2033 St. Louis River Walkers: And the saga continues

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Record: 15-8, 1st, 2 GA Cedar Rapids and Kansas City
Ramon Diaz allowed one run over the first 4.1 innings, and the Fort Wayne bullpen shut out St. Louis the rest of the way as the Mad Men won 2-1 at Busch Stadium.
Diaz allowed an RBI double to Nathaniel Dixon in the bottom of the third to make it 2-1.
He exited the game with two outs in the fifth after throwing 73 pitches.
Overall, Diaz allowed the one run on four hits. He struck out seven and didn't issue a walk.
Bill White earned the win after finishing the fifth and working a scoreless sixth.
After that, it was a scoreless inning each from Gaspare Galvanoni, Alex Gallegos and Eric Warren to close out the game.
Warren earned his seventh save.
The Mad Men got both their runs in the top of the second.
Conrad Perry led off the inning with a double of Walkers starting pitcher Josh McDonald.
A Jordan Martinez double moved Perry to third.
Perry scored when Bill Walter reached on a dropped third strike.
Dorian Gonzalez scored Walter with a two-out double.

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Record: 15-9, 1st, 1 GA Cedar Rapids
Gary Snelling and a trio of relievers combined to toss a five-hit shut out, as Fort Wayne defeated St. Louis 4-0 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Snelling (2-1) handled the first 5.1 innings, allowing just two hits. He struck out two and walked the same.
Alexander Dowling finished the sixth inning, and also worked the seventh.
Isaiah Dunlap gave up two hits but no runs in the eighth.
Luis Velarde set the River Walkers down in order in the ninth.
The Mad Men got the only run they would need in the top of the first off St. Louis starting pitcher Edward Kunselman.
Dorian Gonzalez did the honors, leading off the game with a triple.
He scored on a two-out single by Darlin Guzman.
Former Walkers reserve catcher Clay Owens made it 3-0 with a two-run homer off Kunselman in the second.
Brian Sheppard scored the game's final run in the eighth after he led off with a double off Angel Tiburcio.
He scored on a Marco Zurita single.

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Record: 15-10, 1st/(Tied/w. Cedar Rapids), 1 GA Kansas City
Tied 3-3, Marco Zurita connected on a two-run double with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to put Fort Wayne in front, and the Mad Men held on for a 5-4 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
The River Walkers had tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run homer from Chris Duncan off Fort Wayne starting pitcher Kyle Freeman.
In the ninth, Clay Owens got things rolling for the Mad Men when he drew a one-out walk from Juan Munoz.
Pitcher Gaspare Galvanoni followed with a single, putting base runners at first and second.
Dorian Gonzalez hit into a fielder's choice, leaving runners at the corners.
Zurita then connected on his double, driving a 2-1 pitch from Munoz down the left-field line.
St. Louis did get a run off Fort Wayne closer Eric Warren in the bottom of the ninth.
Daniel Becerra doubled with one out and scored on a Carlos Gallegos triple.
But Warren buckled down and got both Duncan and Zach Caddell to fly out to secure his eighth save.
Freeman lasted five innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out three and walked two.
Bill White worked a scoreless sixth.
The seventh and eighth belonged to Gavlanoni (3-0), who earned the win.

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Record: 16-10, 1st/(Tied/w. Cedar Rapids), 2 GA Kansas City
St. Louis broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, and the River Walkers went on to defeat Fort Wayne 4-2 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win enabled St. Louis to avoid being swept in the four-game series.
The big hit of the Walkers' fourth-inning outburst was a three-run home run from Hector Tavarez, who has been mired in a long slump going back to the first days of the season.
Nathaniel Dixon got things rolling though, with a lead-off walk from Mad Men starting pitcher Adrian Arnesen.
Dixon was eliminated when the next batter, Aaron Nixon, hit into a fielder's choice.
But Walkers starting pitcher Jesse McNaboe kept things going with a two-out single.
Bob Saavedra followed with another single, scoring Nixon.
Tavarez then clouted his three-run homer, a 391 foot shot into left field.
It was his first home run since April 4.
Fort Wayne did try to get back into the game, scoring twice off rookie in the top of the seventh.
The Mad Men connected for three straight singles off rookie reliever Greg Sones to open the inning and load the bases.
Nick Ruffalo took over and struck out Ben Thompson for the first out.
Brian Sheppard, however, followed with a single to score Chris Champion with the first run for the Mad Men.
Ruffalo then hit Darlin Guzman with a pitch to force in the inning's second run.
The next two batters, Conrad Perry and Jordan Martinez, were both retired by Ruffalo to keep it 4-2.
Ruffalo stayed on the mound for the eighth.
He allowed a one-out triple to Antonio Camey.
Camey was retired at the plate when he tried to score on a fly ball hit to center fielder Zach Caddell by Dorian Gonzalez.
Nick Strother set the Mad Men down in order in the ninth for his sixth save.

