2039 and beyond -- St. Louis River Walkers thread

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MBL news: August 1 -- National League leaders

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Walkers news: August 1 -- Team statistics for July

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Walkers news: August 1 -- Team statistics for 2039 season

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Player of the Month: Joe Allen -- The 34-year-old outfielder batted .320 with seven homers, 20 RBIs and 17 runs scored in 23 games. He got on base at a .390 clip and slugged .693.
Starting Pitcher of the Month: Kevin Hrdlicka -- The 27-year-old right-hander was 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA in five starts. He pitched a total of 31.2 innings, during which he struck out 37 and had a 1.01 WHIP.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Chris Willett -- The 28-year-old right-hander got into 11 games during which he went 3-0 and had a 0.79 ERA. He pitched 11.1 innings during which he had a 1.24 WHIP and struck out nine.

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Walkers news: August 1 -- Player Development Report

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The St. Louis River Walkers have released veteran shortstop Daylen Reyes and called up 26-year-old shortstop R.J. Gomez from AA Springfield.
Reyes, 38, joined St. Louis just before the trade deadline for the 2038 season and then was re-signed in the offseason.
Things didn't go well for Reyes, as he started poorly and eventually lost his starting job to Kerry Fackelman, who was signed as a free agent on May 7.
In 45 games for St. Louis this season, 29 starts, Reyes had hit just .164 no homers, five RBIs and 15 runs scored.
This is Gomez's second callup to the majors this season, as he had a brief stint with the Walkers in May because of an injury.
In six games, Gomez hit .350 with 1 homer, four RBIs and four runs scored.
That was a far cry better than the numbers he has put up between AAA Memphis and AA Springfield this season.
In a combined 93 games, he has hit .193 with seven homers, 35 RBIs and 39 runs scored.
This time, Gomez will be get the chance to win the starting shortstop job going into the 2040 season.
Fackelman, 56 games/53 starts, has struggled in his time with the Walkers hitting .208 with 24 runs scored and 12 RBIs.
The 31-year-old is not expected to be brought back next season.

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Record: 53-50, 2nd, 10 GB Cedar Rapids
Des Moines Carlos Calderon improved to 7-1 by going six shut-out innings to help propel the Harvesters to a 7-0 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
Calderon, 30, allowed just two singles during his time on the mound. He struck out five and walked two as his ERA dropped to 2.01.
Josh Ashton worked a scoreless seventh for Des Moines.
The eighth and ninth belonged to Jimmy Berry.
The Harvesters scored three runs in the first six innings off River Walkers starter Xavier Wigfall.
They later busted it open with a four-run eighth against the St. Louis' bullpen.
Des Moines went up 1-0 in the top of the third.
It opened the inning with three straight singles.
Justin Oates, who had opened the inning, scored the run on a one-out ground out by Leo Cerna.
The Harvesters put together three hits in a span of four batters to tally twice in the sixth.
Fernando Mendoza, who had singled, scored the first run on a Wigfall wild pitch.
Shane Speer, who had doubled, scored on a Calderon fly ball to right.
Chris Willett took the brunt of the damage for St. Louis in the eighth.
After opening the inning with a strikeout, he allowed four straight batters to reach capped by back-to-back doubles by pinch-hitter Willie Martinez and Justin Oates.
Martinez scored one with his hit, Oates plated a pair.
Brett McVey took over and the inning's fourth run scored when center fielder Mark Waterson dropped a Marcos Francis fly ball.

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Record: 54-50, 2nd, 9 GB Cedar Rapids
Juan Farias pitched into the seventh inning, allowing one run on four hits, to help lead St. Louis to a 4-2 win over Des Moines at Busch Stadium (2006).
The lone run allowed by Farias (3-2) came in his final inning, when Josh Greer led off with a double and scored on a Fernando Mendoza single to make it 4-1.
Mendoza was thrown out at second base by left fielder Mark Waterson.
Zigza Mukuru followed with a single, which ended Farias' outing.
He struck out seven and walked one in his time on the mound.
Leo Hermosillo took over and got pinch-hitter Jamie Sanders to ground out to end the inning.
The Harvesters did get a run off Brett McVey in the eighth, Hermosillo recorded the first out of the eighth before McVey replaced him, to pull within 4-2.
Marcos Francis doubled off McVey, who then walked two to load the bases.
Francis scored on a Greer fly ball, but John Mathiesen grounded out to end the inning.
Craig Fritzler earned his 14th save in a four-batter ninth.
The River Walkers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first against Harvesters starting pitcher Drew Dillard.
Four of their first five batters connected for hits, including a two-run triple by Mark Herman.
Herman scored on a Mark Waterson single.
Waterson made it 4-0 when he led off the fourth with his 12th homer of the season.

