2033 St. Louis River Walkers: And the saga continues

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Record: 29-21, 1st, 0.5 GA Cedar Rapids
Jose Segura led off the top of the sixth inning with a home run, snapping a 3-3 tie, and St. Louis went on to defeat Springfield 6-3 at Oracle Park.
The win allowed the River Walkers to salvage the finale of the three-game series.
Segura's homer came on the first pitch he saw from former St. Louis farmhand T.J. Darr, who had just entered the game.
The Walkers also added single runs in the seventh and ninth.
In the seventh, Bob Saavedra got things rolling with a two-out single off Nick Thiel.
Aaron Nixon and Segura also added singles, with both collecting RBIs.
St. Louis ninth inning run also came together with two outs.
Dan Hillard drew a lead-off walk from Steve Nilsen.
A one-out single by Nixon placed Hillard on second.
With Martino Banditelli now on the mound, Hillard stole third.
He scored when Segura doubled, collecting his third RBI of the contest.
Walkers starter Shane Drogo (4-2) allowed three runs on six hits in six innings.
After that, it was an inning apiece from Greg Sones, Zachary Stella and Nick Strother.
Strother earned his 10th save.
Nick Shaw hit a three-run homer off Railers starting pitcher Alan Albanese in the first inning, staking St. Louis to a 3-0 lead.
Springfield wiped out that advantage, with a run on Drogo in the bottom of the first and two in the fifth.
Billy Salas drove in both fifth inning runs with a two-out single.

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Record: 30-20, 1st, 1.5 GA Cedar Rapids
Nick Shaw staked St. Louis to a 4-0 lead with a first-inning grand slam, and Jesse McNaboe took a shutout in the ninth inning as the River Walkers routed Kansas City 9-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Monarchs starting pitcher Brian McIlmyole was in trouble from the get-go.
He gave up back-to-back singles to Bob Saavedra and Manuel Coke to open the bottom of the first.
He then walked Jose Segura to bring Shaw to the plate.
Six pitches later, it was 4-0 as Shaw deposited a 3-2 pitch 367 feet away in the left-field stands.
St. Louis continued to build on its lead until it became 9-0 in the bottom of the sixth.
Shaw would finish with five RBIs, while four other players had one apiece.
On the mound, McNaboe (6-0) allowed a pair of first-inning singles and didn't allow another hit until the ninth when he gave up back-to-back one-out doubles to Nick Jernigan and Jason Gillem to break up the shutout.
McNaboe struck out seven and didn't walk a batter.
Angel Tiburcio took over and retired the next two KC batters to end it

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Record: 31-20, 1st, 2.5 GA Cedar Rapids
Down 5-4, St. Louis scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and then added two more runs in the seventh, as the River Walkers downed Kansas City 8-5 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Getting a lead-off home run from Rafael Devers (off St. Louis starting pitcher Edward Kunselman) and RBI single from pinch-hitter Zachary Landis (off reliever Scott Rissler, the Monarchs had taken a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth.
The Walkers seized the lead right back against the KC bullpen, all off the scoring coming with two outs.
Jose Segura drew a lead-off walk and Nick Shaw followed with a single.
Patricio retired the next two, but rookie Manuel Coke singled to score Segura and tie the game.
Daniel Becerra then drew a walk to load the bases.
Fresh off a quick trip to the minors, it was to make room for Alex Pazos to make an emergency start, Nathaniel Dixon delivered a pinch-hit single to put the Walkers back in front.
St. Louis added two more runs in the sixth -- when it opened the inning with three consecutive singles off Monarchs reliever Chris Long.
The third single, by Nick Shaw, scored Aaron Nixon, who had led off the inning.
Zach Wenman later scored Jose Segura with a two-out single.
Shaw was injured while running the bases during the sequence. He is only expected to have to sit for a couple of games.
St. Louis starting pitcher Eric Kunselman worked into the fifth inning, allowing five runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Rissler finished the sixth and was on the mound when the Monarchs took the lead.
However, Rissler (3-1) was still the pitcher of record when the Walkers reclaimed the lead, allowing him to earn the win.
Greg Sones, Zachary Stella and Nick Strother all pitched scoreless innings to end the game.
Strother increased his save total to 11.

