2033 St. Louis River Walkers: And the saga continues

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Record: 1-8, 6th (Tied/w. Louisville), 7 GB Cedar Rapids
Des Moines jumped out to an 8-0 lead before the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Harvesters held on for an 8-6 win over St. Louis in the second game of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win gave Des Moines a sweep of the doubleheader and the three game series. The River Walkers have lost seven consecutive games.
The Harvesters scored single runs off St. Louis starting pitcher Xavier Wigfall in the second, third and fourth innings before bludgeoning him for five in the fifth.
Kellum Clark led off the Harvesters' second with a single and later scored on an Aaron Nixon single.
Pitcher Justin Burris led off the third with a single, and moved to second on a single by Justin Oates.
Burris reached third when David Tapley hit into a fielder's choice.
After a strike out of Fernando Tatis Jr., Burris scored on the back end of a double steal with Tapley as catcher Will Banfield's throw to second landed in center field.
Des Moines' fourth-inning run was simple, Jared Poland launching his first homer of the season to lead off the inning.
In the fifth, Wigfall fell apart allowing five consecutive batters to reach after striking out Burris to open the inning.
Oates tripled and scored when Tapley hit a two-run homer.
Tatis Jr. then drew a walk followed by a walk to Kellum Clark.
Poland drove in Tatis Jr. with a single, which also ended Wigfall's time on the mound.
Oscar Martinez took over, only to be greeted by consecutive singles.
A Nixon single loaded the bases.
A Martinez single plated a pair.
The Walkers did try to rally, much of it coming in a five-run bottom of the sixth.
Dan Hillard struck the big blow with a three-run homer off Alex Rodriguez.
But the Walkers would not score again as their ugly skid to start the season continued.
Burris (1-0) lasted 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits.
Rodriguez finished the sixth and worked the seventh.
Dave Vacarri pitched a silent eighth.
Reyes upped his save total to three by handling the ninth.

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Record: 1-9, 6th, 9.5 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but that was not enough to prevent the River Walkers from losing their eighth straight game as Peoria rallied for an 8-6 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
Jose Segura hit a three-run home run in the first inning and Eric Perentz and Nick Shaw, with a single and fly ball, respectively off Rivermen starting pitcher Russell Berg, in the second to stake St. Louis to its 5-0 advantage.
That lead began to dissipate in the top of the third when Mike Clay connected for an RBI double off St. Louis starting pitcher Angel Tiburcio to make it 5-1.
In the fifth, Ryan Palmer hit a three-run homer off Tiburcio to make it 5-4.
Peoria seized command against the Walkers' bullpen in the eighth putting up three runs.
Wes Cohen, who the Walkers traded to Peoria in the offseason, led off the inning with a double off Scott Rissler.
Cohen scored when Brad Gingerich followed with another double.
Rissler then walked Roberto Guerra.
After a fly out by Ray Began, a single from Johnny Castagnozzi loaded the bases.
Victor Solano followed with a single to put Peoria up 6-5.

Josh Forgy took over, and struck out Mike Courtney for the second out.
Mike Clay, however, followed with a single to make it 7-5.
St. Louis got back to within a run in the bottom of the eighth.
Eric Perentz with a run-scoring double off Josh Anderson.
Gabe Dudman got that run back with a lead-off homer in the ninth off Gil Meier.
Berg, Peoria's starting pitcher, lasted just 1.2 innings allowing five runs on eight hits.
Former Walkers prospect Ronald Crossingham took over, but lasted just inning before exiting with an elbow injury.
John Roberts provided 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Joey Simmons (1-0) picked up the win after not allowing a run over the sixth and seventh innings.
Josh Anderson pitched the eighth, allowing the Walkers' final run.
Former Walker pitcher Lenyn Crisp took care of the ninth for his third save.

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Good news is Segura has only struck out once in the last three games. After a 148 strikeout season last year, hopefully he can cut down on that stat.

Rough start for sure.

