2039 and beyond -- St. Louis River Walkers thread

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Record: 22-31, 5th/(Tied/w. Louisville), 11.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Down 1-0, St. Louis scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning and went on to defeat Cedar Rapids 2-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The Grapplers had seized a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when starting pitcher Joel Glenn connected on a two-out single off River Walkers starting pitcher Brent Autin to drive in Santos Villanueva with the game's first run.
That lead lasted until the bottom of the eighth.
Glenn exited after six shutout innings, having allowed six hits -- five singles and a double -- while striking out seven and no issuing a walk.
Manuel Coke opened the bottom of the eighth with a single off Grapplers reliever Pete Blauser.
Tom Blevins singled with one out to put runners at the corners.
Coke then scored on a passed ball by Cedar Rapids catcher Tim Jurgensen.
Quiang Chang then flew out for the second out.
Willie Mendoza replaced Blauser but he walked Tommy Gardner and followed that with a walk to Adam Stewart, scoring Blevins with what would be the game-winning run.
Autin, who not long ago asked to be traded, went 6.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits. He struck out six and walked two.
Kyle Smarr finished the seventh for St. Louis.
Leo Hermosillo pitched a scoreless eighth.
Tom Floria did the same in the ninth for his seventh save.

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Record: 23-31, 4th/(Tied/w. Louisville), 10.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Down 6-4, Manuel Coke and Mark Waterson both hit two-run home runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift St. Louis to an 8-6 win over Cedar Rapids at Busch Stadium (2006).
Mark Herman set the stage for the first two-run bomb with a lead-off single off Grapplers reliever Miguel Britten.
Coke followed with a 408 feet blast over the wall in left center to tie it 6-6.
After Britten struck out Nick Shaw, Danny Huitron took over the Cedar Rapids.
Joe Allen greeted him with a single.
Waterson followed by crushing a 2-1 pitch 430 feet over the left-center wall to put St. Louis in front.
It was Waterson's second home run of the game.
He had hit a two-run homer off Grapplers starter Anton Melendez in the bottom of the second to make the score 6-2.
Cedar Rapids beat up on River Walkers starter Nate Simmons for six runs in a little over an inning.
The Grapplers scored four runs in the first.
Santos Villaneuva drove in two of the runs with a triple.
An inning later, Lamar Black hit a two-run homer to make it 6-0.
Waterson's two-run homer in the bottom of the second ignited the comeback.
Mark Herman drove in a run with a double off Melendez in the third to make it 6-3.
Herman had an RBI single off Chris Terry in the fifth to slice it to 6-4.
Simmons lasted just an inning, he did pitch into the second, allowing six runs on three hits. He didn't strike out a batter but walked three.
Chris Willett and Carlos Hernandez both stepped with two innings of scoreless relief.
Leo Hermosillo worked the sixth and got the first out of the seventh.
Josh Joyce finished off the seventh inning.
The win went to Kyle Smarr (2-0), who worked a scoreless eighth.
Tom Floria now has eight saves after setting the Grapplers down in order in the ninth.

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Record: 24-31, 3rd, 9.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Ming Xiang allowed one run over seven innings and St. Louis answered a run by Cedar Rapids in the top of the first inning with two in the bottom half and that's all she wrote in a 2-1 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
The Grapplers' Dane Finch hit his 11th home run of the season with one-out in the bottom of the first.
Quiang Chang got things moving for the River Walkers in the bottom part of the inning, reaching on a one-out single off Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Francisco Velasco.
The next batter, Mark Herman, brought Chang across the plate with a double.
Herman then scored when Nick Shaw reached on a throwing error by catcher Tim Jurgensen.
Xiang (4-6) allowed one run on four hits -- three singles and the homer -- over seven innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Carlos Hernandez and Juan Munoz both pitched scoreless innings in relief.
Munoz earned his fifth save.

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Record: 24-32, 4th/(Tied/w. Louisville), 9.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Felipe Castillo hit his 16th home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning, snapping a 2-2 tie and helping lift Columbus to a 3-2 win over St. Louis at Forbes Field (1958).
Castillo's homer came on a 1-2 pitch off River Walkers reliever Curt Donaldson and it traveled 438 feet over the center-field wall.
The Golden Bears had taken a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third on Nicholas Thibault's 17th homer of the season, a solo shot off St. Louis starting pitcher Kevin Hrdlicka.
The Walkers tied it in the sixth when Quang Chung led off with a double off Cesar Gamez and later scored on a Manuel Coke fly ball.
Gamez went 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked two.
Jamie Gamm (5-0) faced just one batter to end the seventh inning, but it was enough to set him up for his fifth win of the season.
Pat Leadingham worked a scoreless eighth, despite giving up two hits.
Phil Luis earned his 15th save by taking care of the ninth.

