NABO48 w/ MLBPA ... Updated for '26

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G43

The Sharks ended the Shires win streak with a good old fashioned pitcher's duel between two good, young pitchers. StL's Aldgheri took a no hittter into the 5th, but ran into a bit of trouble in the 7th, when he loaded the bases and allowed the game's lone run on a sacrifice fly to CF. Amendt would come into the game, get out of the jam and continue his scoreless streak to 6 appearances.

In the 8th, Anthony pinch hit with the tying run on 1B, and proceeded to hit into a double play. In the 9th, following two 1-out singles, Ohtani struck out before DeLatuer grounded out to 2B to end the game.

StL will next face the defending West champs, Monterrey and their high powered offense. The Monsters find themselves in an unfamiliar situation, 2nd place ... as their starting rotation has yet to hit their groove.

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G44

Anthony set the tone with a solo shot in the 3rd, and Romo followed with a 2-run job in the 4th ... while Ohtani delivered the 8th straight good start for Shires starters, allowing 0 runs before coming out of the game in the 6th. In came Ellwanger and he pitched in and out of trouble. Kerkering was one out away from getting out of a jam, but LF Pete Brace took a bad route on a ball turning a likely out into a 2-run double, leading to 3 runs for the Monsters.

St Louis moves into a 1st place tie with Windy City, with the win.

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G45

When facing a team with a great offense, you cannot give them extra chances ... and that's just what the Shires did ... to th tune of 8 UNEARNED RUNS, losing 10-3

Anthony, following up with his go ahead HR yesterday, led off the game with his 8th HR of the season.

Lowe responded with a 2-run shot of his own to give Monterrey the lead. Tied 2-2 in the 5th, Elly singled home a run to give the Monsters the lead again. Following a 2-out error, Lowe hit his 2nd HR of the game, a 3-Run shot. In the 6th, with Keifer Lord pitching, another 2-out error gave the Monsters another chance and De La Cruz hit a 3-run bomb. Aside from that, the rookie pitched well allowing 0 ER in 3.2 IP.

StL drops to 1/2 game behind the Whitetails in the division.

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G46

A day after StL gifted MRY 8 unearned runs in a loss, Monterrey repaid the favor early in the game, leading to 5 1st runs for the Shires (4 unearned), capped off by a bases clearing double by new starting LF Jorge Barrosa (Brace moves to 1B, sending Tommy Tanks to the bench/platoon).

Sonny Gray gave the Shires another good start, allowing just 2 ER over 6.1 IP. Gray left the game in the 7th, and Amendt entered the game on a streak of 7 scoreless appearance. Amendt promptly issued a walk and then surrendered a 3-run HR to Lowe (his 3rd of the series) to tie the game.

CL Hentges entered the game in nthe 9th, tied 5-5. After a hit by Elly, who then stole 2B after a popout. After an IBB to Norby, Hentges got a F7, with EDLC tagging to 3rd. Runners on the corners, 2 outs, de la Torre hit an single to the opposite field, easily plating Elly and giving the Monsters the series and game win.

St Louis will head home for a 7-game stretch, 4 vs Wisconsin and 3 against Windy City before heading north to Wisconsin for 3 games and then heading west to Nebraska to finish off the month of May.

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Eduardo Beltre promoted from 2A. Beltre will start in LF as Brace moves to 1B. White will backup 1B, and DH when Ohtani is pitching.

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G47

The two teams traded 2-run HR in the 3rd inning to tie it all up 3-3. The Warriors scored 2 in the 5th, driving Webb from the game. The SP allowed 5 ER in 4.2 IP and continues to struggle despite the team's defense improving (at least blue defenders at every position). Rookie LR Keifer Lord put up another 3.1 scoreless innings, followed by Kerkering and his own scoreless inning.

Beltre walked, singled, and scored a run in his NABO debut.

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G48

C Drew Romo got it all started for the Shires as he continues his campagin to make his 2nd All-Star team, with a 2-run double in the 1st. Aldegheri would pitch good, not great in his start allowing 3 R in 5.2 IP, before exiting the game for Ehrlicher ... who after a scoreless 6th would give up a 2-run HR in the 7th, allowing Wisconsin to tie the game.

In the bottom of the 7th, with the bases loaded, Meidroth would walk giving the Shires the lead, and then Beltre would drive in 2 more with a single, giving him 3 RBI in the game, and announcing himself to the home crowd and a standing ovation. Kerkering and Hentges would combine for 2 scoreless innings to end the game and put StL in a 1st place tie with Windy City.

StL has 2 more home games vs WIS before WCty comes to down to battle.

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G49

Ohtani was outstanding on the mound, throwing 6 scoreless innings on just 3 HA while striking out 9, his highest K total of the season. Bello followed with not allowing any runs and earning the 3 inning save.

3B Christian Moore got the scoring started with a 2-R HR in the 3rd. In the 5th, after Romo drove in a run, 2B Ortiz drove in 2 more with a double.

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G50

Ty Johnson and Joe Ryan had a great pitcher's duel, with both SP allowing just 1 R in 6 IP. In the 8th inning, 1B Pete Brace hit a go ahead opposite field home run.