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This season has been a fricking disaster.
I know it's just past mid-April, but we're on the verge of being 10 games under .500 and 10 games out.
The pitching staff is a shambles.
Outside of newcomer Jim Martin, all the other starters are good for at least one 4-5 run inning a game.
Bullpen has not been much better.
Biggest culprit offensively, as far as I am concerned, is left fielder Jose Ramirez.
He was acquired to be a middle of the order bat in 2030.
And for three seasons was that.
Last year, he hit .242 with 25 homers and 74 RBIS (1.3 WAR, down from 4.6).
This season , in that limited same size, he is .171 with one homer and five RBIs and two errors in the field.
I even gave money to a charity he set up in the offseason, hoping he'd turn it around.
I'd love to deal him and his $17.5 million deal through 2035 (he has an option next season), but I can't even get anyone to sniff although I have offered to pay all the freight.

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Record: 2-9, 6th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Jim Martin went the distance in a 6-0 shutout as St. Louis ended a eight-game losing streak by beating Peoria at Busch Stadium (2006).
Martin (1-1), who the River Walkers acquired from Peoria in the offseason, scattered four hits over the nine innings.
He struck out 10 and walked two.
The Walkers made it relatively easy for Martin, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first off Rivermen starter Enrique Castillo.
Nick Shaw and Jose Ramirez both drove in two runs with doubles.
Tommy DuBose picked up an RBI with a single.
St. Louis picked up its sixth run in the bottom of the third, Ramirez collecting his third RBI of the game with a single.

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Record: 3-9, 6th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Trailing 3-2, Dan Hillard hit a three-run home run to highlight a five-run bottom of the fifth inning as St. Louis downed Peoria 7-6 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory gave the River Walkers their first series win of the season as they took the final two games of the three-game series.
Nick Shaw and Jose Ramirez led off the bottom of the sixth by drawing consecutive walks from Rivermen starting pitcher Randy Jones.
With Hillard at the plate, Jones uncorked a wild pitch to move the base runners to second and third.
In a 3-1 count, Hillard hit the ball 393 feet over the wall in right field to put the Walkers in front.
St. Louis, however, was not finished.
Chris Clarke took over for Peoria only to be greeted by a single by Jared Thomas and a Tommy DuBose double.
After a ground out, Kyren Paris scored Thomas with a fly ball to center.
Eric Peretz then made it 7-3 with a two-out RBI single.
Peoria got a run-scoring single from Brad Gingerich off reliever Oscar Martinez to make it 7-4.
Wes Cohen hit a two-run homer off Gil Meier with no outs in the ninth to slice it to 7-6.
But Meier struck out the next three to notch his first save of the season.
After two miserable starts to open his season, Jesse McNaboe buckeled down to work six solid innings and earn his first win.
McNaboe (1-1) pitched six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Oscar Martinez, Scott Rissler and Josh Forgy all recorded two outs to get the game to the ninth.

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MBL news: April 17 -- Week 2 awards and standings

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Record: 4-9, 5th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Shane Drago turned in his first good start since joining St. Louis, allowing one run on six hits over the first six innings, and the River Walkers routed Green Bay 10-3 at PNC Park.
Drago (1-2), who had been battered for six runs in his first two outings since joining the Walkers in the off-season, allowed only an unearned run to the Mallards in the bottom of the third, at that time making the score 2-1.
The left-hander struck out two and didn't walk a batter.
St. Louis jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on a two-run, two-out single from Eric Peretz off Green Bay starter Seth Halvorsen.
That advantage became 3-1 in the top of the fifth when Nick Shaw hit a two-out RBI double off Halvorsen.
After Dan Hillard connected on a two-out, two-run double off Tyler Parker in the eighth it was 5-1.
St. Louis, its lead down to 5-3, blew it open with five runs in the top of the ninth.
Peretz and Jared Thomas both had RBI doubles, both off Juan Vergara.
Jose Ramirez drove in the inning's final three run with yet another double, also off Vergara.
Cory Tiller recorded the first out of the seventh for the Walkers.
Josh Forgy finished off the seventh.
Luke Dunkin allowed a pair of runs in the eighth, allowing Green Bay to pull within 5-3.
Zach Stella was perfect in the ninth.

