2033 St. Louis River Walkers: And the saga continues

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Record: 87-68, 2nd, 6 GB Cedar Rapids; Magic No. 2
Jesse McNaboe allowed two runs on nine hits in just over six innings en route to his 16th win of the season as St. Louis defeated Akron 5-2 at Candlestick Park (1993).
McNaboe (16-5), who may have been making his final start of the season, gave up a run in the first and a single that turned into a run in the seventh. He struck out five and walked one in his 6.1 innings.
The Flying Feet jumped in front 1-0 in the bottom of the first, when Adam Vargas drew a two-out walk from McNaboe and scored on a John Polk double.
In the seventh, McNaboe allowed a lead-off double to John Roberson.
Roberson scored when the next hitter, TJ Reeves, reached on a throwing error by River Walkers third baseman Bob Saavedra.
McNaboe then got Bill Savage to ground out before exiting the game.
Nick Ruffalo took over and struck out the next two to keep the scoring 4-2 in favor of St. Louis.
The Walkers went in front in the top of the fourth.
Feet starting pitcher Mat Alfaro struck out the inning's first two batters, before hitting Jose Ramirez with a pitch.
Nick Shaw followed with a double, scoring Ramirez to tie the score.
Jackson Miller plated Shaw with a triple as St. Louis went in front 2-1.
Aaron Nixon added a run to the Walkers' lead in the fifth.
He singled with one out, stole second, moving to third on a throwing error by Vargas, the catcher.
McNaboe then scored Nixon with a sacrifice bunt.
Nixon scored another run in the seventh in similar fashion.
This time he singled off reliever Santiago Snyder.
He again stole second base.
McNaboe drove him in for a second time, in this instance with a two-out single.
Rookie Manuel Coke added the game's final run when he led off the top of the eighth with his 22nd home run of the season. It came off Joel Thomas.
After getting out of the seventh-inning jam, Ruffalo returned to the mound for the Walkers in the eighth.
He retired the lead off batter.
Scott Rissler came on to finish the inning.
The ninth belonged to Bobby Westerman, who sent Akron down in order for his 12th save in 12 tries since joining St. Louis in late July.

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Record: 88-68, 2nd, 5 GB Cedar Rapids; Magic No. 2
Josh McDonald limited Akron to one run over seven innings, and St. Louis took the final three game of their four-game series at Candlestick Park (1993) with a 7-3 win.
McDonald (15-12), who may have been making his final start of the season, allowed the one run -- an RBI single to Robby Martin in the bottom of the third inning, which made it 2-1 -- on six hits.
He struck out six and walked three.
The River Walkers went up 2-0 with single runs in the second and third innings.
Nick Shaw and Jose Ramirez led off the second with consecutive singles off Akron starting pitcher Joe Black.
Chris Duncan scored Shaw with a two-out single.
An inning later, McDonald and Nathaniel Dixon opened the inning with back-to-back singles.
Daniel Becerra moved the runners to second and third with a bunt.
Manuel Coke made it 2-0 with a deep fly ball to center.
Dixon scored St. Louis' third run in the top of the seventh.
He drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on Becerra's second sacrifice bunt of the game.
Shaw drove in Dixon with a single.
The Walkers busted the game open with four runs in the ninth.
Coke and Shaw both picked up a second RBI with doubles off Fernando Estrada.
Zach Wenman delivered the third double of the inning, also off Estrada, scoring two more runs.
For relievers all made small contributions to close out the win.
Zachary Stella (0.2 IP) and Scott Rissler (0.1) combined to pitch the eighth, when the Feet scored their second run.
Rookie Chris Eason got the first two outs of the ninth, but also allowed a run and left the game with the bases loaded.
Fellow rookie Greg Sones came on and got Robby Martin to ground out to end it.

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MBL news: Sept. 24 -- Week 25 - Awards and standings

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Record: 88-69, 2nd, 5.5 GB Cedar Rapids; Magic No. 1
Jason Dexheimer shut out St. Louis over the first five innings, and the River Walkers didn't score until the ninth, as Cedar Rapids downed the River Walkers 7-1 at Green Canyon Park.
Dexheimer (2-6) scattered three singles over his five innings. He struck out four and walked two.
A trio of relievers combined to finish the game for the Harvesters.
Brad Beshirs worked a scoreless sixth inning.
Lawrence Caulfield did most of the rest lasting until their were two outs in the top of the ninth.
Caulfield allowed the lone St. Louis' run on a one-out homer from Nick Shaw in the top of the ninth.
He had to exit the game because of an undisclosed injury.
Carlos Duran stepped in to strike out Jackson Miller to end the game.
The Harvesters went up 1-0 with a run off St. Louis rookie starter Kevin Hridlicka in the bottom of the first.
Corey Jordan and Joe Allen both singled with one out.
Leo Cerna drove in Jordan with a two-out single.
It remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth.
Steve Carroll scored the run after leading off with a single off Hrdlicka
A walk to Jordan moved Carroll to second.
Cerna collected a second RBI when his double scored Carroll.
Des Moines busted the game open in the sixth, when Joe Allen greeted Zachary Stella, who had just taken the mound, with a three-run homer.
It was Allen's 33rd home run of the season.
Kyle Roberts capped the scoring with a two-run shot off Chris Eason in the seventh.

