2039 and beyond -- St. Louis River Walkers thread

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Walkers news: May 1 -- Team statistics for April

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Player of the Month: Mark Herman: The 27-year-old third baseman batted .354 with five homers, 13 RBIs and 17 runs scored in 27 games. He got on base at a .429 clip and slugged .535.
Starting Pitcher of the Month: Ming Xiang: The 28-year-old right-hander was 1-4 in five starts with a 4.37 ERA. He pitched a total of 35 innings, during which he struck out 26 and had a 1.46 WHIP.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Chris Willett: The 29-year-old right-hander got into 13 games during which he was 1-1 with a 2.21 ERA. He pitched a total of 20.1 innings, during which he struck out 12 and posted a 0.98 WHIP.

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Walkers news: May 1 -- Player Development Report

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The St. Louis River Walkers have recalled second baseman Ryan Wibbenmeyer and utility infielder Rich Dodson from AAA Memphis where they were both on an injury rehab.
To clear spots on the roster, infielders Eric Wnorowski and Jose Nieto were sent to Memphis.
Nieto will have to pass through waivers before joining the Redbirds.
Wibbenmeyer, 31, has not played for the Walkers since suffering a strained Achilles tendon on April 9.
He had batted .280 with one RBI through the season's first six games before being injured
In four games with Memphis, Wibbenmeyer had hit .290 with four RBIs.
Dodson, 28, suffered a strained hamstring on May 17 during spring training and has not played in the majors this season.
In three games at Memphis, Dodson hit .462 with no homers or RBIs.
Nieto, 35, got into 13 games/4 starts while with the Walkers and hit .200 with five RBIs.
Wnorowski, 26, was with St. Louis for just three games. He hit .111 with no homers or RBIs.

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Record: 10-18, 7th, 6.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Eric Gerhardt hit a one-out homer off St. Louis rookie starting pitcher Nate Simmons in the bottom of the seventh inning, snapping a 2-2 tie and helping lift Cedar Rapids to a 3-2 win at Connie Mack Stadium (1960).
Simmons had pitched well through the first six innings, and with his pitch count under 100 decided to send him out for a seventh because of a worn-out bullpen.
Gerhardt made them pay, powering a 3-2 pitch 440 feet over the high wall in right field to give the Grapplers the lead for good.
The River Walkers had tied it 2-2 in the top of the sixth when Mark Herman took Cedar Rapids reliever Daniel Johnson over the wall.
Grapplers starting pitcher Francisco Velasco went five innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter.
Daniel Johnson began a streak of four relievers who all pitched one inning for Cedar Rapids.
Alex Parodi (1-0) earned the win after pitching a scoreless top of the seventh.
Antonio Echevaria took care of the eighth.
Jeff Durako earned his fifth save with a scoreless ninth.

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Record: 11-18, 6th/(Tied/w. Springfield, 5.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Brent Autin took a shutout into the eighth inning and St. Louis avoided a three-game sweep with an 8-1 win over Cedar Rapids at Connie Mack Stadium (1960).
Autin (4-2) didn't allow a run until the eighth when pinch-hitter Dane Finch hit a solo homer to make it 8-1.
Autin left the game after that, having allowed the one run on seven hits. He struck out four and walked one.
The River Walkers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Ryan Wibbenmeyer led off the game with a double off Grapplers starting pitcher Tony Giron.
Wibbenmeyer was injured running the bases and had to leave the game with a strained hamstring.
He is expected to be placed on the injured list. Wibbenmeyer lasted just two games since coming back from an injury rehab at Memphis.
Manuel Coke put St. Louis ahead 1-0 with a single, scoring Esteban Gomez who replaced Wibbenmeyer on the bases.
The Walkers broke the game open with five runs in the top of the fifth.
All the runs came with two outs.
Autin drove in two of the runs with a double off Giron.
Gomez also doubled off Giron to plate a run.
Quiang Chang drove in the inning's final run with a single off reliever Edwin Rosa.
St. Louis closed out its scoring with single runs in the sixth -- Chang with another RBI single -- and eighth -- Jose Ramon with a solo homer off Wille Mendoza -- as it took an 8-0 lead.
Kyle Smarr replaced Autin and finished the eighth inning.
Adam Tresidder set the Grapplers down in order in the ninth.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have placed second baseman Ryan Wibbenmeyer back on the 14-day injured list after he suffered a strained hamstring while running the bases during an 8-1 win over Cedar Rapids.
Wibbenmeyer, 31, had just returned from a stint on the injured list because of an Achiles injury.
He played just two games before becoming injured again.
In eight games this season, Wibbenmeyer has hit .333 with one RBI.
Getting called up from AAA Memphis is Tom Porter.
The 31-year-old has played in 20 games for Memphis and hit .224 with one homer and two RBIs.