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MBL news: May 27 -- All-Star game fan voting update

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Record: 32-20, 1st, 3.5 GA Cedar Rapids
Tied 1-1, St. Louis took control with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the River Walkers went on to defeat Kansas City 7-3 to complete a three-game sweep at Busch Stadium (2006).
Rookie Manuel Coke led off the bottom of the sixth with his sixth home run of the season, this one off Monarchs starting pitcher Alexis Yanez.
The next hitter, Jose Segura tripled and he later scored on a Daniel Becerra two-out single.
Zach Wenman then singled off reliever Maurio Cestini, who had just entered the game.
Jose Ramirez had been given an intentional walk to fill the bases before Becerra's hit.
Pitcher Jim Martin then connected on a double down the right-field line, scoring Ramirez and making it 5-1.
It's lead at 5-2, St. Louis added its final two runs in the seventh on back-to-back homers from Segura and Dan Hillard off reliever David Rufillo.
Martin (2-4) went 6.2 innings for the Walkers, allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out eight and walked three.
Oscar Martinez finished the seventh inning, and worked a scoreless ninth.
Angel Tiburicio allowed a run in the ninth.

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MBL news: Week 8 -- Awards and standings

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Record: 33-20, 1st, 4.5 GA Cedar Rapids
Rookie Manny Martinez connected on a two-run double to highlight a three-run bottom of the seventh inning for St. Louis, as the River Walkers defeated Quad City 3-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Down 1-0, Nick Shaw led off the bottom of the seventh with a single off Thunder starting pitcher Danny Garza.
After a strike out of Dan Hillard, Garza hit Manuel Coke with a pitch.
Chris Duncan flew out for the second out.
But Martinez, who is in the majors as a backup due to an injury to starter Conner Miller, connected on a double down the right-field line to score both runners.
Dante Mendoza took over for Garza.
But he was greeted by an Aaron Nixon single, which scored Martinez to make it 3-1.
Walkers starting pitcher Josh McDonald worked six innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out six and walked three.
Scott Rissler worked a scoreless seventh for St. Louis.
Nick Ruffalo handled both the eighth and ninth for his first save of the season.

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Record: 33-21, 1st, 4.5 GA Cedar Rapids
Paul Totten homered twice -- a three-run homer in the top of the first inning and a two-run shot off Scott Rissler in the seventh -- to help power Quad City to an 8-3 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
Totten's first-inning homer, off River Walkers starting pitcher Shane Drogo -- staked the Thunder to an early 3-0 lead.
St. Louis scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and tied it 3-3 when Bob Saavedra led off the third with a homer off QC starting pitcher Pascal Marovicci.
The Thunder retook the lead, for good, in the top of the fourth.
Jacob Gonzalez drew a lead-off walk from Drogo.
A single by Bill Blakeney moved Gonzalez to second, and when Marcovicci reached on a throwing error by Drogo, the bases were loaded.
Drogo struck out Chris Shelley for the second out.
But the first pitch he threw to Enrique Salcedo eluded catcher Zach Wenman, allowing Gonzalez to score to break the tie.
Totten added his second homer of the game in the seventh, a two-out, two-run homer off Scott Rissler.
The Thunder pushed across two more runs in the eighth.
Salcedo drove them both in with a two-out single off Zachary Stella.
Marcovicci (4-4) evened his record by allowing three runs on five hits in 6.0 innings. He struck out six and didn't issue a walk.
Anderson Parra worked a scoreless seventh for the Thunder.
Mason Montgomery (1.1 IP) and Edwin Certvanes (0.2) combined to finish the game and end a four-game win streak for St. Louis.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have announced they have signed center fielder Jean Segura to a three-year extension.
The deal is worth $50 million over the three seasons, however, the third season does include a team buyout worth $1.7 million.
Segura, 30, is batting .219 this season with 19 homers and 39 RBIs in 40 games.
Signed out as an international free agent out of Cuba in 2027, Segura made his debut with St. Louis in 2029.
In the seven or so seasons, since that time, he has posted a batting average of .227 with 43 homers and 112 RBIs over 162 games.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have announced that left-handed relief pitcher Oscar Martinez will be placed on the 10-day injured list due to back tightness.
Martinez, 31, last pitched in the Walkers' 8-3 loss to Quad City on May 29.
During the 2035 season, Martinez has pitched in 19 games, going 1-1 with a 4.41 ERA.
He is expected to miss two weeks.
Getting the callup from AAA Memphis, and making his first venture in the majors, is 24-year-old right-handed pitcher Micah Andrew.
Andrew, a fourth-round pick in the 2029 draft, has pitched in 14 games for the Redbirds going 2-0 with three saves and a 1.93 ERA.