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Record:54-51, 2nd, 10 GB Cedar Rapids
Des Moines hammered St. Louis starting pitcher Ming Xiang for six runs in the top of the fourth inning and that's what powered the Harvesters to a 6-1 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win was Des Moines' second of the three-game series.
The Harvesters put seven consecutive batters -- five singles, a double and an error by catcher Alek Boychuk -- to open the top of the fourth at which time Xiang exited.
Ryan Rivet's double drove in a pair of runs.
Willie Martinez and Fernando Mendoza both had RBI singles.
A run scored when Leo Cerna reached on Boychuk's error.
Zigza Mukuru drove in the final run with deep fly ball to center off Chris Willett.
Des Moines starting pitcher Chris Novotny (5-10) went 6.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits -- it came in the bottom of the fourth making it 4-1 -- with five strike outs and a walk.
Alex Rodriguez handled the final 2.1 innings of mound work for the Harvesters.

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Record: 55-51, 2nd, 9 GB Cedar Rapids
Down 1-0, St. Louis scored four times in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat Akron 4-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The Flying Feet got an RBI single from Zach Arnold off River Walkers starting pitcher Agustin Perdomo in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
That advantage lasted until the bottom of the eighth when the St. Louis offense finally showed some life.
Mat Alfaro took over the pitching duties to start the inning and he was not good.
He walked the first two batters -- Kerry Fackelman and pinch-hitter Nolan Gorman - and then gave up a single to Ryan Wibbenmeyer to load the bases.
Tony Urbalejo tied it with another single.
After a strike out of Manuel Coke, Alek Boychuk drew the third walk of the inning, scoring another run, putting the Walkers in front 2-1.
Mark Herman followed that with the fourth run of the inning, growing the St. Louis edge to 3-1.
Hector Nieves finally replaced Alfaro, but he gave up a sacrifice fly to Jose Ramon to plate the inning's final run.
St. Louis starting pitcher Agustin Perdomo went 7.2 innings, allowing one run on four singles. He struck out five and walked one.
Leo Hermosillo (2-1) got Zach Arnold to ground out to end the eighth, which was enough to earn him the win.
Craig Fritzler faced four batters in the ninth to earn his 15th save.

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Record: 56-51, 2nd, 9 GB Cedar Rapids
Joe Allen tripled off Akron reliever Hector Nieves with one out in the bottom of the 10th and he scored on a Jose Ramon fly ball to lift St. Louis to a 2-1 win over Akron at Busch Stadium (2006).
The Flying Feet had tied it 1-1 in the top of the ninth inning against River Walkers closer Craig Fritzler.
Fritzler walked Zach Arnold to open the inning.
He scored on a two-out single by John Hartigan.
It marked Fritzler's eighth blown save.
St. Louis got a strong start out of Kevin Hrdlicka.
He went scoreless seven innings, allowing four hits -- two doubles and two singles -- while striking out seven and walking one.
Leo Hermosillo (0.2 IP) and Brett McVey (0.1) combined on a scoreless eighth inning.
Fritzler pitched the ninth when Akron tied it.
Alex Rios (2-1) earned the win after pitching a scoreless top of the 10th.
The River Walkers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third against Flying Feet starter Joe Black.
Mike Vaughan and Tony Urbalejo led off the inning with back-to-back singles.
With one out, R.J. Gomez reached on an error by Chris Hopkins to load the bases.
Black then walked Jose Ramon to make it 1-0.

