2033 St. Louis River Walkers: And the saga continues

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Record: 26-11, 1st, 6 GA Springfield
St. Louis scored seven runs over the first two innings and went on to rout Chicago 12-2 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The River Walkers put five of their first six batters on base against G-Men starting pitcher Devin Eyre in the bottom of the first inning.
Hector Tavarez and Nathaniel Dixon provided the big hits.
Tavarez doubled with the bases loaded, scoring two.
Dixon, hitting next, cranked his fourth homer of the season to make it 4-0.
After Chicago scored a run against St. Louis starting pitcher Josh McDonald in the top of the second, the Walkers responded with a three-run homer from Marcos Francis in the bottom half to go up 7-1.
St.. Louis would add five more runs before it was over.
Manuel Coke hit a two-run homer off Dave Vadeboncoeur in the fifth.
Abdul-Nasser bin Amr hit his first major league homer off Jimmy DaPra in the eighth to cap the scoring.
McDonald (4-2) went seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Rookie left-hander Ron Cox did the rest keeping the G-Men off the board in the eighth and ninth.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have learned that right-handed starting pitcher Jesse McNaboe will miss the remainder of the regular season after being diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
The 27-year-old McNaboe had gone 3-3 with 2.59 ERA in eight starts. He suffered the injury during a 2-0 loss at Springfield on May 15. He is expected to be sidelined for eight to nine months.
It is the most serious injury of McNaboe’s career. He missed six weeks during the 2034 injury with elbow inflammation.
For his career, McNaboe owns a career record of 73-43 in 155 career starts with a 4.15 ERA.
McNaboe first appeared in the majors in 2029, and broke into the Walkers rotation in 2031.
For now, St. Louis is expected to put top pitching prospect Kevin Hrdlicka into their starting rotation.

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Record: 26-12, 1st, 5 GA Springfield
Bryan Gonyon hit his first two home runs of the season and drove in three runs to help power Chicago to a 4-1 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
The G-Men went on front in the top of the first on a one-out homer by Matt Walczak off River Walkers starting pitcher Shane Drogo.
After St. Louis tied it with a run off G-Men starting pitcher Joel Wisniewski in the bottom of the first, Nick Shaw drove in Marcos Francis with a two-out single, Gonyon got Chicago back the lead with his first homer.
Gonyon accounted for the game's final two runs in the seventh with a two-run shot, also off Drogo.
Wisniewski didn't last long enough to earn the win, allowing one run on three hits over 4.1 innings. He struck out six and didn't walk a batter.
Michael Steinberg got the final two outs of the fifth.
Three relievers, Erik Perry (1.0 IP), Jimmy DaPra (1.0) and Jeremy Bouchard (1.0), combined to finish the game.
Perry (3-1) earned the win.
Bouchard collected his ninth save.

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Record: 26-13, 1st, 5 GA Springfield and Quad City
Rich Nelson limited St. Louis to one run on two hits over the first six innings, and Chicago downed the River Walkers 6-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win gave the G-Men victories in the final two games of the three-game series.
The only run allowed by Nelson came in the bottom of the third inning when Manny Martinez connected on an RBI single to score Alfredo Gomez.
Gomez drew a walk to lead off the inning, and then stole second.
The run made it 2-1, Chicago.
The G-Men had scored single runs in the top of the second -- George Phelps with an RBI double -- and third -- back-to-back one-out doubles by Danny Gutierrez and Josh Rosborough -- St. Louis starting pitcher Xavier Wigfall surrendered both runs.
Nelson (4-0) struck out four and walked one during his time on the mound.
The G-Men added two runs in both the sixth -- Adam Stewart with an RBI double and Nelson scoring the other with a single -- and seventh innings -- Luis Tejeda with an RBI single while the other run scored while a double play was being turned.
Wigfall was charged with both sixth innings runs.
The runs in the seventh belonged to Ron Cox.
After Nelson exited, the G-Men turned to Kory Behenna (1.0 IP), Erik Perry (1.2) and Devin Eyre (0.1) to close out the game.

