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

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Walkers news: Team statistics for August 2030

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Walkers news: Team statistics on Sept. 1, 2030

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Player of the Month: Jose Ramirez -- The 27-year-old left fielder had another big month batting .298 with 12 homers and 26 RBIs in 28 game. He crossed the plate 22 times, while getting on base at a .380 clip and slugging .740.
Starting Pitcher of the Month -- Zack Hunsinger -- The 30-year-old right-hander has shined since being acquired in mid-July in a trade with Louisville. His 6-0 record in six starts, which earned him NL Pitcher of the Month honors, was accompanied by a 1.07 ERA. In 42.0 innings, he struck out 22 and had a 1.00 WHIP.
Relief Pitcher of the Month -- Ernesto Barbosa -- The 28-year-old closer was again dominant going 1-0 in 11 games with eight saves and a 1.38 ERA. He pitched a total of 13 innings, during which he struck out 16 and had a 1.00 WHIP.

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Record: 74-62, 2nd (Tied/w. Kansas City), 2.5 GB Springfield
Rookie Rick Scott connected on a two-run single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift St. Louis to an 8-7 win over Ann Arbor at Busch Stadium (1997).
It was the second big hit in as many innings for Scott, who had hit a two-run homer in the eighth pull the River Walkers to within 7-6.
The victory was the third of the four-game series for St. Louis.
At one point, the Wolf Pack had led 6-3 after a five-run fifth inning.
Ann Arbor reliever Dylan Cloonan had retired the first two St. Louis hitters in the ninth.
But a walk to Joshua Rivera set things in motion.
A single by Steve Rossi and another walk, to Brian Mundell, later loaded the bases.
That brought Scott to the plate, and he knocked a 1-0 pitch past the second baseman to score two and win it.
Trailing 3-1, the Pack had battered Walkers rookie starter Wilson Lara for five runs in the top of the fifth to seemingly take control.
Ann Arbor banged out five hits in the inning.
Phil Ervin and Raza Jafri both had two-run singles.
St. Louis pulled to within 6-4 with a run in the fifth, Mundell with an RBI single off Garrett Williams.
Ann Arbor got that run back in the eighth, Branden Comia tripled off reliever Travis Krogman and scored on a Jovan Gill single off Yeison Santos.
It was a rough outing for Lara, who allowed six runs on eight hits in just 4.2 innings.
Danny Amador cleaned up the fifth and pitched a scoreless sixth.
Krogman (1.2 IP) and Santos (0.1) combined to handle the seventh and eighth innings.
Closer Ernesto Barbosa (4-0) got the call to keep it close in the ninth, which he did.
That set him up to earn the win when Scott came up with his big hit in the ninth.

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MBL news: Week 18 -- Awards and standings

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Record: 75-62, 2nd (Tied/w. Kansas City), 0.5 GB Springfield
Kaneo Kawamoto pitched seven scoreless innings and St. Louis scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning to take control of a game, where the River Walkers would defeat Green Bay 4-0 at Busch Stadium (1997).
Kawamoto (13-12) scattered six hits in his seven innings, striking out five while not issuing a walk.
Jake Brentz pitched a scoreless eighth and got the first two outs in the ninth before issuing a walk to Alex Boychuk and having to be pulled.
Yeison Santos issued another walk, but got pinch-hitter Nick Hunt to ground out to end it.
Jean Carmona put the River Walkers in front for good with a two-out homer off Mallards starter Ryan Rallison in the bottom of the second.
All of the rest of their runs came courtesy of a three-run homer from Jared Thomas off Argenis Batista in the fifth.