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Record: 57-51, 2nd, 9 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning and four more in the third to pave the way for a 7-3 win over Akron at Busch Stadium ((2006).
Mark Herman, who was 4 for 4 in the contest, scored the first of the River Walkers' two runs in the second.
He singled off with one out Flying Feet starting pitcher Adam Disney.
Herman scored when Mark Waterson followed with a double.
A two-out single by Kerry Fackelman later scored Waterson.
With the score 2-1 in the bottom of the third, St. Louis put five straight batters on base to spur their four-run outburst.
Three straight singles got things rolling, the third single by Herman scored Manuel Coke to make it 3-1.
After a walk to Waterson loaded the bases, Mike Vaughan unloaded them with a three-run double.
Akron scored single runs off Walkers starter Xavier Wigfall in the fourth and fifth innings to pull within 6-3.
But the St. Louis bullpen worked four innings of scoreless ball to close out the game.
Meanwhile, the Walkers added runs in the seventh -- Nick Shaw with a run-scoring sac fly off Robert Chacon -- and eighth -- pinch-hitter Nolan Gorman with an RBI single off Santiago Snyder -- to make the 8-3 final.
Wigfall (4-4) struggled but still got the win.
He worked five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out five and walked three.
Alex Rios (1.2 IP), Frank Jimenez (1.1) and Carlos Hernandez (1.0) combined to close out the game.

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Record: 58-51, 2nd, 8 GB Cedar Rapids
It took almost four innings for St. Louis to collect its first hit, but when Mark Waterson finally got a ball to fall in it was the biggest hit of the game in the River Walkers 2-1 win over Akron at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory gave St. Louis a sweep of the three-game series.
Flying Feet starting pitcher Dave Gomez held St. Louis hitless until the bottom of the fourth.
But when Waterson came to the plate with two outs, there were two men on in front of him.
Joe Allen had reached on an error by Flying Feet first baseman John Polk and Mark Herman had drawn a two-out walk.
Facing an 0-2 count, Waterman bashed the ball over center fielder Bill Savage, easily deep enough to score both runners and give the Walkers a 2-0 edge.
Akron did get a in the sixth, when Jimmy Johnson doubled with two out off starting pitcher Juan Farias.
Johnson scored on a Victor Romero single off Brett McVey, but that would be the last the scoring.
Farias (4-2) went 5.2 innings, allowing one on six hits. He struck out five and walked one.
McVey finished off the sixth with the score still 2-1.
He also pitched a scoreless seventh.
Leo Hermosillo handled the eighth.
Chris Willett recorded the first two outs of the ninth before allowing a two-out single to George Crockett.
Left-hander Carlos Hernandez was brought in to face the left-handed hitting Harry Cummings, but he was swapped out for right-handed hitting John Hartigan.
It didn't matter as Hernandez struck him out to end the game and earn his first save since coming to St. Louis in a June 16 trade with Chicago.

Jimmy Johnson

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MBL news: August 8 -- Week 18 - Awards and standings

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Record: 58-52, 2nd, 8.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Down 1-0, Leo Cerna connected on a two-out single off St. Louis starting pitcher Ming Xiang in the bottom of the third inning to score two runs, that was enough to help lift Des Moines to a 3-1 win at Minute Maid Park.
Cerna would later drive in the Harvesters third run with fifth-inning single.
The River Walkers got what would be their only run in the top of the second inning off Harvesters starting pitcher Chris Novotny.
But it probably should have been more.
Novotny allowed the Walkers to load the bases with three straight single to open the inning.
He then walked R.J. Gomez to score Manuel Coke.
Xiang tried to get down a bunt only to have Jose Ramon thrown out at home.
Novotny then retired the next two to keep it 1-0.
In the bottom of the third, Novotny and Justin Oates got Des Moines going with back-to-back single to open the inning.
Xiang retired the next two only to issue a walk to David Tapley to load the bases.
Cerna followed that by driving a 0-1 pitch up the middle to score two.
The Harvesters added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth.
Oates reached on an error by third baseman Mark Herman to open the inning.
Tapley moved Oates to third with a two-out single.
Alex Rios replaced Xiang to face Cerna.
Cerna once again came through with a run-scoring hit.
Novotny lasted 4.2 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits. He struck out one and walked three.
Aaron Faulk worked 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Davey Mattson worked the eighth without incident.
Jason Dexheimer walked a pair but didn't allow run in the ninth while earning his 27th save.
Xiang took the loss, his fourth in a row all of them after he signed a one-year contract extension in early July.