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MBL news: April 30 -- Week 4 - Awards and standings

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The St. Louis River Walkers have sent struggling rookie outfielder Hector Tavarez to AAA Memphis, and called up top position playing prospect Manuel Coke from the Redbirds.
Despite hitting a three-run homer in the Walkers' 4-2 win over Fort Wayne on Sunday, Tavarez has had a rough April.
The homer was his first since April 5.
For the season, the 25-year-old is hitting .163 with three homers and eight RBIs in 25 games.
The 22-year-old Coke, who also is a corner outfielder, is hitting .385 with five homers and 20 RBIs in 22 games for Memphis this season.

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Record: 16-11, 2nd, 1 GB Cedar Rapids
Milwaukee beat up St. Louis starting pitcher Jim Martin for six runs in less than four innings, and the Crushers went on to defeat the River Walkers 6-4 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The big inning was a four-run top of the third.
The Crushers banged out four hits in the inning, getting a run-scoring single from Rogelio Mercado and an RBI-double from Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Jose Flores followed Crow-Armstrong with a two-run double.
Milwaukee also got single runs in the first, thanks to a Jarrod Twomey homer, and fourth, a run-scoring single from Levi Usher which chased Martin from the game and made it 6-0.
The Walkers did make it close, the bulk of the damage coming in a three-run ninth.
Jackson Miller drove in two runs with a double off reliever Ed Sutherland to make it 6-4 with nobody out.
Brett McVey took over with Miller on second.
He struck out Nathaniel Dixon and got Daniel Becerra to ground out.
A walk to Jose Ramirez put runners on the corners.
But McVey induced clean-up hitter Nick Shaw to fly out to end it.
It earned McVey his ninth save.
Crushers starting pitcher Jesse Mucci went five innings, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out eight and walked two.
Milwaukee would use five relievers, beginning with Tony Lujano who pitched the sixth.
After that, it was Glenn Dunn (1.2 IP), Chad Bigelow (0.1), Sutherland (0.1) and McVey (1.0).

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

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

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MBL news: May 1 -- American League leaders

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MBL news: May 1 -- National League leaders

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Walkers news: May 1 -- Team statistics for April

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Player of the Month: Bob Saavedra - The 23-year-old rookie third baseman had a great April. He hit .330 in 25 gams with two homers, 13 RBIs and 18 runs scored. He got on a base at a .330 clup and slugged .459. He was named National League Rookie of the Month.
Starting Pitcher of the Month: Jesse McNaboe - The 26-year-old right-hander went 3-0 in six starts with a 2.68 ERA. He pitched 37.0 innings, during which he struck out 20 and had a 1.32 WHIP.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Nick Ruffalo - The 27-year-old left-hander got into 11 games. He didn't post a decision or earn a save, but over 11.1 innings he had a 1.59 ERA with 12 strike outs and a 0.53 WHIP.

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Record: 16-12, 2nd, 2 GB Cedar Rapids
Milwaukee's Bobby Dotson tripled with one out in the top of the ninth inning and then scored a Rogelio Mercado to help give the Crushers a 3-2 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
Dotson's triple came off River Walkers relief pitcher Oscar Martinez.
Mercado's fly ball came on a 0-1 pitch and traveled to center field.
St. Louis had a chance to tie it in the bottom of the ninth.
Nathaniel Dixon singled with one out off Crushers closer Brett McVey, but he was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Nicolas Thibault when he tried to score from second on a two-out single by Bob Saavedra.
The Walkers tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh.
Pinch-hitter Daniel Becerra doubled with one out.
He scored when Saavedra with a single.
Crushers starting pitcher Justin Wrobelski went seven innings, allowing two runs on eight hits. He struck out seven and walked one.
Jaden Foster worked a scoreless eighth for Milwaukee.
McVey notched his 10th save.

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Record: 16-13, 2nd, 2 GB Cedar Rapids
Josh Galarza tossed six shutout innings to help Milwaukee complete a three-game sweep of St. Louis with a 5-1 win over the River Walkers at Busch Stadium (2006).
Galarza (4-1) scattered four hits in his time on the mound. He struck out four and didn't issue a walk.
It would be 5-0 before the Walkers got their only run.
The Crushers wasted no time jumping out to a 2-0 lead.
Levi Usher led off the game with a single off St. Louis starting pitcher Edward Kunselman.
Crow-Armstrong followed by crushing the first pitch he saw 471 feet over the wall in right-center.
Milwaukee pushed its lead to 3-0 in the third.
Nicolas Thibault doubled with one out and scored when Jarrod Twomey followed with a single.
Caiden Matheny led off the fourth with a single, and scored on a Levi Usher double off Kunselman.
Usher scored the Crushers final run after leading off the seventh with a single off Walkers reliever Zachary Stella.
He scored on a two-out single by Brett Baty.
Three relievers pitched an inning apiece for Milwaukee.
Bobby Dellinger worked the seventh.
Tony Lujano handled the eighth -- allowing the lone St. Louis run on a Nick Shaw single --before Glenn Dunn worked a scoreless ninth.