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Record: 76-62, 1st, 0.5 GA Springfield and Des Moines
Rookie Lenyn Crisp turned in his second straight strong start -- allowing five runs over five innings -- and St. Louis rode a three-run bottom of the second inning to a 5-1 win over Green Bay at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory put the River Walkers into first place in the National League South Division, a half game in front of Springfield and Des Moines.
Making just his second start in the majors, Crisp (2-0) allowed the one run on three hits over five innings. He struck out nine and walked just one.
Crisp exited the game after allowing a lead-off home run to Austin Hendrick in the fifth, making it 3-1.
He then gave up a single to Pavin Smith and hit Ozzie Albies with a pitch.
But Cory Tiller bailed him out getting Mitch Bernier to hit into a double play.
Jordan Lawlar grounded out to end the inning and keep it 3-1.
Rookie Nathaniel Dixon provided the big blow of the Walkers' three-run third hitting a homer, his first in the majors, off Mallards starter Trevor Criswell to drive in all three runs.
A lead-off homer in the seventh by Jared Thomas off Woo-jin Ahn made it 4-1.
Tiller ended up finishing the sixth inning and followed it with a scoreless seventh.
Jose Alvarado and Ricky Cisneros did the same in the eighth and ninth.

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Record: 77-62, 1st, 0.5 GA Des Moines
Tied 3-3, St. Louis scored took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and went on for a 6-4 win over Green Bay at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory gave the River Walkers a three-game sweep of their series against the Mallards.
A three-run first inning homer from Jose Segura off Green Bay starter Alex Duarte had staked St. Louis to an early 3-0 lead.
But the Mallards chipped away and eventually tied it in the sixth against Walkers starter Izzy San Juan, who would be denied his 17th win of the season.
Reliever Josh Forgy struck out the first two St. Louis batters in the top of the seventh, but became unraveled after a walk to Hayden Jones and then seeing Edward Olivares reach on a passed ball on what should have been a called third strike.
Jose Ramirez gave the Walkers the lead with a single to score Jones.
Joshua Rivera followed with another single, plating Olivares to make it 5-3.
Green Bay sliced the deficit by a run in the eighth.
Jack Sigrist doubled off Ricky Cisneros and scored when Jordan Lawlar singled off Zach Evers.
The Walkers got that run back, however, has Jordan Groshans homered on a 1-1 pitch from Scott Rissler following a 29-minute rain delay.
San Juan pitched six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked one.
Yeison Santos (0.1 IP) got the first out of the seventh and Krogman the other two.
Cisneros (0.2) and Evers (0.1) divided up the eighth.
Ernesto Barbosa allowed two base runners in the ninth, but no runs to earn his 28th save.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have announced the signing of 30-year-old right-handed pitcher Zack Hunsicker to a three-year extension.
Acquired in mid-July from Louisville to replace the struggling Trey Benton, who has dealt to the Sluggers, Hunsicker has filled a big void going 7-2 with a 2.17 ERA in nine starts for the Walkers.
For the season, Hunsicker is 14-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 31 starts.
He began his major league career with Ann Arbor in 2023 and has gone 58-79 with a 3.97 ERA in 231 games (226 starts).
Hunsicker went to Louisville in 2028 as part of the MBL expansion draft.
The contract is worth $7.8 million per season, with the 2023 campaign featuring a team option.

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Record: 78-62, 1st, 1 GA Des Moines
Tied 2-2, St. Louis scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning and went on to defeat Cincinnati 5-2 at Riverfront Stadium (1984).
The River Sharks had tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh.
Zack Hunsicker, making a start on the same day he had agreed to a three-year extension to remain in St. Louis, walked Jake McCarthy to open the inning before getting Cesar Rodriguez to ground into a double play.
But pinch-hitter Chris Sammon followed with a single, which led to an end to Hunsicker's outing.
Jose Alvarado replaced Hunsicker and couldn't get the third out.
Travis Swaggerty greeted him with a single.
Alvarado allowed another single, this one to Landon Jordan, which scored Sammon to tie it.
In the top of the ninth, Rick Scott led off with a single off reliever Erikson Lanning.
Peter Ahn replaced Scott at first base,
Lanning retired the next two, although a ground out did advance Ahn to second.
Jean Carmona put St. Louis in front with a single.
Edward Olivares lengthened the gap to two runs with a double.
Pinch-hitter Brian Mundell then supplied the fourth hit of the inning off Lanning, a single that score Olivares and made it 5-2.
Hunsicker worked 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out five and walked three.
He also had a two-run single in the fifth inning, which put St. Louis up 2-1.
Tiller replaced Alvarado to get the final two outs of the eighth.
Jake Brentz allowed two singles to open the ninth, but got a double play and was able to keep the score at 5-2.
Brentz earned his seventh save.