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Record: 58-53, 2nd, 8.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning off St. Louis closer Craig Fritzler to rally for a 7-6 win at Minute Maid Park.
It marked the ninth blown save of the season for Fritzler.
A back-and-forth game, the River Walkers jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
The Harvesters tied it with three in the bottom of the fifth against St. Louis starter Augustin Perdomo.
Des Moines later went up 4-3, only to see St. Louis score three in the top of the eight to go up 6-4.
A Mark Waterson triple off Harvesters reliever Davey Mattson scored two of the St. Louis runs.
Ryan Rivet got one of those runs back in the bottom of the eighth with a lead-off homer off Leo Hermosillo.
In the bottom of the ninth, a lead-off walk by Jamie Sanders from Fritzler got things going for Des Moines.
Zigza Mukuru then reached on an error by shortstop Kerry Fackelman.
Angel Valdez replaced Sanders as a pinch-runner at second.
Josh Greer followed with a single to tie the game.
Justin Oates, who had hit a two-run homer off Perdomo in the fifth, then grounded out to move the base runners to second and third.
Former River Walker Marcos Francis won it driving the first pitch he saw between the first and second baseman as Mukuru scored the game-winning run.
Harvesters starting pitcher Ramon Leon went five innings allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Danny Vazquez pitched two innings of scoreless relief before Davey Mattson was rocked for three runs while getting just one out in the eighth.
Greg Sones came on to end the eighth for Des Moines.
Andy Chevez (3-0) collected the win when his team won it in the bottom of the ninth.

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Record: 59-53, 2nd, 8 GB Cedar Rapids
Manuel Coke homered three times and drove in eight runs as St. Louis routed Des Moines 15-3 at Minute Maid Park.
The victory allowed the River Walkers to avoid a three-game sweep.
Coke's three homers gave him 32 for the season, tied for the MBL lead with Cory Vaille of Cincinnati, and upped his RBI total to a league best 103.
His first homer, a two-run shot, came off Harvesters starting pitcher Teddy Loetzch in the top of the third inning and staked St. Louis to a 2-0 lead.
He struck again the bottom of the seventh, another two-run shot, this one off reliever Andy Chevez, to make it 7-3.
Coke's third homer was the biggest of all, a grand slam off Jason Dexheimer to highlight an eight-run top of the ninth..
Mark Waterson and Nick Shaw followed Coke's homers with solo shots -- for a rare back-to-back-to-back -- with theirs coming off Davey Mattson.
Coke wasn't the only Walker to have a big day with the bat.
Mark Herman was 3 for 3 with two doubles, three runs scored and three RBIs.
Catcher Mike Vaughan was 2 for 5 with two runs scored.
St. Louis starting pitcher Kevin Hrdlicka (10-7) went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out seven and walked four.
Five relievers -- Brett McVey (1.0 IP), Leo Hermosillo (0.1), Alex Rios (0.2), Carlos Hernandez (0.1) and Frank Jimenez (1.0) -- combined to finish the game allowing just one run along the way.