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Record: 17-13, 2nd, 1 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis jumped out to 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second, the River Walkers then broke it open with five in the third as they posted an 8-3 win over Evansville at Yankee Stadium (1988).
Rookie Manuel Coke staked St. Louis to its 2-0 lead with his first major league homer, a two-run shot off Bosses starting pitcher Antonio Ceja, in the top of the second.
The Walkers banged out five runs on five hits off Ceja and then reliever Jose Castaneda in the third.
Jose Ramirez did the bulk of the damage with a three-run double off Ceja, ending his time on the mound.
Daniel Becerra drove in the inning's first run with a single.
Coke collected his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly off Castaneda.
Evansville would pull back to within 7-3, when David Olivares drove in a run with a two-out single off St. Louis starting pitcher Shane Drogo in the seventh.
That would be the end of the scoring for the Bosses.
St. Louis boosted its lead by a run in the eighth.
Zach Wenman connected for an RBI single off Matthew Liberatore.
Drogo (3-1) went seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out seven and walked one.
Angel Tiburcio handled the final two innings, not allowing a run.

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Record: 18-13, 2nd, 1 GB Cedar Rapids
Tied 4-4, St. Louis scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning, and ten broke the game open with a six-run ninth as the River Walkers defeated Evansville 12-5 at Yankee Stadium (1988).
The Bossemen, who at one point trailed 4-0, tied it in the bottom of the seventh when Tommy Gardner connected for an RBI single off St. Louis reliever Oscar Martinez.
The Walkers regained the lead in the top of the eighth.
Jackson Miller led off with a single off Evansville reliever Sam Stoutenborough.
A one-out single from Nick Shaw moved Miller to third.
Miller scored on a passed ball by Bossemen catcher Manuell Uso.
Segura then singled, planting Shaw on third.
With two outs, Brad Tonks took over.
But he was greeted by an RBI single my Manuel Coke, making it 6-4.
Coke, a rookie, had hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth to give St. Louis its 4-0 lead.
The Bosses Edgar Jimenez led off the bottom of the eighth with a homer off Nick Strother to pull Evansville within 6-5.
The St. Louis bats went to town in the ninth, scoring six times on four hits.
The Walkers were helped by a pair of walks from Jose Castaneda which opened the inning.
Shaw drove in the first two runs with a single.
A grand slam by pinch-hitter Bob Saavedra did the rest.
Walkers starter Jesse McNaboe had a rough outing, allowing three runs on six hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked four.
After that, Juan Munoz, Oscar Martinez and Scott Rissler all recorded two outs apiece to get the game to the eighth.
Nick Strother gave up the Jimenez homer to start the eighth, but kept the game at 6-5.
Greg Sones struck out the side in the ninth.

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Record: 18-14, 2nd, 1 GB Cedar Rapids
Evansville scored at least one run off St. Louis starting pitcher Jim Martin in each of the first three innings to build a 4-0 lead, and the Bossemen held on for a 4-2 win at Yankee Stadium (1988).
Casey Hart got things started when he led off the bottom of the first inning with his third home run of the season.
Robbie Mackie duplicated Hart's feat in the second inning, also leading off with his home run.
It would be the first of two long ball's by Mackie in the game, as an inning later he launched a two-run shot with two outs off Martin.
The Walkers made a game of it late, thanks to Jackson Miller's first homer of the season in the eighth.
It came off former Walker pitcher Ricky Cisneros.
But that would be the final base runner for St. Louis.
Bossemen starting pitcher Cory Maddox went 6.1 shutout innings, allowing three hits. He struck out eight and walked two.
Cisneros went the next 1.1 innings.
Sam Stoutenborough went the final 1.1 innings, to earn his first save.

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Record: 19-14,1st/(Tied/w. Cedar Rapids), 2 GA Kansas City
Aaron Nixon hit a two-run home run in the top of the third inning to wipe out a 1-0 deficit, and St. Louis scored three times in the fifth paving the way for a 5-3 win over Evansville at Yankee Stadium (1988).
The win gave the River Walkers' victories in three of four games in the series.
Nixon's homer came off Bossemen starting pitcher Fernando Maldonado and followed a double to lead-off the inning by Manuel Coke.
Nixon later left the game after suffering an oblique injury while trying to turn a double play at shortstop.
He is expected to be placed on the injured list.
St. Louis chased Maldonado in the fifth by scoring three times.
Chris Duncan, who replaced Nixon, led off with a single, and went to third on a one-out double by Bob Saavedra.
Jackson Miller drew a walk to load the bases.
Duncan scored when Jose Ramirez hit into a fielder's choice.
Nick Shaw then drove in two runs with a triple into the gap in left-center.
Walkers starting pitcher Josh McDonald (2-3) went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits.
Evansville pulled to within 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth.
Chris McFadden drove in a run with a triple off McDonald.
Luke Leto scored McFadden with a fly ball to center.
McDonald walked three and struck out three.
The Walkers bullpen pitched four shut-out innings, two of them from rookie left-hander Greg Sones.
Nick Ruffalo handled the eighth.
Nick Strother sent the Bossemen down in order in the ninth for his seventh save.

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