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MBL news: June 1 -- Players and Pitchers of the Month for May

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MBL news: June 1 -- Rookies of the Month for May and standings

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MBL news: June 1 -- American League leaders

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MBL news: June 1 -- National League leaders

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Walkers news: June 1 -- Team statistics for May

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Walkers news: June 1 -- Team statistics for 2040 season

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Player of the Month: Mark Waterson -- The 27-year-old outfielder hit .284 with seven homers, 20 RBIs and 11 runs scored in 25 games. He got on base at a .351 clip and slugged .642.
Starting Pitcher of the Month: Brent Autin -- The 31-year-old right-hander went 5-0 in six starts with a 1.80 ERA. He pitched a total of 40.0 innings, during which he struck out 30 and had a 1.00 WHIP.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Tom Floria -- The 27-year-old left-hander got into eight games and posted eight saves. He pitched eight innings, during which he struck out 11 and had a 0.62 ERA.

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Walkers news: June 1 -- Player Development Report

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Record: 24-33, 4th/(Tied/w. Louisville), 10.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Tied 2-2, Felipe Castillo connected for an RBI pinch-hit single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to help lift Columbus to a 4-3 win over St. Louis at Forbes Field (1958).
Lee Oakley scored the run after he doubled with one out off River Walkers relief pitcher Leo Hermosillo.
Hermosillo got Justin Scott to ground out, although Oakley advanced to third.
Castillo then lined a single up the middle on a 1-1 pitch to bring Oakley home with the winning run.
Down 2-0 early, St. Louis had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth on a two-run homer from Manuel Coke off Golden Bears starting pitcher Justin Potter.
Scott tied it with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning off St. Louis starter Juan Farias.
Potter went six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out three and didn't issue a walk.
For the second day in a row, Jamie Gamm (6-0) earned the win.
This time he pitched two scoreless innings.
George McCardel struck out three of the four batters he faced in the ninth -- he did issue a walk -- for his first save.

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Record: 24-34, 5th/(Tied/w. Louisville and Quad City), 11.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Columbus pasted St. Louis starting pitcher Brent Autin for 10 runs over the first three innings and the Golden Bears breezed to an 11-3 win at Forbes Field (1958).
Coming off a NL Pitcher of the Month Award for May, Autin didn't bring anything to the tables against Columbus.
The Bears scored four runs in the first courtesy of a grand slam from Justin Scott.
They tallied twice in the second. Neil Assenbjerg drove in the first run with a single. Matt Crawl plated the other with a double.
St. Louis was just hoping Autin could get through the third to take some heat off the bullpen.
He did, but it was ugly.
Assenjberg delivering the big blow with a two-run shot to make it 10-0.
St. Louis did score three meaningless runs in the seventh to make the 11-3 final.
Bears starting pitcher Keegan Jensen (5-1) turned in an impressive 5.2 shutout innings. He allowed just two hits while striking out nine and walking one.
Alejandro Urquidez finished the sixth, worked the seventh, allowing all three Walkers runs, and got the first out of the eighth.
Scott Charlesworth recorded the final five outs of the game.

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MBL news: June 3 -- All-Star fan voting update No. 1

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Record: 24-35, 6th/(Tied/w. Los Angeles), 11.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Antonio Burgos connected on a two-run double off St. Louis closer Tom Floria with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Columbus to a 6-5 win at Forbes Field (1958).
The victory completed a four-game sweep for the Golden Bears.
The River Walkers entered the bottom of the ninth with a 5-4 lead.
Floria made it look like it would be an easy finish by striking out the first two batters.
But J.P. Carleston kept the game going with a double.
Lee Oakley was then hit by a pitch.
Burgos followed that by delivering his big hit, lining an 0-1 pitch to left deep enough to score both runners.
It marked Floria's first blown save of the season.
St. Louis had taken a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh when Joe Allen hit his first homer since joining the team in mid-May.
It came off Bears reliever George McCardel.
Burgos had quite a game going 3 for 5 with a double, a homer and three RBIs.
Columbus starting pitcher Pat Borgen went five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter.
McCardell and Pat Leadingham both pitch two innings in relief.
Leadingham (2-1) picked up the victory.