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Record: 12-18, 6th/(Tied/w. Springfield), 5 GB Cedar Rapids
Ming Xiang allowed one run over the first seven innings to help St. Louis down Dayton 6-1 at Orioles Park at Camden Yards.
Xiang (2-4) allowed one run on five hits in his seven innings. He struck out 10 and didn't walk a batter.
The lone Pilots run came in the bottom of the third when Sean Lemme led off with a triple and later scored on a ground out.
It made the score 5-1.
The River Walkers got to Dayton starter Enrique Tijerino for two runs in the second inning and three more in the third.
St. Louis banged out three singles in the second -- and Xiang got down a bunt which scored the game's first run -- the third was highlighted by a solo homer from Manuel Coke and a two-run shot from Jose Segura.
Mike Vaughan scored the sixth St. Louis' run in the sixth.
He led off with a double and scored on a Quiang Chang fly ball to right off Kyle Gish.
Leo Hermosillo pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for St. Louis.
Kyle Smarr worked a scoreless ninth.

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Record: 13-18, 6th/(Tied/w. Springfield), 5 GB Cedar Rapids
Esteban Gomez hit his first home run of the season -- a grand slam -- to highlight a five-run top of the fifth inning as St. Louis went on to defeat Dayton 6-3 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The River Walkers actually grabbed the lead with a run in the top of the first inning off Pilots starting pitcher Marty Benitez.
Rich Dodson singled with one out and he scored when Mark Herman followed with a double.
Benitez was still on the mound when St. Louis put five consecutive batters on base to begin the fifth.
Tom Porter and Dodson got it going with back-to-back double, Porter scoring on the second hit.
Herman was then hit by a pitch and Manuel Coke singled to load the bases for Gomez.
Gomez got a 2-2 pitch to his liking and drove it 402 pitch over the left-field wall and a 6-0 lead.
Walkers starter Kevin Hrdlicka shut out Dayton into the sixth inning, when it put a pair of runs on the board.
The Pilots added another run in the seventh against reliever Leo Hermosillo.
But Chris Willett came on to get out of that inning.
Hrdlicka (2-3) allowed two runs on six hits in 5.2 innings. He struck out four but walked six.
Hermosillo finished the fifth but could not get an out in the sixth.
Willett, as noted, kept the score 6-3 after seven innings.
Juan Munoz worked the eighth.
Tom Floria finally earned his first save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth.

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Record: 13-19, 6th/(Tied/w. Springfield), 6 GB Cedar Rapids
Dayton jumped on St. Louis starting pitcher Juan Farias for three runs in the bottom of the first inning and three more in the fourth to help the Pilots breeze to a 6-1 win at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The bottom of the first opened with Dayton's Corey Goard reaching on an error by River Walkers second baseman Rich Dodson.
He scored three batters later on Bobby Carrasco's ninth home run of the season.
But the Pilots were not through.
Mike Casebolt and Sean Lemme followed the homer with back-to-back doubles, making it 3-0.
In the fourth, Dustin Brimlow and Mark Dow got things rolling by leading off the inning with a couple singles.
Pitcher Luis Sosa moved them to second and third with a double.
Bobby Mullan scored them both with a two-out single.
Mullan then stole second and scored on a Josh Knutson single.
Sosa (3-1) went five innings for Dayton, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out eight and walked two.
The lone Walkers run came in the top of the third, Mark Herman connecting on an RBI double.
John Roberts followed Sosa with two innings of scoreless relief.
Kyle Gish kept St. Louis off the scoreboard in the eighth.
Elvis Pool did the same in the ninth.