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Record: 5-9, 5th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Dan Hillard hit a two-run home run off Green Bay reliever Juan Sandoval in the top of the fifth inning to snap a 3-3 tie, and St. Louis cruised from there to a 10-5 win at PNC Park.
Down 3-1, the River Walkers had tied it an inning earlier on an RBI single from Jose Segura and a run-scoring double from Jared Thomas.
Both came off Sandoval.
In the next inning, Chris Duncan led off with a double.
Duncan was thrown out at third when pitcher Xavier Wigfall could not get down a decent bunt.
Hillard, however, made that irrelevant with a two-run homer on a 2-2 pitch from Sandoval.
The Mallards did pull within 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth.
Austin Clayton led off with a double off Wigfall. He later scored on a Sal Valdez sacrifice fly.
But the Walkers would bust the game open with a five-run seventh.
Jose Segura supplied the big blow with a three-run homer off Josh Fleming.
Tommy DuBose later plated a pair with a double off Jim Kendall.
Wigfall (1-2) earned his first victor of the season by allowing four runs on six hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked two.
That was followed by an inning apiece from Zachary Stella, Gil Meier and Nick Ruffalo to close out the win.
The Mallards got a late run when Ben Shuster homered off Meier to lead off the eighth.

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Record: 6-9, 5th, 6.5 GB Cedar Rapids
How quickly things can change.
After dropping nine of its first 10 games, the St. Louis River Walkers defeated Green Bay 8-2 to complete a three-game sweep and post its fifth consecutive win at PNC Park.
After two ugly starts to begin his season, Angel Tiburcio (1-0) was much better allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings.
The St. Louis offense also continued to role scoring five runs over the first five innings to build a 5-0 lead.
Home runs did much of the damage for the Walkers, they hit four in the game, but the run they got in the first didn't come that way.
Kyren Paris led off the game with a single.
Unfortunately, he injured himself running to first and had to leave the game.
His replacement, Chris Duncan, later scored on a one-out double by Nick Shaw.
Tommy Dubose made it 2-0 early in the second with a lead-off homer off Mallards starting pitcher Triston Cases.
St. Louis strengthened its lead with three runs in the third.
One run scored on a wild pitch.
Another when Jose Ramirez grounded out.
Tiburcio picked up an RBI when he hit into a fielder's choice.
The rest of the Walkers' runs came on homers.
Shaw hit a solo homer off Josh Fleming in the fourth, making it 6-2.
After Dan Hillard took Tyler Parker deep in the seventh it was 7-2.
Jose Segura's homer off Jose Betances in the ninth completed the scoring.
Oscar Martinez and Luke Dunkin complete the mound duties for St. Louis with a scoreless inning apiece.

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Record: 7-9, 4th, 6.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Down 1-0, St. Louis scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to move in front and went on to defeat Kansas City 5-3 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Dan Hillard and Eric Peretz connected to consecutive singles off Monarchs starting pitcher Jose Buenrostro to begin the bottom of the fourth.
Jose Segura then tied with a double which scored Hillard.
Tommy DuBose later put St. Louis in front with a fly ball to score Segura.
The Walkers pushed their advantage to 4-1in the sixth.
Buenrosto walked Hillard to open the inning, and with Peretz at the plate, threw a wild pitch to move him to second.
Peretz was then given an intentional walk.
After a fly out by Jose Segura, Michele Vassalotti took over the pitching duties for the Monarchs.
He was greeted by a Nick Shaw single, scoring Hillard.
Tommy DuBose struck out.
But Jovan Gill followed with a single to make it 4-1.
Nander De Sedas led off the top of the seventh with a homer off St. Louis starter Jim Martin.
The Walkers got that run back in the bottom of the inning.
Chris Duncan scored it, after leading off with a single off Yohanse Morel.
A single by pinch-hitter Nathaniel Dixon moved Duncan to third.
Peretz picked up an RBI with a long fly ball to center.
Martin (2-1) followed up his shutout in last start with another strong effort.
This time, he worked six innings, exiting after the De Sedas homer to lead off the seventh, giving up two runs on five hits.
He struck out five and walked one.
Nick Ruffalo worked a scoreless seventh.
Josh Forgy (0.2 IP) and Cory Tiller (0.1) combined on the eighth.
Forgy gave up KC's final run.
Scott Rissler handled the ninth, earning his first save.