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Record: 79-62, 1st, 1 GA Des Moines
Jose Segura hit a three-run home run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to help St. Louis rally for a 5-3 win over Cincinnati at Riverfront Stadium (1984).
Down 3-2, Peter Ahn got things moving for the River Walkers in the top of the ninth by drawing a lead-off walk from Sean Williams.
A bunt from Alek Thomas moved Ahn to second.
But Williams struck out Jose Ramirez for the second out.
A walk to Joshua Rivera kept the Wakers' hopes alive.
And Segura delivered, hitting a 2-1 pitch 436 feet over the wall in left center.
Tied 2-2, the River Sharks had gone up 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth on a Gus Troncoso solo homer off St. Louis reliever Travis Krogman.
Walkers rookie starter Wilson Lara worked five innings, allowing two runs on two hits. He struck out eight and walked one.
Krogman pitched a pair of innings, getting the game to the eighth.
Yeison Santos (0.2 IP) and Cory Tiller (0.1) combined on a scoreless inning there.
Tiller (2-2) earned the win for the second consecutive game.
Closer Ernesto Barbosa was flawless in the ninth for his 29th save.

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Record: 80-62, 1st, 1 GA Des Moines
Steve Rossi homered twice and drove in five runs and Jordan Groshans also hit two homers and collected three RBIs as St. Louis routed Cincinnati 14-2 at Riverfront Stadium (1984).
The River Walkers broke it open early going up 6-0 by the end of 2.5 innings.
Rossi's first homer of the game, off River Sharks starter Karl Sansom, was a three-run blast in the top of the first, putting St. Louis up 3-0.
Groshans then led off the second with his first long ball to make it 4-0.
St. Louis didn't need a homer to add two more runs in the third.
Jean Carmona connected on a two-run single off Sansom to do the job.
The fifth inning featured two-run homers from both Rossi and Groshans, Joe Blakely the victim of both, to make it 10-0.
Hayden Jones later hit a three-run shot off Jack Darling in the seventh, as the Walkers lead ballooned to 13-1.
Kaneo Kawamoto (14-12) allowed one run -it coming on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. solo homer in the sixth --- on five hits. He struck out seven and walked none.
Rookie Jonathan Lucas handled the final two innings.

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Record: 81-62, 1st, 1 GA Des Moines
Rookie Lenyn Crisp turned in another strong start and St. Louis completed a four-game sweep of Cincinnati with a 5-1 win at Riverfront Stadium (1984).
The four-game sweep extended the River Walkers' winning streak to nine games.
Crisp (3-0), who has won all three of his starts, allowed one run on two hits over six innings. He struck out nine and walked three,
The lone run he allowed was a homer from Landon Jordan in the fifth inning, which actually put the River Sharks up 1-0.
But in the top of the sixth, St. Louis wiped that out with a four-run outburst.
After cruising through the first five innings, Cincinnati starter Rob Pillsbury walked Joshua Rivera to open the top of the sixth.
Jared Thomas followed with a double, scoring Rivera to tie it.
That also ended Pillsbury's outing.
Jeff Singleton took over and got Steve Rossi to fly out, but then intentionally walked Brian Mundell.
Jose Segura made him pay with a single which put St. Louis in front 2-1.
Jean Carmona then reached on an error by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., scoring another run to push the lead to 3-1.
Peter Ahn was given the second intentional walk of the inning, and Crisp's bunt attempt resulted with Segura being thrown out at home.
With Jose Ramirez at the plate, catcher Cesar Rodriguez allowed a pitch to get passed him letting the inning's fourth run score.
A two-out double by Jared Thomas, off reliever Josh Morrow, allowed the Walkers to add an insurance run in the top of the ninth.
After Crisp left following the sixth inning, Cory Tiller and Travis Krogman both worked scoreless innings.
Even though it was not a save situation, Ernesto Barbosa worked a 1-2-3 ninth to end it.