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Record: 13-20, 6th/(Tied/w. Springfield), 6.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Dayton's Saled Kibitok hit a two-run home run off St. Louis reliever Chris Willett to help lift the Pilots to a 4-3 victory at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The win was the second row for the Pilots and allowed them to split the four-game series.
The River Walker had taken the lead in the top of the inning when Tom Porter connected on a two-out, two-run single off Pilots reliever Danny Wright.
In the bottom of the inning, Willett walked lead-off hitter Jeremy Kosiek.
Mark Dow struck out.
But Kibitok clubbed an 0-1 pitch and it landed 393 feet over the left field wall.
That proved to be the difference.
Pilots starter Brian Budd lasted 5.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Kyle Gish finished off the sixth for Dayton.
After that, Wright, who allowed the Ramon single, Matt Rodriguez and Dustin Perwett all pitched one inning to complete the game.
Rodriguez (5-1) blew a save but got the win.
Prewett earned his 11th save.

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MBL news: May 7 - Week 5 - Awards and standings

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Record: 14-20, 5th, 6 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis jumped out to a 5-0 lead and went on to defeat Quad City 5-2 at Fenway Park (1976).
Manuel Coke connected for his seventh home run of the season in the top of the first inning, a two-run shot off Thunder starting pitcher Antonio Ceja, to put the River Walkers up 2-0.
That lead grew to 3-0 in the third.
Coke picked up his third RBI of the game with a single off Ceja.
It scored Tom Porter who had led off with a double.
He moved to third when Mark Herman reached on an error by third baseman Paul Totten.
Rich Dodson and Herman both had run-scoring singles off Ceja in the fourth as the lead reached 5-0.
Walkers starter Brent Autin (5-2) went 5.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out two and walked two.
Adam Tresisider was one of five relievers St. Louis would use.
He got the final two outs of the sixth after Autin departed.
Evan Palmer (0.2 IP) and Kyle Smarr (0.1) combined on a scoreless seventh.
Juan Munoz handled the eighth.
Tom Floria collected his second save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

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Record: 14-21, 6th, 7 GB Cedar Rapids
Down 2-1, Collin Allen hit a two-run home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Ming Xiang in the bottom of the third inning and that was enough to help lift Quad City to a 4-3 win at Fenway Park (1976).
Xiang had walked Tony Nolasco with one out before giving up a single to Shawn Jackson.
He struck out Paul Totten but Allen jumped on a 1-2 pitch and drove it 410 feet over the Green Monster in left field.
The Thunder's first run also came via the long ball, Fontana Felitti leading of the bottom of the second with a homer off Xiang.
It tied the game 1-1.
An RBI single from Manuel Coke in the top of the ninth had pulled St. Louis to within 4-3.
But Kazuhiro Miyata, who had seen the inning's first three batters reach bases, retired the next three, including strike outs of Mark Herman and Tommy Gardner to the end game, to earn his seventh save.
Thunder starter Jon Blount (2-4) went five innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out five and didn't issue a walk,
Milt Lemons pitched a scoreless inning and Kevin Vitale two before Miyata took the mound for the ninth.

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Record: 14-22, 6th, 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Collin Allen hit a walk-off home run off St. Louis reliever Chris Willett in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Quad City a 3-2 win at Fenway Park (1975).
The win allowed the Thunder to avoid being swept in the three-game series. The teams now head to St. Louis for another three games.
Shawn Jackson had drawn a walk to lead-off the bottom of the 11th, but he was eliminated when Paul Totten hit into a double play.
Allen, however, zeroed in on the first pitch from Willett and drove it 366 feet over the Green Monster in left field.
The River Walkers took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Tom Porter off Thunder relief pitcher William Meyers.
QC tied it with one out in the bottom of the ninth when pinch-hitter Austin Farrell homered off reliver Juan Munoz.
Thunder starting pitcher Benito Diaz went the first 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked one.
Myers finished the first and got the first two outs of the sixth.
Aaron Boncek went 1.1 innings, getting the game to the eighth.
Armando Guadarrama pitched in with two scoreless innings.
Kazuhiro Miyaya (2-2) also worked two innings and would get the win.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have placed outfielder Jose Segura on the 14-day injured list after he suffered a herniated disc in his back in a 5-2 win over Quad City on May 7.
Segura, 35, is expected to be out for two weeks.
He has played 31 games/25 starts for the Walkers this season, hitting .209 with six homers and 12 RBIs.
Getting called up from AAA Memphis is 27-year-old outfielder Daniel Lopez.
The switch-hitter has played in 31 games/30 starts for the Redbirds and is hitting .252 with six homers and 19 RBIs.
Lopez has 21 games/14 starts in the majors, all with the Walkers, and has hit .262 with two homers and 18 RBIs.