Following Amendt's scoreless relief appearance, Kerkering entered the game and allowed 3 consecutive hits, including a go ahead 2-run single by Anthony Santander, putting the Warriors ahead for good.

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G51

St Louis caught Windy City at the right time, with the Whitetails entering the series on a 4-game losing streak, and trailing the Shires by 1 game in the standings.

With both teams designed around pitching and defense, it was no surprise that Solomento and Sonny Gray had yet another pitcher's duel in May. Gray allowed just 1 run over 7.1 IP before handing the ball off to Kerkering, yesterday's scapegoat. Orion closed out the 8th and Hentges threw a shutdown 9th to close out the win for the Shires, his 15th save in as many save opportunities.

DeLatuer doubled in Nunez in the 1st, and Moore tripled home Nunez in the 3rd for the only scoring for St Louis .... but it was just enough. StL moves 2 games up on Windy City.

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G52

Hey, why not another pitcher's duel? That's just what Tejada and Webb delivered. Webb limited the Whitetails to 1 ER on 5 H in 7.1 IP, putting together his best start of the season. Amendt closed out the 8th and Sam Hentges blanked Windy City in the 9th for his 16th save.

The Shires only runs came on the bat of 1B rookie Pete Brace, who found his power stroke in May. With only 1 HR in April, the 22yo has hit 6 HR so far in May.

Brace is hoping his production and value continue to increase since moving to 1B. His poor defense in LF (-1 dWAR) was hurting the team.

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G53

Following 2 classic pitching and defense games, why not conclude the series with an extra inning battle of the bullpens?

Wheeler and Aldegheri, two the West's best SP locked horns for 6 innings, with both pitchers allowing just 2 runs each.

After some back and forth, WC brought in LHP Blake Snell to face 1B Pete Brace and Brace hit the first pitch over the RF wall for an oppo walk off bomb, giving the Shires the series sweep and a 4 game lead in the division, with the Whitetails suffering their 7th straight loss.

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Time to move on from Ellwanger, and the team is trying to set itself at key positions so that it can really focus on the 3 players that they would like to get in this year's draft. StL has 3 of the top 70 picks in the 2029 amatuer draft.

I've given Ellwanger plenty of chances, and my head scout doesn't like him anywhere nearly as much as OSA. Gonna trust the scout.

StL receives SP Spear, who has top of the rotation potential if he develops to his potential.

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G54

Ohtani labored through 5 innings allowing 7 runners and 4 R (3 ER). Meanwhile Volchko no hit the Shires for 5 innings, despite walking 5 batters. St Louis could not capitalize on the free passes, and trailed 2-0 when he left the game.

St Louis did load the bases in the 9th, and with 2-out Pete Brace grounded out to 2B, ending the game.

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Matt McLain has consistently destroyed the St Louis Shires as a member of the KC Kings, and today he joins the St Louis ballclub.

The GM has inquired about obtaining McLain multiple times, but the asking price has been too much in regards to prospects.

With McLain being a free agent at the end of the season, GM asked if KC would be interested in trading expiring contracts, freeing up money for KC and StL acquiring much needed offense, without sacrificing defense.

StL packaged expiring contracts in Bello, Kerkering, Ortiz, and Enright ... and throwing in recently acquired SP SPear to finalize the deal. It's somewhat of a risk given the number of players traded, but I did not intend to resign them, and it does hurt a little losing Spear's potential .... it also gives the team draft focus, and a key part of the deal is being able to extend McLain rather than waiting to possibly sign him in the offseason. GM figured it would be better to get 2 more months of McLain by trading for him now instead of waiting for the trade deadline.

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G55

The Shires put up more than 2 runs in regulation for a change, but SP Ty Johnson was not on his game. The 5th SP for StL surrendered 4 R (3 ER) on 5 walks and 4 H over 5 IP. The bullpen wasn't much relief, allowing 4 R over the final 3 innings after the game was already out of hand.

3B Christian Moore pulled out of a mini slump, going 3-4 on the day, with a HR and getting his AVG back toward .300

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G56

Following a string of 8 consecutive good starts by the rotation, the Shires suffer their 3rd straight subpar start ... this time SP Sonny Gray got touched up for 6 ER in just 3.1 IP, and the bullpen followed suit with every reliever allowing a run to contribute to the blowout.

The offense struggled again with only Moore and Beltre driving in runs for StL.

Over the last 6 games, the Shires offense has averaged 2.7 RPG on 7 HPG.

* Edit: Oh year rookie LR Keifer Lord, off to a great start, goes down with a shoulder injury and will be out 8-9 months .... which means in NABO, he'll return after the All-Star break as the league resets injuries at (1) Opening Day, (2) After the ASB, and (3) at the end of the regular season.

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G57

Adolis Garcia provided the only runs for StL with a 2-R HR, and the way things are going that would seem like doom for the Shires, but Logan Webb stepped up and delivered his 2nd consecutive great outing.

Webb scattered 7 hits over 7.2 IP, allowing a single run on a HR by Penney. Web handed it off to Amendt who got the final out of the 8th, before Hentges shut it down with his 17th save of the season.

The Shires end the month of May 2 games up in the Great Plains division.

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