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MBL news: Week 18 -- Awards and standings

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Record: 82-62, 1st, 1.5 GA Des Moines
Jean Carmona launched the third pitch of the bottom of the 11th inning 379 feet over the right-field wall to give St. Louis a 5-4 win over Twin Cities at Busch Stadium (1997).
Snow Cats co-closer Eric Watkins was beginning his third inning of work and had a 1-1 count on Carmona, when the veteran shortstop launched his 11th home run of the season.
The win was the 10th in a row for St. Louis.
The contest featured seven homers -- three by Twin Cities and four by the River Walkers.
The Cats' Roc Riggio led off the game with his 13th homer of the season, it coming off St. Louis starter Izzy San Juan.
Rick Scott cracked a two-run homer in the bottom of the second, off Twin Cities starter Keith Brennan, to give the Walkers the lead for the first time.
Robbie Mackie hit his 40th homer of the season in the top of the fourth to tie it at 2-2.
St. Louis regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth, Steve Rossi doing the honors with a homer off Brennan.
The Cats didn't need a homer to tie it in the fifth.
Riggio drew a two-out walk from San Juan and scored after consecutive singles from Alvaro Lovato and Jim Peebles.
Bottom of the sixth, St. Louis went ahead again when Jose Segura hit his 40th homer of the season, it came off reliever Jim Messina, to make it 4-3.
That lead was gone after one batter in the top of the seventh, as Yan Contreras greeted Walkers reliever Travis Krogman with a 401-foot blast.
San Juan pitched well but was denied his 17th win for the third straight game.
The veteran lefty allowed three runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out six and walked two.
He was followed to the mound by Krogman (1.0 IP), Yeison Santos (1.0) Danny Amador (2.0) and Jake Brentz (1.0).
Brentz (4-3) came out of it with his fourth win.

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Record: 82-63, 1st. 0.5 GA Des Moines
Down 3-0, Twin Cities scored the game's next seven runs and rolled to a 7-4 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (1997).
The loss ended a 10-game win streak for the River Walkers.
The first of Jose Segura's two home runs came in the bottom of the first inning, a two-run shot off Snow Cats starter Gilberto Carballo, to stake St. Louis to a 2-0 lead.
An inning later, Hayden Jones took Carballo deep to make it 3-0
Twin Cities tied it up with three runs off St. Louis starter Zack Hunsicker in the top of the fourth.
RJ Teijero was the first of five out of six Cats hitters to reach base with a one-out double.
A hit by pitch of Jeff Waddell and a walk to Will Banfield loaded the bases.
After Hunsicker struck out Yan Contreras, Carballo singled to put Twin Cities on the board.
Roc Riggio followed with a two-run double, although Carballo was thrown out at the plate.
The Cats took the lead an inning later courtesy of a two-run homer by Robbie Mackie, his 41st of the season, off Hunsicker.
Twin Cities scored for the third straight inning in the sixth.
Pinch-hitter Aaron Watson doubled with one out off Hunsicker.
Roc Riggio moved him to third with a single off Yeison Santos.
Watson then scored on a wild pitch with Jim Peebles at the plate.
Twin Cites struck yet again in the seventh with Waddell greeting reliever Zach Evers with a lead-off homer.
Segura hit his second homer of the game, off Jeses Liranzo, to cap the scoring.
Carballo lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits.
Five relievers followed him to the mound -- Drake Fellows (1.1 IP), Jimmy Herget (0.1), Liranzo (1.2), Jesse Gaither (1.0) and Eric Watkins (1.0) -- with Fellows (7-4) earning the win.
Watkins notched his 17th save.

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Record: 83-63, 1st, 0.5 GA Des Moines
St. Louis charged out to a 10-0 lead -- scoring three runs in the second, third and fourth innings -- and cruised to a 10-3 win over Twin Cities at Busch Stadium (1997).
The win gave the River Walkers victories in two of the three games in their series with the Snow Cats.
Jose Ramirez wasted no times putting the Walkers up leading off the bottom of the first inning with a homer off Cats starter Mack Anglin.
The second began the string of three straight three-run innings for St. Louis.
That inning featured pitcher Wilson Lara driving in a run with a bunt.
Another scored on a wild pitch, and Ramirez made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly.
Jean Carmona took care of all the scoring in the third, hitting a three-run homer which ended Anglin's day on the mound.
The fourth featured another three-run homer, this one from Jose Segura who launched his 43rd long ball of the season off reliever Drake Fellows.
Rookie Wilson Lara (10-7) earned his 10th win of the season by allowing just one hit, a Javier Valdes single in the third, over six scoreless innings. He struck out seven and walked four.
Ricky Cisneros handled the seventh and eighth innings, and allowed two of the Cats' runs.
Zach Evans allowed a homer to Roc Riggio in the ninth.