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Record: 14-23, 7th, 8.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Shutout into the seventh inning by St. Louis starting pitcher Juan Farias, Cedar Rapids scored twice in both the eighth and ninth innings to defeat the River Walkers 4-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Farias left the game with a runner on second and one out in the top of the seventh inning.
Leo Hermosillo took over and got out of the jam with the Walkers still leading 1-0.
Chris Willett took the mound to start the eighth.
He walked Joshua Naylor to open the inning.
After a fly out, pinch-hitter Danny Morrison put the Grapplers in front with a 384-foot homer over the left-field wall.
Cedar Rapids added two more runs in the ninth.
Collin Allen drew a lead-off walk from Juan Munoz.
After a pair of fly outs, Larry Spicer reached on an error by second baseman Rich Dodson.
Spicer ended up at second base on the overthrow.
Naylor followed with a two-run single as the Cedar Rapids lead reached 4-1.
Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Sean Gilley went 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits -- two singles and a double -- while striking out five and not walking a batter.
Aaron Boncek finished the sixth for the Grapplers and got the first two out outs of the seventh.
He also allowed the lone St. Louis run on a Daniel Lopez single in the bottom of the seventh.
Kevin Vitale (1-0) would retire the only batter he faced to end the seventh.
Armando Guadarrama pitched a scoreless eighth.
Kazuhiro Miyata did the same in the ninth for his eighth save.

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Record: 15-23, 6th/(Tied/w. Springfield), 8.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Trailing 6-5, St. Louis exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and went on to defeat Quad City 12-6 at Busch Stadium (2006).
A back-and-forth game, the Thunder had taken a 4-1 lead with three runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Only to have the River Walkers answer with four runs in the bottom half -- Jose Ramon doing half the damage with a pinch-hit two-run homer -- to go ahead 5-4.
QC regained the lead in the top of the seventh when Fontana Felitti connected on a two-run double off reliever Evan Palmer.
But St. Louis followed that with its seven-run frame to put the game out of reach.
The Walkers scored the seven runs on five hits. They were aided by two walks and an error.
Ramon drove in the first run with a double off Nick Dixon.
Two runs scored when Manuel Coke reached on a throwing error by second baseman Tony Nolasco.
Rich Dodson and pitcher Kyle Smarr both had run-scoring singles.
Adam Stewart plated the final two runs with a double.
Walkers rookie starter Nate Simmons lasted just four innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Adam Tresidder worked a scoreless fifth inning.
Carlos Hernandez handled the sixth and got the first out of the seventh.
Evan Palmer got one out in the seventh and would be charged with the Thunder's final two runs.
Smarr (1-0) earned his first win of the season after pitching 2.1 innings.

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Record: 16-23, 5th/(Tied/w. Springfield and Los Angeles), 7.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Brent Autin limited Quad City to one run over eight innings to help lead St. Louis to a 2-1 win over the Thunder at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win was the second in a row for the River Walkers to complete the three-game series. The two teams split the six straight games between them.
Autin (6-2) allowed the one run on two hits -- a single and a double -- during his time on the mound. He struck out six and didn't walk a batter.
The lone QC run came in the top of the sixth on a Tony Nolasco sacrifice fly.
It scored Joshua Naylor, who had led off the inning with a double.
St. Louis got both of its runs in the bottom of the fifth off Thunder starting pitcher Antonio Ceja.
Quiang Chang and Adam Stewart led off the inning with back-to-back singles.
A bunt by Autin moved them to second and third.
Rich Dodson drove them both home with a two-out single.
Tom Floria set the side down in order in the ninth for his third save.

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MBL news: May 14 -- Week 6 - Awards and standings