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MBL news: May 19 -- Week 6 - Awards and standings

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Record: 27-13, 1st, 5 GA Quad City
St. Louis jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first two innings, and kept on piling up the runs in a 12-3 win over Cedar Rapids at Busch Stadium (2006).
The River Walkers picked up a pair of first-inning runs with two outs.
Bob Saavedra drew a lead-off walk from Grapplers starter Joey Ross.
After a pair of outs, he scored when left fielder Jose Morillo botched a fly ball hit by Nick Shaw.
Shaw advanced to second on the error, and scored when Yan C. Dixon singled.
An inning later, pitcher Edward Kunselman singled off Ross with one out.
He scored on a Saavedra triple.
Saavedra made it 4-0 when he scored on a Marcos Francis ground out.
The Grapplers briefly climbed back into it when Morillo hit a two-run homer off Kunselman in the top of the third.
St. Louis got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third.
Dixon drew a lead-off walk from reliever Jordyn Ibarra.
He scored second, and scored on an Alfredo Gomez double.
The Walkers later broke the game open by scoring three times in both the fifth and seventh.
Manny Martinez drove in the first two runs of the fifth with a double.
He scored when Kunselman connected on his second hit of the game, a double.
Martinez collected two more RBIs in the seventh with a two-run homer off Hector Miro.
Saavedra went deep two batters later, making it 11-2.
Hector Tavarez hit a bomb off Miro for the Walkers final run in the bottom of the eighth.
Kunselman (3-0) went seven innings, allowing the two runs on five hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Brennan Weldon worked two scoreless innings before tiring in the ninth, when the Grapplers scored their third run.
Chris Eason faced one batter to end the game.

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Record: 27-14, 1st, 5 GA Cedar Rapids and Quad City
Pinch-hitter Dane Finch led off the top of the ninth inning with a home run to snap a 1-1 tie, and help give Cedar Rapids a 2-1 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
Finch's homer came on the first pitch he saw from River Walkers reliever Scott Rissler.
It traveled some 417 feet over the left-center field wall. It was Finch's second homer of the season.
The game was scoreless into the fifth inning when the Grapplers jumped out in front on a lead-off homer from Matt Thurston off St. Louis rookie starter Kevin Hrdlicka.
Hrdlicka was making his first start of the season, in place of Walkers ace Jesse McNaboe who has been lost to the season with an elbow injury.
St. Louis tied it in the bottom of the fifth.
Hrdlicka drove in the run by getting down a bases-loaded bunt which scored Nathaniel Dixon.
Facing Grapplers starting pitcher Edwin Rivera, Dixon had reached on an error by Thurston at first base to open the inning.
A single by Abdul-Nasser bin Amr had moved Dixon to second.
Alfredo Gomez got down a bunt to put runners on second and third.
Jeff Morales was given an intentional walk, bringing Hrdlicka to the plate.
Rivera went seven innings, allowing the one run on four hits. He struck out five and walked one.
Hector Miro (1-0) worked a scoreless eighth and would earn the win.
Keith Kirby earned his eighth save.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have placed catcher Jackson Miller on the 10-day injured list, while catcher Zach Wenman comes off the IL.
Miller, 34, has been injured since May 9 with what was believed to be a minor back injury which would only keep him out for a few days.
He did see times in a May 10 games as a pinch-hitter but has not played since.
For the season, Miller has played in just 18 games during which he has batted .315 with one homer and four RBIs.
Coming off the IL is Zach Wenman, who has been out with an intercostal strain since May 10.
Wenman, 27, has batted .273 with six RBIs in 19 games this season.

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Record: 28-14, 1st, 5 GA Quad City
Bob Saavedra hit a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning to give St. Louis a 4-2 win over Cedar Rapids at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win gave the River Walkers victories in two of the three games in their series with the Grapplers.
Hector Tavarez drew a one-out walk from Cedar Rapids reliever Jordyn Ibarra ahead of the Saavedra homer.
The game-winner came on a 3-1 pitch and landed 390 feet from home plate in right-center field.
The Grapplers had tied it at 2-2 in the top of the seventh inning.
Arnold Hammond led off the inning with a single off Walkers starting pitcher Josh McDonald.
A ground out by Dane Finch moved Hammond to second.
Reliever Nick Ruffalo took over and allowed three straight batters to reach -- a single to Petey Halpin, which tied the score, followed by an intentional walk to Mark Hill and a single by Eric Peretz to load the bases -- but allowed just one run.
Brennan Weldon took over and got Miguel Mato to hit into a fielder's choice, with Halpin being retired at home.
Jose Morillo then flied out to keep it 2-2.
McDonald went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked one.
St. Louis used six relievers after that.
Ruffalo (0.0 IP) and Weldon (0.2) finished the seventh.
Greg Sones worked a scoreless eighth.
Scott Rissler (0.2) and Ron Cox handled the ninth.
Closer Nick Strother (3-1) pitched three innings to earn the win.

