2033 St. Louis River Walkers: And the saga continues

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Record: 38-57, 7th, 16.5 GB Des Moines
Louisville scored three runs off St. Louis closer Ernesto Barbosa in the top of the ninth inning, spurring the Sluggers to a 6-5 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
On the trading block, it was the seventh blown save of the season for Barbosa. The two-time National League Relief Pitcher of the Year had never blown more than three saves in his previous five seasons in St. Louis.
Tied 3-3, the River Walkers had gone up 5-3 after Jose Segura connected on a two-out, two-run double off Sluggers reliever Lawrence Caulfield in the bottom of the eighth.
The ninth started off well for Barbosa with a strike out of Steve Rossi.
Hisanori Yasuda and pinch-hitter Seth Beer,however, got things for Louisville wth consecutive singles.
Barbosa got Kevin VanWinkle to fly out for the second out.
But the righty could not close it out.
Corey Way followed with a double to tie it.
Tom Blevens then put the Sluggers in the lead with another double.
Louisville starting pitcher Myles Wilson worked the first 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits.
Caulfield (1-0) got the win, after allowing two runs while finishing he sixth inning and also working the seventh and eighth.
Brian Rose handled the ninth, keeping the Sluggers in the lead, to earn his 18th save.

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Record: 39-57, 7th, 15.5 GB Des Moines
After dropping four straight to Louisville coming out of the All-Star break, St. Louis finally busted loose pounding out 10 runs on 18 hits in a 10-3 win over the Sluggers at Busch Stadium (2006).
The River Walkers took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when Jose Segura homered off Louisville starter Matt Ray.
An inning later, they busted it open with five more runs.
Thairo Estrada and Alex Greene both drove in a pair of runs with a double and homer, respectively, also off Ray.
The Sluggers would not get any closer than four runs the rest of the way.
Greene would finish the game 3 for 5 with two runs scored and three RBIs.
Estrada was 1 for 4 with a run scored and also drove in three.
St. Louis starter Justin Doughtie worked 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits.
Kevin Baker got the final out of the seventh.
Oscar Martinez and Scott Rissler both worked scoreless innings to close out the win.

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Record: 39-58, 7th, 16.5 GB Des Moines
Down 2-1, Louisville scored three runs in the top of the second inning and went on to defeat St. Louis 6-2 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory gave the Sluggers wins in two of the three games in the series, and five out of six in the home-and-home the two teams played to begin the post All-Star break portion of the schedule.
Nick Shaw hit a two-run homer off Sluggers starter Jim Martin in the bottom of the first to give the River Walkers a short-lived lead.
The top of the second started great for St. Louis starter Jesse McNaboe with a pair of ground out.
It changed when Gamaliel Gonzalez drew a walk, as the next three batters all reached base.
Jairo Diaz singled and pitcher Jim Martin hit a two-run double to put Louisville in front, 3-2.
The next batter, Bradley Mondeir, also singled making it 4-2.
The Sluggers final two runs came in the fifth, when Cole Turney hit a two-run homer off McNaboe.
Martin (12-3) pitched five innings, allowing the two runs on five hits.
After that, it was a scoreless inning each from Lawrence Caulfield, Rafael Espinoza, Joe Wahl and Eric Pardinho to close out the win.

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MBL news: Week 14 -- Awards and standings

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Record: 40-58, 7th, 15.5 GB Des Moines
Jerry Tate took a shutout into the ninth inning, and St. Louis took control with three runs in the bottom of the first inning as the River Walkers downed Quad City 6-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Back-to-back homers from Kyren Paris and Jean Segura's off Thunder starting pitcher Danny Garza highlighted St. Louis' first-inning outburst.
Nick Shaw followed those homers with a double. He would score on a bases-loaded two-out single from Jovan Gill.
Gill collected another RBI in the third, when his fielder's choice scored Shaw who had drawn a lead-off walk from Garcia.
That RBI total grew to four for Gill in the eighth, when he hit his 13th homer of the season, a two-run shot off reliever Terry Zahnow.
Tate (4-7) scattered five hits over the first eight innings before allowing a lead-off homer to Nick Gonzalez in the top of the ninth.
The right-hander exited after the homer. He struck out six and walked two.
Oscar Martinez took over and retired the Thunder in order to seal the win.