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Record: 8-9, 4th, 5.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Tied 1-1, St. Louis busted loose for four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and rode that to a 5-1 win over Kansas City at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory was the seventh in a row for the River Walkers.
Jose Segura got things rolling for St. Louis in the bottom of the sixth with a lead-off triple off Monarchs starting pitcher Sean Hopkins.
Hopkins then intentionally walked Nick Shaw.
That ended Hopkins' outing, with Michele Vassalotti taking his place.
Vassolotti struck out Jared Thomas for the first out.
Tommy DuBose, however, followed with a double to score Segura.
Jose Ramirez was then given the second intentional walk of the inning to load the bases.
But Chris Duncan made the Monarchs pay cracking a double into left field to score all three.
After two awful outings to start the season, Jesse McNaboe turned in another strong effort going seven innings against the Monarchs, allowing one run on six hits.
McNaboe (2-1) struck out five and walked one.
Cory Tiller pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Oscar Martinez recorded the first two outs of the ninth before exiting with an oblique injury.
Martinez is expected to miss up to four weeks.
Zachary Stella took over and recorded the final out to end it.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have placed left-handed relief pitcher Oscar Martinez on the 10-day injured list after he suffered a strained oblique while pitching in the ninth inning of a 5-4 win over Kansas City on April 22.
Martinez, 30, has pitched in seven games this season going 0-0 with no saves and a 2.35 ERA.
He is expected up to three weeks.
Getting the call up from AAA Memphis is 25-year-old left-handed reliever Greg Sones.
Acquired last season in a trade with Cleveland, Sones has pitched in seven games for the Redbirds going 1-0 with a 4.82 ERA.

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Record: 8-10, 4th, 5.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Kansas City jumped out to a 5-0 lead, and held on to defeat St. Louis 6-3 and avoid a three-game sweep at Busch Stadium (2006).
The loss ended a seven-game win streak for the River Walkers.
The Monarchs wasted little time jumping out to a lead with a run in the top of the first off St. Louis starting pitcher Shane Drago.
Ramon Puente led off the game with a double.
He scored on a one-out double by Josh Shuler.
Kansas City piled on four more runs in the top of the fourth.
Drago hurt his own cause by hitting a batter, throwing a wild pith and issuing a walk.
The Monarchs also benefited from an error by Walkers third baseman Dan Hillard.
Hillard's error allowed T.J. Latham, who had led off the inning to score the outburst's first run.
Nick Jernigan later had a two-out RBI single.
The next batter, Gerardo Bernal, plated a pair with a double.
St. Louis scored a pair of run against KC starter Alexis Yanez in the fourth.
The Monarchs got one of those runs back in the fifth.
Latham drew a lead-off walk from Luke Dunkin.
He later scored on a two-out single by Jason Gillem.
The Walkers got their final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth on a single from Chris Duncan.
Yanez did not last long enough to earn the win.
He pitched four innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked three.
Terry Lesnau (1-0) came away with the win after holding St. Louis in the fifth and sixth innings.
Jose Lazaro also pitched two innings, giving up the Walkers' eighth-inning run.
Dominic Pipkin earned his third save with a scoreless ninth.

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MBL news: April 24 -- Week 3 Awards and standings

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The St. Louis have finally learned the severity of Kyren Paris, and it isn't good.
The 32-year-old shortstop has torn ligaments in his ankle and is expected to miss seven weeks.
Paris suffered the injury in an 8-2 win over Green Bay on April 20.
In 13 games this season, Paris had hit .289 with one homer and three RBIs.
Getting the callup from AAA Memphis is 31-year-old shortstop Izaac Pacheco.
Signed in the offseason from Cleveland, he has played 16 games for the Redbirds this season with one homer and six RBIs.