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Record: 29-14, 1st, 6 GA Quad City
Manuel Coke went 4 for 5 with two doubles, a homer and four RBIs to help power St. Louis to a 7-4 win over Grand Rapids at Busch Stadium (2006).
Coke struck first with a solo homer off Traders starting pitcher Mark MacDougall in the bottom of the first.
The homer sliced a 2-0 deficit to 2-1.
Nick Shaw followed the homer with a triple, but had to leave the game with an undisclosed injury.
Zach Wenman then singled, scoring pinch-runner Alfredo Gomez to tie it at 2-2.
Two innings later, Coke put the River Walkers in front with an RBI double off McDougall, scoring Yan C. Dixon who had led off the inning with a single.
The St. Louis lead grew to 5-2 in the seventh, again Coke was involved.
This time it was an RBI double to score the second run of the inning.
Marcos Francis drove in the first with a single off Fernando Fernando, who allowed both runs.
A two-run homer from Nick Velez in the top of the eighth off reliever Nick Ruffalo drew Grand Rapids within 5-4.
St. Louis got both those runs back in the bottom of the inning.
Traders relievers Brian McIlmoyle allowed three straight batters to reach bases to load them with one out.
Dixon hit a deep fly ball to right to score the inning's first run.
Victor Castillo replaced McIlmoyle, but gave up an RBI single to Coke to make it 7-4.
St. Louis starter Shane Drogo (4-2) earned the win, he went six innings allowing two runs on four hits.
Chris Eason pitched a scoreless seventh.
Ruffalo and Armondo Cintron combined to work the eighth.
Brennan Weldon set Grand Rapids down in order in the ninth for his third save.

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Record: 29-15, 1st, 6 GA Quad City
Down 2-0, Grand Rapids tallied two runs against the St. Louis bullpen in both the sixth and seventh innings and the Traders went on for a 4-2 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
Walkers starting pitcher Xavier Wigfall had to exit after just 2.1 innings due to shoulder pain.
He is expected to be available for his next start.
St. Louis built its lead with single runs in the second and fourth innings off Grand Rapids starter Jared Harms.
The Traders tied it in the top of the sixth against reliever Ron Cox.
Chris Jensen led off the inning with a single and scored on a two-run homer by Arturo Verdugo.
Grand Rapids grabbed the lead an inning later.
Zach Simon drew a one-out walk from Chris Eason.
Ubaldo Capponi followed with a single.
Shea Langliers scored both runs with a double.
Harms went five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out five and didn't issue a walk.
Victor Castillo (1-1) earned the win after a scoreless sixth inning.
Victor de Leon didn't allow a base runner in two innings on the mound.
Evan Palmer pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

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The St. Louis River Walkers that two-time All-Star first baseman Nick Shaw will miss up to four weeks with a fractured rib suffered in a 7-4 win over Grand Rapids on May 22.
Shaw, 27, was batting .299 with five homers and 28 RBIs at the time of the injury.
Getting the callup from AAA is 23-year-old corner infielder Mark Herman.
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2034 draft, Herman has batted .309 with four homers and 22 RBIs in 39 games this season at AAA Memphis.
This isn't the first time in the majors for Herman, 23, he played in four games with the Walkers in 2035, hitting .300 with one RBI.