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Record: 41-58, 7th, 15.5 GB Des Moines
Leading 8-7, St. Louis scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to help propel the River Walkers to an 11-7 win over Quad City at Busch Stadium (2006).
A wild game, the Thunder had scored four runs in the top of the eighth to turn an 8-3 deficit into 8-7.
Quad City put its first five batters of the inning on base.
The first four, and encompassed all four runs, were against Scott Rissler, as Chris Shelley led off the inning with a triple.
After a walk, Ben Nelson scored both base runners with a double.
Nick Gonzalez then connected for his 22nd homer of the season to make it 8-7.
But the River Walkers answered right back in the bottom of the inning.
Daniel Becerra led off the inning with a single off QC reliever John Goulet.
After a fly out, Kevin Melendez and Thairo Estrada both singled to load the bases.
Craig Fritzler took the mound, only to issue a walk to Alex Greene to score the inning's first run.
Kyren Paris followed with a single, scoring two and making it 11-7.
Walkers starter Ricky Cisneros (2-1) lasted 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out nine and walked one.
Cory Tiller finished the sixth inning and got the first two outs of the seventh.
Nick Ruffalo finished the seventh.
Rissler had a horrible top of the eighth, failing to retire any of the four batters he faced.
Josh Forgy came on to get the Walkers out of the eighth.
Oscar Martinez pitched a scoreless ninth.

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In the midst of their worst season in franchise history, the St. Louis River Walkers looked to build for the future trading closer Ernesto Barbosa, right fielder Alex Greene and outfield/first base prospect Jerry Perez to the Cleveland Juke Box Heroes in exchange for pitching prospects Danny Burch and Greg Sones.
Barbosa and Greene are both scheduled to be free agents at season's end, and are expected to demand money well above their age.
Both players are 31-year-old.
Signed out of Cuba before the 2028 season, Barbosa was one of the dominant closers in the game through the 2033 season.
A two-time National League Reliever of the Year, Barbosa pitched in 271 games for the Walkers while posting a record of 31-6 with 136 saves and a 1.61 ERA.
The 2033 season, however, has been a struggle for Barbosa, who already has suffered a career-high seven saves.
This season, Barbosa has got into 23 games, during which he had gone 4-2 with 13 saves and a 5.42 ERA.
Acquired from Peoria via trade before the 2032 season, Greene has probably been the Walkers best everyday player during the 2033 season.
In 94 games, he is batting .317 with nine homers and 36 RBIs.
In his two seasons in St. Louis, Greene has hit .281 with 18 homers and 73 RBIs.
An outfielder/first baseman, Perez, 24, has spent the 2033 season split between AA Springfield and Class A Palm Beach.
Combined, the second round pick in the 2029 draft, has hit .352 with nine homers and 54 RBIs in 91 games.
Coming to St. Louis, Burch is the big piece.
The 20th-overall pick in the 2032 draft, Burch, a right-hander, has gone 8-4 in 19 starts and posted a 4.46 ERA while pitching for Class A Dunedin.
Sones, 25, has spent this season at AA New Hampshire where he has served as the closer.
The left-hander has pitched in 38 games, going 2-5 with 22 saves and a 2.55 ERA.
Sones was selected by Cleveland in the second round of the 2028 draft.

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The game between the Quad City Thunder and St. Louis River Walkers scheduled for Busch Stadium (2006) has been postponed because of weather.
It will likely be rescheduled for later in the season.

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Record: 41-59, 7th, 16.5 GB Des Moines
Tied 3-3 in the top of the eighth inning, pinch-hitter Matt Walczak singled with one out off St. Louis reliever Yeison Santos and Daylen Reyes drove him home with a single, as Chicago won 4-3 at Busch Stadium (2006).
River Walkers starting pitcher Alex Pazos shut out the G-Men over the first five innings but it all fell apart in the fifth.
An error by third baseman Javon Gill, allowing lead-off hitter Jarred Kelenic to reach, set things in motion.
A Cruz Calderon single moved Kelenic to third.
Kelenic scored on a Willie Rubio fly ball.
Jake Gelof did the rest with a two-run homer, putting Chicago in front.
St.. Louis tied it in the bottom of the sixth.
Dan Hillard making his major league debut doubled with one out, he went 3 for 4 in the game, and scored on a Kyren Paris single off Chicago reliever Ben Harris.
G-Men starting pitcher Jimmy DePra lasted just 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits.
Harris (2-0) finished off the fifth inning and got the game to the eighth. He earned the win.
Michael Steinberg allowed two hits in the eighth, but didn't allow a run.
David McLoughlin did the same in the ninth, allowing two hits, and also didn't give up a run.
McLoughlin earned his sixth save of the season for his effort.