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Record: 89-69, 2nd, 5.5 GB Cedar Rapids; Eliminated from playoff contention
Shane Drogo allowed one run over the first six innings to help St. Louis to a 3-1 win over Des Moines at Green Canyon Park.
The River Walkers, however, were eliminated from playoff contention with Cedar Rapids 4-2 victory at Quad City.
The Grapplers lead St. Louis by 5.5 games with four games left in the season.
Drogo (8-13) allowed the one run -- an RBI single from Joe Allen in the bottom of the first inning, which made it 2-1 -- on six hits.
He struck out one and walked one.
Scott Rissler pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings.
Bobby Westerman improved to 13 for 13 in save situations since joining the River Walkers in late July.
St. Louis tallied two runs off Harvesters starting pitcher Keith Talley in the top of the first.
Manuel Coke doubled with one out, and moved to third on a Jose Ramirez single.
A walk to the red-hot Nick Shaw loaded the bases.
Jackson Miller drove in the game's first run with a fly ball to center.
Bob Saavedra made it 2-0 with a single.
Shaw hit a solo homer in the top of the third off Talley to make it 3-1.

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The Cedar Rapids Grapplers wrapped up the National League South Division title with a 4-2 win over Quad City on Sept. 25.
The victory gave the Grapplers, a 5.5-game lead over second-place St. Louis with five games remaining in the season.
Cedar Rapids owns a 4.5-game advantage over NL North leader Twin Cities for the best record in the National League.
Detroit, winner of the American League West, long ago sewed-up the MBL's best overall record. The Diesels currently sit at 104-53.
The playoff berth is just the second for the Grapplers, since the MBL's inaugural season in 2018.
Cedar Rapids lone playoff berth came in 2021.

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Record: 89-70, 2nd, 5.5 GB Cedar Rapids; Eliminated from playoff contention
Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Teddy Loetzch and a pair of reliever combined to shut out St. Louis on three hits 6-0 at Green Canyon Park.
Loetzch (6-5) allowed just two hits -- a single and a double -- in his 6.2 innings.
He struck out two and walked two.
Carlos Duran finished the seventh inning and worked a scoreless eighth.
Brad Beshirs completed the game without incident, as the Harvesters took two of three games in the series.
Des Moines got the only run it would need in the bottom of the first off St. Louis starter Edward Kunselman.
Justin Oates and Jared Poland led off the game with back-to-back single.
Joe Allen scored Oates, when he followed with a double.
Allen struck again in the third with a two-run homer off Kunselman.
Corey Jordan chased Kunselman with a two-run homer in the top of the sixth.
The Harvesters added another run that inning against the River Walkers' bullpen.
Ryan Rivet greeted Oscar Martinez with a double.
He scored on a single by Oates.

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Record: 90-70, 2nd, 4 GB Cedar Rapids; Eliminated from playoff contention
Hector Tavarez capped the first cycle in the history of the St. Louis River Walkers with a three-run home run in the top of the 12th-inning -- part of a six-run outburst -- as St. Louis won 12-6 over Madison at Comiskey Park (1969).
The cycle was the third in the Midwest Baseball League during the 2035 season.
Also accomplishing the feat was Columbus' Jonathon Boyle on May 20 against Des Moines and Rockford's David Blanton on July 23 against Cedar Rapids.
Tavarez is the only player to have five hits in his game, he went 5 for 6.
His home run came off Muskies relief pitcher Wade Hreha with two outs in the 12th, and drove in the final two runs of a six-run inning.
Bob Saavadra plated runs the first two runs when he greeted Hreha with a triple.
Daniel Becerra drove in Becerra with a single.
Herrera began his cycle when he led off the game with a single off Madison starting pitcher, and former River Walker, Jim Martin.
He got his double in the third, also off Martin.
This time he scored on a Nick Shaw single to put St. Louis in front 1-0.
Herrera tripled off Martin in the fourth, driving in two to give the Walkers a 4-3 lead.
Tavarez knocked his second single of the game in the sixth, this time it was off Marshall Hornby.
Chris Conway retired Tavarez for the only time with a strike out to open the top of the ninth.
For the game Tavarez was 5 for 6 with two singles, a double, a triple, and a homer, along with three runs scored and five RBIs.
Down 6-4, the Muskies tied it with a pair of runs in the bottom off the seventh.
Trent Rowan and Tyler Hamilton opened the inning with singles off Walkers reliever Scott Rissler.
Brady House drove in Rowan with a fly ball to left.
Nick Ruffalo took over, and gave up a game-tying double to Justin Moore.
Former Muskies closer Bobby Westerman (2-1) earned the win by getting the final two outs of the 11th inning and pitching a scoreless 12th.
Xavier Wigfall started for St. Louis, allowing four runs on six hits in five innings.
Chris Eason got one out in the sixth.
After that, it was Rissler (1.0 IP), Ruffalo (0.2). Nick Strother (1.0), Greg Sones (1.1), Westerman and Oscar Martinez (1-0).