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Record: 60-53, 2nd, 8 GB Cedar Rapids
Nick Shaw hit a two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning to help lift St. Louis to an 8-6 win over Madison at Comiskey Park (1969).
Manuel Coke led off the top of the 10th for the River Walkers with a single off Muskies relief pitcher Giberto Carballo.
Shaw then powered 2-2 pitch 390 feet over the left-field fall for his 18th homer of the season.
It was the Walkers fourth long ball. Madison hit three homers in the game.
The Muskies had forced extra innings with a run in the bottom of the ninth off St. Louis closer Craig Fritzler.
Mark Holland doubled off Fritzler with one out. He scored on a two-out double by Raul Collazo.
It marked Fritzler's 10th blown save.
Madison jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on back-to-back homers by Tyler Hamilton and Adam Macklin off Walkers starting pitcher Xavier Wigfall.
St. Louis got on the board in the top of the third as Joe Allen hit his 21st home run of the season. It came off Madison starting pitcher Tyler Phillips.
Dan Hillard, who broke into the majors with St. Louis, scored a run in the fourth for the Muskies.
He led off the inning with a single off Wigfall.
A wild pickoff throw by catcher Mike Vaughan moved Hillard to second.
Kevin Millitello drove him home with a single.
The Walkers climb to within 4-3 in the top of the fifth.
Back-to-back one-out errors by Arturo Verdugo and third baseman Mike Laskey allowed Kerry Fackelman and Wigfall to reach base.
Ryan Wibbenmeyer drove in Fackelman with a double.
A sacrifice fly by Allen scored Wigfall, making it 4-3.
Mark Waterson's 13th homer of the season -- it came off reliever Bryant Adler -- tied it for St. Louis in the sixth.
But the Muskies retook the lead in the bottom of the inning, Laskey blasting his ninth homer of the season off Wigfall.
The Walkers took their first lead of the game at 6-5 in the top of the eighth, Mark Herman connecting on a two-run homer off reliever Giberto Carballo.
Wigfall went six innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Carlos Hernandez worked a scoreless seventh and got the first out of the eighth.
Alex Rios finished off the eighth for St. Louis.
Fritzler pitched the ninth and once again could not close the deal.
Kyle Smarr set the Muskies down in order in the ninth for his first save.

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Record: 61-53, 2nd, 7 GB Cedar Rapids
Jose Ramon hit a two-run homer with two outs in the top of the 11th inning to help lift St. Louis to a 3-2 win over Madison at Comiskey Park (1969).
Muskies reliever Jorge Juarez struck out the inning's first two batters before giving up a single to Manuel Coke.
Ramon then turned on a 1-2 pitch and drove it 353 feet over the left-field wall.
The Walkers had won the series opener thanks to a two-run homer in the 10th inning by Nick Shaw.
Madison did get a run off River Walkers closer Craig Fritzler in the bottom of the 11th, but he did manage to notch his 16th save.
Fritzler allowed the Muskies to load the bases with two outs.
He then walked Adam Macklin to force in a run, making it 3-2.
But he got Juarez, I guess the Muskies were out of pinch-hitters, to pop out to end the game.
St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.
Ramon scored that run after he led off with a single off Madison starting pitcher Chris Brakefield.
A double by Kerry Fackelman advanced Ramon to third.
He scored on a one-out fly ball by Ryan Wibbenmeyer.
The Muskies tied it on a Tyler Hamilton homer off Walkers starter Juan Farias in the bottom of the fourth.
That was the only hit allowed by Farias in his six innings on the mound.
The rookie right-hander struck out one and didn't issue a walk.
Frank Jimenez got the first two outs of the seventh.
Chris Willett finished that inning, and also worked a scoreless eighth.
Kyle Smarr pitched a pair of scoreless innings, setting Fritzler up to work the 11th.

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Record: 62-53, 2nd, 7 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis starting pitcher Ming Xiang allowed one run over 7.1 innings to help the River Walkers complete a three-game sweep of Madison with a 4-1 win at Comiskey Park (1969).
After losing his last four starts, Xiang (10-9) finally seemed back on his game allowing one run -- an Adam Macklin single scored Mark Holland in the fourth inning to make it 4-1 -- on four hits. He struck out 11 and didn't walk a batter.
Xiang exited after giving up a one-out single to Josh Shulte in the eighth. He had thrown 98 pitches.
The Walkers jumped in front early when Nick Shaw hit a two-run homer off Muskies starter Steve Mahoney in the top of the first.
An inning later, Mark Waterson drew a lead-off walk from Mahoney and scored on a two-out single by Xiang.
Manuel Coke hit his 33rd home run of the season in the ninth off Jonathan Herrada in the ninth to complete the scoring.
After Xiang left the game, Brett McVey handled the rest retiring five straight batters for his third save.