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Record: 29-16, 1st, 5 GA Quad City
Grand Rapids scored five times in the top of the ninth inning to wipe out a 5-2 deficit, and the Traders went on to defeat St. Louis 7-5 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The River Walkers had scored three times in the bottom of the eighth inning to take that three-run lead.
Zach Wenman drove in the first run with a single.
Rookie Mark Herman followed with his first homer in the majors, a three-run, shot to make it 5-2.
Traders Joseph King allowed all three runs.
St. Louis closer Nick Strother blew his first save of the season in the top of the ninth.
A one-out walk to Jarrod Twomney got things rolling for Grand Rapids.
The next three Traders would reach base, Drew Bowser and Leonardo Rodriguez sandwiching singles around a walk to Alvaro Lovato.
The Rodriguez single scored the Traders first run of the inning.
Entering the game with the bases loaded, Nick Ruffalo was greeted by a two-run double by Ubaldo Capponi.
After a strike out of Nick Velez for the second out, Zach Simon singled driving in the final two runs of the frame.
The Walkers did threaten in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with one out.
But Evan Palmer got Abdul-Nasser bin Arm to ground out to end it.
Traders starting pitcher Dan Bouwman went 5.1 innings, allowing two run on seven hits.
Six relievers followed him to the mound, Nate Peden got the final two outs of the sixth.
After that, it was Craig Burch (1.0 IP), King (0.1), Terry Lesnau (0.0), Victor de Leon (0.2) and Evan Palmer (1.0).
de Leon (1-0) earned his first win of the season.
Palmer notched his ninth save.

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Record: 29-17, 1st, 5 GA Quad City
Grand Rapids jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, and Rafael Pina pitched into the eighth inning as the Traders downed St. Louis 2-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win was the third in a row for Grand Rapids to complete the four-game series.
The Traders wasted little time getting to River Walkers rookie starting pitcher Kevin Hrdlicka for their only two runs of the game.
Drew Bowser drew a walk to lead-off the game.
He went to third when Bruce Herrera followed with a single.
Bowser scored on a Leonardo Rodriguez fly ball to center field.
Herrera then went to second when Roberto Hernandez reached on an error by shortstop Abdul-Nasser bin Amr.
Nick Velez connected for the second sacrifice fly of the inning, moving Herrera to third.
Herrera then scored when Zach Simon singled.
Hernandez was thrown out trying to go from first to third.
The Walkers got their lone run in the bottom of the third, rookie Mark Herman with his second homer in as many games, this one off Pina.
Pina (5-2) went 7.1 innings, allowing one run on seven hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Joseph King finished off the eighth inning.
Nate Peden pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season.

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MBL news: May 26 -- Week 7 awards and standings

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Record: 30-17, 1st, 5 GA Quad City
Josh McDonald took a shutout deep into the eighth inning, and Manuel Coke provided the game's lone run with an eighth-inning homer as St. Louis edged Louisville 1-0 at Dodger Stadium.
McDonald (5-2) allowed just two hits over the 7.2 innings he pitched, striking out six and walking two.
Those hits were a two-out single by Bobby Chapman in the bottom of the fourth inning, and a lead-off single by Will Banfield in the eighth.
With Banfield having been eliminated when pinch-hitter Mike Courtney hit into a fielder's choice, McDonald struck out Mike McClellan for the second out of the eighth before he exited.
Scott Rissler took over and got Chris Zoltan to end the eighth.
Rissler started the ninth by getting Danny Boyleto ground out.
Southpaw Ron Cox was brought in to face the next two hitters, who both hit from the left side.
The Sluggers, however, used two right-handed hitting pinch-hitters, Brian Sheppard and Jose Gonzalez, but it didn't matter as Cox struck them both out for his first save.
Coke provided the game's lone run by hitting an 0-2 pitch from reliever Kyle Kulig 400 feet over the wall in right-center.
The homer was Coke's 10th of the season.
Louisville starting pitcher Esteban Serna went 6.2 shut-out innings, allowing six hits. He struck out five and walked one.