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Record: 42-59, 7th, 15.5 GB Des Moines
Dan Hilliard, playing just his second game in the majors, hit two home runs --- and St. Louis hit four altogether -- as it downed Chicago 8-4 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Tied 2-2, St. Louis broke the game open with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Jared Thomas and Hillard provided the big blows, both driving in two runs.
Thomas did his with a double. Hillard with his second homer of the game.
Hillard's first homer was a solo shot off G-Men starting pitcher Rich Nelson in the second to make it 2-0.
His second came off reliever Ben Harris, who also gave up the double by Thomas.
Walkers starting pitcher Justin Doughtie (3-1) allowed three runs on two hits in six innings.
John Good worked a scoreless seventh inning and also got the first out of the eighth.
Oscar Martinez finished off the eighth, allowing Chicago's third run on Jarred Kelenic's second homer of the game.
Scott Rissler struck out the side in the ninth.

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Record: 42-60, 7th, 15.5 GB Des Moines
Scoreless through nine innings, Chicago busted loose for four runs in the top of the 10th inning and went on to defeat St. Louis 4-0 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win allowed the G-Men to take the finale of the three-game series after dropping the first two.
Chicago starting pitcher Jonathan Stiever went 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing four hits while striking out three and walking one.
River Walkers starter Jesse McNaboe wasn't nearly as efficient, allowing nine hits, but he didn't allow a run either in his eight innings.
The G-Men finally got things going in the top of the 10th, starting off against reliever Scott Rissler.
After getting a ground out from Daylen Reyes, Rissler walked Ozzie Albies.
Nick Ruffalo replaced Rissler, and things quickly crumbled for the Walkers.
Luis Tejada greeted Ruffalo with a single.
Jarred Kelenic followed that with a three-run homer.
Chicago added another run.
Paul Broyles and pinch-hitter Cruz Calderon both singled with two outs off Ruffalo.
A walk to Jerry Amaro loaded the bases, and led to Ruffalo being replaced by Cory Tiller.
Matt Walczek hit a grounder to shortstop Kyren Paris, which he booted allowing Broyles to score and make it 4-0.
Josh Morrow finished off the seventh inning for the G-Men following the departure of Stiever.
He also worked a scoreless eighth inning.
A scoreless ninth inning set Michael Steinberg (3-2) up for the win.
Andrew Perez held the Walkers scoreless in the 10th.

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The St. Louis River Walkers made a trade just before the deadline, sending relief pitcher Ricky Cisneros and minor league starting pitcher Steve Davis to the Evansville Bosseman in exchange for second baseman Wes Cohen.
Cisneros, 28, has spent his entire career in the River Walkers' organization with his time in the majors primarily being as a reliever.
In 2033, Cisneros has pitched in 10 games, four starts, going 2-1 with a 9.82 ERA.
For his career, Cisneros has worked in 275 games (42 starts) going 31-29 with 13 saves and a 4.50 ERA.
Cisneros will be a free agent at the end of the 2033 season.
Davis, a third-round pick in the 2031 draft by St. Louis, has gone 6-5 in 17 starts for AAA Memphis this season with a 3.28 ERA.
Coming to St. Louis, Cohen, 25, is a former 12th-round pick by the Bossemen in the 2027 draft.
He has split the 2033 season between AAA and with Evansville.
In 30 games in AAA Salt Lake, he hit .285 with 11 homers and 28 RBIs.
With the Bosseman, in 40 games (10 starts), he has hit. 237 with seven homers and 14 RBIs.

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MBL news: Week 15 -- Awards and standings

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Walkers news: August 1 -- Player Development Report

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MBL news: August 1 -- Players and Pitchers of the Month for July

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MBL news: August 1 -- Rookies of the Month for July

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MBL news: August 1 -- American League leaders

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MBL news: August 1 -- National League leaders

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MBL news: August 1 -- Team statistics for July

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Player of the Month: Jose Segura -- The 28-year-old center fielder batted .253 with six homers, 14 RBIs and 14 runs scored in 20 games. He got on base at a .295 clip and slugged .542.
Starting Pitcher of the Month: Jerry Tate -- The 30-year-old right-hander went 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA in four starts. He pitched 26.0 innings, during which he struck out 15 and had a 1.27 WHIP/
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Oscar Martinez -- The 29-year-old lefty got into 11 games during which he posted a 2.53 ERA over 10.2 innings. He struck out eight and had a 1.12 WHIP.