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Record: 9-10, 4th, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Pinch-hitter Jose Ramirez hit a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning off Louisville relief pitcher Jorge Guzman to help lift St. Louis to a 5-3 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
Down 3-2, Eric Peretz led off the bottom of the eighth with a single off Guzman.
Peretz, however, was wiped out when Jose Segura hit into a double play.
Nick Shaw got things going again with a single.
Jovan Gill drew a walk.
Ramirez then powered a 3-2 pitch 417 feet over the wall in left-center field to wipe out a 3-2 deficit.
The Sluggers busted out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first against River Walkers starting pitcher Xavier Wigfall.
All of the runs came via the long ball.
Former St. Louis top prospect Joe Bien led off the game with his first home run of the season.
Bobby Chapman later hit a two-run homer to make it 3-0.
Nick Shaw hit a two-run home run off Louisville starter Grayson Rodriguez in the bottom of the inning.
Wigfall pitched well after the rough start.
He ended up going seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out seven and walked one.
Gil Meier (0.2 IP) and Nick Ruffalo (0.1) combined on a scoreless eighth inning.
Cory Tiller set the Sluggers down in order in the ninth for his first save.

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Record: 9-11, 4th, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Jeff Munn limited St. Louis to one run over the first seven innings, and the Louisville bullpen did the rest as the Sluggers downed St. Louis 3-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Munn (2-0) allowed one run on two hits in his time on the mound. He struck out seven and walked three.
Tony Arroyo set the River Walkers down in order in the bottom of the eighth.
Jorge Guzman did the same in the ninth for his first save.
Louisville jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning against St. Louis starting pitcher Angel Tiburcio.
Jacob Campbell got things going with a one-out single.
Tiburcio walked the next two batters before getting Jario Diaz to fly out.
Munn, however, helped his own cause with a two-run single.
The Walkers got their lone run in the bottom of the second.
Jared Thomas singled to score Nick Shaw who had drawn a lead-off walk.
Chase Davis pushed the deficit back to two runs when he led of the third with a home run.

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Record: 10-11, 4th, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis got another strong start from Jim Martin, one run on three hits over 7.1 innings, as the River Walkers downed Louisville 3-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win gave St. Louis a series win, taking two of three from the Sluggers.
With the Walkers up by three, Martin (2-1) took a shutout into the top of the eighth, when he walked Dan Boyle to lead off the inning.
Boyle was then eliminated when Joe Bien hit into a fielder's choice.
Martin then exited the game.
Josh Forgy took over and had catcher Jared Thomas allow a passed ball, moving Bien to second.
Joe King then drew a walk.
Bien scored on a Bradley Mondesir single.
Cory Tiller took over for Forgy and got Jacob Campbell to fly out, keeping St. Louis in front 3-1.
The Walkers jumped in front when Izaac Pacheco hit a two-run homer off Louisville starter Luis Vasquez with two outs in the bottom of the second.
Jose Ramirez homered off Vasquez in the fifth, pushing the St. Louis lead to 3-0.
Tiller pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.

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Record: 11-11, 4th, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Jesse McNaboe took a shutout into the top of the eighth inning, allowing a pair of base runners which turned into runs, and St. Louis downed Dayton 3-2 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory brought the River Walkers to .500 (11-11) after a 1-10 start to the season.
McNaboe (3-1) extended his string of strong starts with his third straight quality effort, after a horrendous start to his season, holding the Pilots without a run for the first 7.1 innings
With the Walkers leading 3-0, Owen Martin led off the eighth with a single. A walk to Mike Wardlaw followed.
McNaboe faced one more hitter, getting Matt Freudenberg to fly out before exiting.
Joe Allen greeted reliever Nick Ruffalo with a double, making it 3-2.
Ruffalo, however, retired the next two to keep St. Louis in front.
In his 7.1 innings, McNaboe allowed five hits while striking out six and issuing two walks.
Scott Rissler handled the ninth with little difficulty to earn his second save.
A two-out double from Jovan Gill scored Dan Hillard with the game's first run in the bottom of the second.
Hillard had drawn a lead-off walk.
A inning later, the Walkers went up 3-0 on a two-run homer from Jose Segura.