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Record: 30-18, 1st, 5 GA Quad City and Kansas City
Dan Boyles hit a two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Louisville a 7-5 win over St. Louis at Dodger Stadium.
Tied 5-5, Mike Courtney had led off the bottom of the ninth with a single off River Walkers reliever Chris Eason.
After Jose Gonzalez flew out, Boyle hammered a 1-0 pitch 435 feet over the left-field wall for his seventh homer of the season.
St. Louis roughed off Sluggers starting pitcher Tony Arroyo for four runs in the top of the first inning.
But that lead would not stand, as Louisville rallied to eventually take a 5-4 lead.
David Morales started the scoring for the Sluggers by leading off the second with a home run off Walkers starter Shane Drogo.
Brian Sheppard drove in a pair of runs in the third, also off Drogo, to pull Louisville within a run.
A two-run double from Chris Ring off Scott Rissler in the seventh put the Sluggers in front.
St. Louis tied it in the top of the eighth when a Zane Almy wild pitch scored Marcos Francis.
Arroyo lasted just three innings, allowing four runs on four hits.
Four relievers, Corey Wood (2.2 IP), Tom Floria (1.1), Almy (1.0) and Matt Whitmore (1.0), combined to finish the game for Louisville.
Whitmore (1-1) earned the win.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have called up right-handed reliever Bobby Westerman from AAA Memphis, where he was on an injury rehab.
The Walkers re-signed Westerman as a free agent after the 2035 season.
Westerman, 27, had been acquired from Madison just before the trade deadline in 2035.
He pitched in 18 games for St. Louis after the trade, going 1-1 with 15 saves and a 0.98 ERA.
The right-hander suffered a herniated disk during spring training.
He started the season at Memphis, getting into five games and going 1-1 with two saves and a 4.30 ERA.
Due to Westerman's injury, Eason, 28, started the season in the majors.
He pitched in 23 games, going 2-3 with a 5.44 ERA.
Eason surrendered a game-winning two-run homer to Louisville's Dan Boyle in the bottom of the ninth inning in his final appearance with the Walkers.

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Record: 31-18, 1st, 5.5 GA Kansas City
Marcos Francis hit a three-run home run with two outs in the top of the 11th inning -- highlighting a six-run outburst -- to cap a 5 for 5 performance as St. Louis won 7-1 over Louisville at Dodger Stadium.
The win was the second for the River Walkers and finished off the three-game series.
St. Louis already had scored three times when Francis hit his three-run homer off Sluggers reliever Tony Arroyo.
Zach Wenman had led off the inning with a single off reliever Zane Almy.
Corey Wood replaced Almy, but was greeted by an RBI double by Nathaniel Dixon.
Wood retired the next two batters, although a fly ball by Chris Duncan did score a run.
Bob Saavedra then drew a walk, leading to the exit of Wood in favor of Arroyo.
Rookie Mark Hermann singled, moving Saavedra to second.
Manuel Coke plated the third run of the inning with a single.
That set the stage for Francis' sixth home run of the season.
The game was scoreless until the 10th inning.
The Walkers broke up the scoreless tie in the top of that inning.
Herman drew a one-out walk from Matt Whitmore.
He later scored on a Francis single.
Francis had four singles to go with his homer and drove in four runs.
Vince Jackson kept the game going with a homer off Nick Strother in the bottom of the 10th.
Walkers starter Xavier Wigfall went six shutout innings. He allowed five hits, while striking out six and walking none.
Brennan Weldon and Strother both pitched two innings.
Strother (4-2) earned the win.
With a big lead, Ron Cox pitched a scoreless 11th.

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Record: 31-19, 1st, 4.5 GA Kansas City
Collin Allen doubled with two outs in the top of the 10th inning to score Daniel Becerra and help give Quad City a 3-2 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
Becerra had singled with one out in the top of the 10th off River Walkers reliever Bobby Westerman, who has making his first appearance in the majors of the season after being injured in spring training.
Allen's double on a 3-2 pitch then scored Becerra.
Becerra, who had left St. Louis as a free agent after the 2035 season, had homered off Walkers starter Edward Kunselman in the second inning to make it 2-0.
A solo homer from Q-C's Joey Wilson in the second inning had provided the game's first run.
St. Louis tied it with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Bob Saavedra drove in the fifth-inning run, his two-out triple off Thunder starter Mike Koontz plating Kunselman who had singled.
Manuel Coke homered off Koontz to lead off he sixth.
Koontz worked the first six innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out three and walked two.
Bobby Wheeler pitched a pair of scoreless innings in relief.
After that, it was one inning apiece from Michele Vassalotti and Craig Fritzler.
Vassalotti (2-1) earned the win.
Fritzlr now has 10 saves.