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Record: 84-63, 1st, 2 GA Des Moines
Jordan Groshan led off the bottom of the 12th inning with a home run to give St. Louis an 8-7 win over Springfield at Busch Stadium (1997).
Groshans' 23rd homer of the season came on a 2-1 pitch from Railers reliever Carlos Garcia, it traveled 413 feet over the left-field wall.
Springfield tallied twice off St. Louis starter Kaneo Kawamoto in the top of the first to grab an early edge.
But the River Walkers would reel off the game's next seven runs to seize a 7-2 advantage.
St. Louis relied on the long ball getting a solo homer from Jose Segura in the first and three long balls from Jose Ramirez.
Ramirez led off the bottom of the first with a homer. He hit a three-run homer in the fourth and another solo shot in the seventh.
Down 7-2, Springfield stormed back.
James Gamble had a two-out RBI single off Yeison Santos in the eighth making it 7-3.
In the ninth, the Railers went back-to-back with the long ball to tie it.
Dylan Crews struck first with a three-run shot off David Amador.
Jake Brentz took over, and his first pitch to Alex Otero also went over the fence to tie it.
Kawamoto handled the first seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits. he struck out 10 and walked two.
Santos pitched the eighth, giving up the one run.
Amador (0.1 IP) and Brentz (0.2) handled the ninth when the Railers tied it.
Closer Ernesto Barbosa didn't allow a base runner in his two innings.
Jose Alvarado (2-4) walked a batter, but didn't allow anything else in the top of the 12th, which ended up paving his way to the win.

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Record: 84-64, 1st, 2 GA Des Moines
Springfield rocked St. Louis rookie starter Lenyn Crisp for seven runs in less than four innings, as the Railers rocked the River Walkers 8-2 at Busch Stadium (1997).
The 23-year-old Crisp had been impressive in winning his first three starts for the Walkers, but he didn't have it against the Railers.
Dylan Crews, the second batter he faced, hit a solo homer in the top of the first to put Springfield in front.
The next batter, Alex Otero, doubled and later scored on an Ruben Villanueva fly ball.
Springfield added its third run in the third, Crews reaching on a one-out double and scoring on a Otero single.
The Railers closed the door on Crisp in the fourth, with Crews and Otero again very much in the mix.
Crews hit a two-run homer and Otero followed with a solo shot to make it 7-0.
Springfield starter Jared Kelly (12-9) allowed one run on three hits over the first six innings. He struck out five and didn't issue a walk.
Justin Jarvis pitched a scoreless seventh.
The final two innings were taken care of by Edwin Cora.

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Record: 84-65, 1st, 2 GA Des Moines
Alex Otero connected on a two-run single with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to help lift Springfield to a 2-1 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (1997).
The win gave the Railers a series win, taking two of three.
River Walkers starter Izzy San Juan came into the eighth with a one-hit shutout but he exited after allowing a lead-off walk to pinch-hitter Billy Salas.
Cory Tiller replaced San Juan, and allowed Daniel Becerra to get down a bunt which moved Salas to second.
He then issued an intentional walk to Riley Greene, before getting Dylan Crews to fly out for the second out.
Left-handed reliever Jose Alvarado was called on to face the lefty-swinging Otero.
It didn't turn out well, Otero knocking the first pitch he saw down the left-field line to score two and give Springfield the lead.
Railers starting pitcher Bobby Wheeler allowed one run on five hits over the first five innings. He struck out six and didn't walk a batter.
Mario Reyes kept St. Louis off the board in the sixth and seventh innings.
That was enough to earn Reyes (2-3) the win.
Gerson Moreno pitched a 1-2-3 eighth.
Mike Fagan did the same in the ninth for his 34th save.