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Record: 34-21, 1st, 5.5 GA Cedar Rapids
Tied 3-3, St. Louis exploded for five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the River Walkers went on to defeat Quad City 8-5 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win gave St. Louis' victories in the first and third games of the three-game series.
Top cap a 4-for-4 with four RBIs effort at the plate, Bob Saavedra highlighted the outburst with a three-run home run off Thunder relief pitcher Edwin Certantes.
Prior to that, Chris Duncan had greeted Cervantes with an RBI single.
After the homer, Aaron Nixon drew a walk. He scored on a Jose Ramirez double.
The game had been tied 3-3 since the bottom of the fourth, when Saavedra singled off QC starter Romain Ortiz with two outs to drive in Nathaniel Dixon.
Walkers starting pitcher Jesse McNaboe went six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits.
After that, Greg Sones, Nick Ruffalo and rookie Micah Andrew all pitched one inning.
Andrew allowed a pair of runs in his major league debut.
Ruffalo (1-0) earned his first win of the season.

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Record: 34-22, 1st, 5.5 GA Cedar Rapids
Cade Doughty singled off St. Louis relief pitcher Scott Rissler to
drive in Chase Davis with the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, as Detroit defeated the River Walkers 6-5 at Tiger Stadium.
Jimmy Gorman got things moving for the Diesels with a one out single off Rissler.
Davis then hit into a fielder's choice, with Gorman being eliminated at second.
Juan Herrera followed with a single to put runners at the corners.
Doughty then won it with a single into left on a 2-0 pitch.
Detroit had forced extra innings with a run in the bottom of the ninth.
Alejandro Crespo led off the inning with a single off Nick Strother.
He scored on a Gorman one-out single off Nick Ruffalo.
The Walkers had taken a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh on a two-run Nick Shaw single off reliever Rob Pillsbury.
Diesels starting pitcher Ray O'Leary went 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out six and walked two.
Detroit needed six relievers to finish the game, beginning with Josh Crespo, who got the final two outs of the sixth.
After that, it was Nate Wilson (0.2 IP), Pillsbury (1.1), Bill Russell (1.0), Jeff Hoffman (1.0) and Nestor Quito (1.0).
Quito (1-0) earned his first win of the season.

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Walkers news -- June 1 - Player Development Report

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

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MBL news: June 1 -- Rookies of the Month 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 totals for 2035 season

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Player of the Month: Nick Shaw --The 26-year-old first baseman batted .374 with four homers, 25 RBIs and 20 runs scored in 27 games. He got on base at a .438 clip and had a .552 slugging percentage.
Starting Pitcher of the Month: Jesse McNaboe --The 26-year-old right-hander went 3-0 in six starts with a 3.29 ERA. He pitched a total of 38.1 innings, during which he struck out 28 and had a 1.33 WHIP.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Nick Ruffalo --The 27-year-old left-hander got into 12 games during which he went 1-0 with a save. He pitched a total of 10.0 innings, during which he struck out 17 and had a 1.20 WHIP.