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MBL news: June 4 -- Week 9 - Awards and standings

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Record: 24-36, 7th, 11.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Trailing 4-3, Rockford put up eight runs in the bottom of the eighth inning against the St. Louis bullpen to propel the Lightning to an 11-4 win at RFK Stadium (2005).
St. Louis had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth.
Joe Allen had drawn a walk from Rockford ace Melvin Chavez.
A double by Quiang Chang had moved Allen to third.
Mark Herman put the Walkers in front with a fly ball to right.
Kyle Smarr entered the game to start the bottom of the eighth for St. Louis.
He failed to retire a batter, loading the bases with a pair of walks followed by an error by Chang at second base, which allowed Alex Boychuk to reach.
Juan Munoz took over.
He was probably worse.
He walked Jared Braude, scoring Ernesto Ferreras with the tying run.
Javy Monjaraz and Jon Walkers followed with back-to-back two-run doubles.
Munoz then hit Greg Bernier with a pitch.
After seeing seven straight batters reach base, the Walkers finally got an out with a strike out of Charlie Carley.
But Daylen Reyes got things rolling again with an RBI single.
A wild pitch by Munoz then put runners at second and third.
Ferreras scored them both with a single as the Lightning's lead reached 11-4.
Chavez went five innings, allowing four runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked five.
After that it was four scoreless innings from four different pitchers.
Former St. Louis ace Jesse McNaboe started the parade of relievers by working the sixth.
Tony Santana pitched the seventh.
Tony Arroyo (1-1) worked the eighth.
He would get the win.
Scott Mueller took care of the ninth.

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Record: 24-37, 7th, 11.5 GB Cedar Rapids
For the second straight game, Rockford beat up on the St. Louis bullpen, this time scoring four times in the bottom of the sixth inning breaking a 1-1 tie and sending the Lighting to a 5-2 win at RFK Stadium (2005).
In the opening game of the series, the Lightning had scored eight in the bottom of the eight of an 11-4 win.
A lead-off homer from Mark Herman in the top of the sixth off Rockford reliever Miguel Cisneros had tied the game.
Walkers starter Kevin Hrdlicka was still on the mound to open the sixth.
He walked Daylen Reyes to lead off the inning.
Hrdlicka, who issued five walks, the Walkers would issue eight free passes altogether, then left the game.
Carlos Hernandez took over.
His second pitch eluded catcher Carlos Longoria, allowing Reyes to go to second.
Pinch-hitter Duncan Littleton moved Reyes to third with a single.
Hernandez struck out Wade Martin for the first out.
Ernesto Ferreras followed that with a ground ball, scoring Reyes.
David Blanton then doubled, scoring Littleton.
Erik Stowe drew the second walk of the inning.
That was it for Hernandez
Chris Willett took over.
He was greeted by a two-run double from Jared Braude, making it 5-1.
Lightning starting pitcher Chris Novotny lasted just 4.2 innings. He didn't allow a run and just three hits. He struck out six and walked two.
Cisneros (3-1) earned the win. He finished the fifth inning and worked a scoreless sixth.
Scott Mueller pitched a scoreless seventh.
Jerry Krajancic did the same in the eighth.
Matt Whitmore gave up a run in the ninth and St. Louis did have two runners on with one out.
But Whitmore got Jose Roman to fly out and struck out Tommy Gardner to end it.
Whitmore's save total improved to seven.

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Record: 24-38, 7th, 11.5 GB Cedar Rapids
For the third consecutive game, Rockford had a huge inning against the St. Louis bullpen -- this time bludgeoning them for five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to break open a 5-5 game -- as the Lightning completed a three-game sweep with a 10-5 win at RFK Stadium (2005).
The loss was the seventh in a row for the River Walkers.
A three-run top of the fifth had put St. Louis in front 5-3.
Rockford tied it in the bottom of the sixth.
Duncan Littleton opened the inning by drawing a walk from Walkers starting pitcher Juan Farias.
Javy Monjaraz followed with a double, putting runners at first and third and driving Farias from the game.
Curt Donaldson took over.
He could not hold the lead.
Yui Watanbe greeted him with a single, making it 5-4.
Alek Boychuk then connected on a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Monjaraz to tie the game.
An inning later, Rockford really went to work on the St. Louis relief corps.
Daylen Reyes drew a walk from Donaldson to open the inning.
The Walkers walked five batters in the game and 18 in the series.
Kyle Smarr replaced Donaldson and was greeted by a double by pinch-hitter Tony Magana, as the Lightning took a 6-5 lead.
Jared Braude was then given an intentional walk.
Only to have Duncan Littleton connected on a double to make it 7-5.
After a strikeout of Monjaraz, Chris Willett entered the game for St. Louis/
His second pitch to Watanbe landed 41 feet over the wall in left center.
Rockford starting pitcher Pablo Maldonaldo lasted just 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Miguel Cisneros finished the fifth and worked a scoreless sixth.
Tony Arroyo (2-1) earned the win after pitching the seventh.
Tony Santana (1.2 IP) and Jesse McNaboe (0.1) combined to finish the game for the Lightning.