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The Twin Cities Snow Cats are the champions of the American League North Division for the sixth time since 2028 following their 1-0 win at Peoria on Sept. 28.
The Cats own a four-game lead over second-place Milwaukee with two games remaining in the regular season.
Twin Cities also has a slim chance at home-field advantage in the AL championship series, as it sits two-games in back of AL South champ Cedar Rapids with two games left.
It is the second straight division title for Twin Cities, and its fifth in the last six seasons.
The Cats have reached the World Series twice losing last year to Grand Rapids while defeating Cleveland for the championship in 2032.

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Record: 91-70, 2nd, 3 GB Cedar Rapids; Eliminated from playoff contention
Tied 6-6, St. Louis scored three times in the top of the ninth inning -- the final two coming home on a Manuel Coke home run -- as the River Walkers downed Madison (9-6) at Comiskey Park (1969).
At one point, the Muskies trailed 5-1 only to tie it with a four-run bottom of the seventh inning.
Armando Trevino drove in three of the runs with a bases-loaded double off St. Louis reliever Zachary Stella.
The Walkers went up 6-5 in the top of the eighth on Bob Saavedra's second solo home run of the game, this one off reliever Ron Peterson, a former St. Louis prospect.
Madison tied it in the bottom of the eighth on a Bruce Navarrete RBI single off Scott Rissler.
The Muskies' Juan Munoz retired the first two hitters in the top of the ninth before the trouble began when Jose Segura reached on an error by center fielder Justin Moore.
Hector Tavarez, coming off a cycle in the previous game, remained hot with his third hit of this game, a single, scoring Segura who had reached second on Moore's miscue.
Coke then slammed his 23rd home run of the season to give St. Louis a three-run advantage.
The Walkers got a strong start from rookie Kevin Hrdlicka, who allowed one run on four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Chris Eason started on the mound in the Madison three-run seventh, recording out.
Stella got the other two.
Rissler pitched the eighth, allowing the Muskies to tie the game again.
Nick Strother set the side down in order in the ninth for his 19th save.

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Record: 91-71, 2nd, 4 GB Cedar Rapids; Regular-season ends
Alex Ochoa limited St. Louis to one run over the opening 5.1 innings, to earn his 10th win of the season and Madison downed the River Walkers 3-2 at Comiskey Park (1969) in the regular-season finale for both teams.
The Muskies took the series finale after dropping the first two games.
A solo homer in the top of the second by Jose Segura, putting St. Louis ahead 1-0, was the lone run surrendered by Ochoa (10-8).
In his time on the mound, he allowed four hits while striking out one and walking one.
Three relievers, Andres Hernandez (1.1 IP), Chris Conway (1.0) and Ron Peterson (1.0) combined to finish the game.
The Walkers got their second run in the top of the seventh off Hernandez.
Daniel Becerra led off the inning with a single, and later scored on a Bob Saavedra ground out.
Madison did all of its damage against rookie Ron Cox, who had his first start in the majors after being called up to pitch in the Walkers' bullpen in September.
Rod Bash hit a homer off the 6-foot-11 Cox in the bottom of the second to tie it 1-1.
Former Walker farmhand John McCaskey doubled off Cox with one out in the third and scored on an Armando Trevino single.
Jon Solis hit a two-out homer in the fourth to cap the scoring for Madison.

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MBL news: Oct. 1 -- Players and Pitchers of the Month for September

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MBL news: Oct. 1 -- Players and Pitchers of the Month for September
(A playoff game between Toledo and Cleveland will be played to decide the championship of the American League East Division. Final leaders and standings will be posted after that game).

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Walkers news: Oct. 1 -- Player Development Report for Oct. 1

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The Cleveland Juke Box Heroes became the final team to reach the postseason, defeating Toledo in a one-game playoff to claim the American League Division title.
Both Cleveland and Toledo finished the regular season 87-75.
The game, played at Toledo's Atlanta Fulton County Stadium (1974), was tied going into the top of the seventh inning when the Heroes took the lead for good.
Joe Silverstein drew a lead-off walk from Mud Hens reliever Josh Staufer.
A bunt by Joey Kirnan didn't go as planned, with Silverstein being thrown out at second.
Will Banfield, however, followed with a single to put runners at the corners.
Adam Reed the scored Kiernan with a deep fly ball to right.
Josh Paul, Mike Fagan and Dominic Pipkin kept Toledo from scoring over the final three innings.
Anton Alguezes (11-14) earned the win after allowing two runs on seven hits over the first six innings.
Cleveland advances to face Detroit in the American League championship series.
The Diesels (109-53) own the best record in the Midwest Baseball League.
It is the fourth overall division title for the Heroes, all of them coming since 2030.
Cleveland won the World Series in 2030 and lost in the Series in 2031.

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MBL news: Oct. 3 -- Final American League leaders

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MBL news: Oct. 3 -- Final National League leaders

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Walkers news: Oct. 3 -- Team statistics for September