHIP of 1.22 and striking out 30. He was named National League Pitcher of the Month.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: John Curtiss -- He worked in 11 games and a total of 11.1 innings, going 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA. He posted a WHIP of 0.48 with 17 strikeouts.

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Walkers news: Player Development report for August 1

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Record: 54-55, 3rd, 6.5 GB Des Moines
Matt Ruppenthal allowed one run over 6.2 innings to help lead Quad City to a 3-2 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (1997).
Ruppenthal (11-8) allowed one run on four hits while striking out six and walking one in his time on the mound.
Nick Wood finished off the seventh inning and worked a scoreless eighth.
Nick Goody handled the ninth, he did allow a solo homer to Andrew Benintendi which made it 3-2, but did not allow a third run to earn his 28th save.
The Thunder got all three of their runs in the first off River Walkers starting pitcher Jimmy Lambert.
It got started right away when Duke Kinamon led off the game with a single and followed it with a steal of season.
Thomas Dillard chased Kinamon home with a single.
The Thunder, however, were not finished.
Andrew Bethea doubled to scored Dillard.
Another double, this one from Orlando Arcia, made it 3-0.
Rhys Hoskins got St. Louis lone run off Ruppenthal with a solo homer in the seventh.