2031 St. Louis River Walkers: The ring is the thing

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Record: 42-26, 1st, 4 GA Cedar Rapids
Daniel Becerra singled with two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning to score Rick Scott and give St. Louis an 8-7 win over Toledo at Busch Stadium (1997).
Scott had drawn a lead-off walk from Mud Hens reliever Martin Lopez to open the inning.
A Thairo Estrada one-out ground out off Ray Marr, advanced Scott to second.
Becerra then came through with his single on a 2-2 pitch, scoring Scott to win the game.
The River Walkers at one point led 7-1 before their bullpen faltered.
Toledo scored once in the sixth and seventh innings, before putting up a four-spot in the eighth to tie it.
The Mud Hens put four of their first five batters on base in the inning -- Miguel Ortiz had a pinch-hit double off reliever Andres Hernandez, while Ronny Maurcio scored three with a bases-loaded double off Cory Tiller -- to even the game at 7-7.
St. Louis starting pitcher Izzy San Juan allowed three runs on seven htis over 6.1 innings. He struck out eight and walked two.
Zack Evers finished the seventh for St. Louis.
Andres Hernandez was not good, allowing hits to all three of the batters he faced in the eighth.
Tiller got all three outs in the eighth and the first two of the ninth.
Yeison Santos finished off the ninth.
Argenis Batista followed with scoreless 10th and 11th innings.
Closer Ernesto Barbosa (3-0) did the same in the 12th toi earn his third win.

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Record: 43-26, 1st, 5 GA Cedar Rapids
St. Louis went into the bottom of the sixth inning of a scoreless game without a hit, by the time it was over it had scored three runs and set the stage for a 3-0 win over Toledo at Busch Stadium (1997).
Things got rolling when Mud Hens starting pitcher Bobby Wheeler hit Steve Rossi with a 2-2 pitch to open the inning.
After that, he walked, Jose Ramirez and Jordan Groshans followed with a single to jam the sacks.
Jose Segura quickly unjammed with with a two-run double to end what had been a good outing for Wheeler.
Ryan Kaderilik took over for Toledo.
He got a strike out for Jean Carmona to begin his register.
But Rick Scott followed with a fly ball deep enough to score Groshans, making it 3-0.
Hunsicker (7-2) pitched 7.1 innings without allowing a run. He gave up five hits while striking out two and walking two.
Andres Hernandez finished off the eighth inning.
The ninth belonged to Ernesto Barbosa, who earned his 12th save.

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MBL news: June 22 -- All-Star fan voting

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Record: 44-26, 1st, 5 GA Cedar Rapids
Trailing 3-2, St. Louis put up four runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to pave the way for an 11-6 win over Toledo at Busch Stadium (1997).
The win gave the River Walkers' a series victory, taking two of three games.
A two-run homer from Jose Segura off Mud Hens starter Willie Romero staked St. Louis to an early 2-0 lead.
But Toledo went in front 3-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, when Andy Jordan cranked a two-run homer off Walkers starter Kaneo Kawamoto.
But St. Louis answered back in a big way in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with two outs before Rick Scott hit a grand slam off Kleiber Bordones to put it ahead for good.
The Walkers' four-run seventh didn't feature a home run, but Jose Ramirez had a two-run single and Jean Carmona plated a pair with a double as they went ahead 10-3.
Kawamoto (7-4) allowed three runs on five hits over seven innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Ricky Cisneros pitched the eighth, giving up two runs.
Argenis Batista allowed a run in the ninth, but with a big lead it didn't really matter.

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MBL news: Week 11 -- Awards and standings

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Record: 45-26, 1st, 6 GA Cedar Rapids
Jesse McNaboe took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and combined with four relievers on a two-hitter, as St. Louis downed Kansas City 5-1 at Royals Stadium (1973).
McNaboe (5-1) didn't allow a hit until Ryan West reached on a single in the bottom of the fifth.
That put two runners aboard for the Monarchs, pitcher Mike Tucker was on first after drawing a lead-off walk, but McNaboe got Jason Gillem to ground into a double play.
He did walk Josh Shuler but coaxed Darren Miller into a ground out to preserve a 1-0 lead.
Walks were a big problem for McNaboe, who issued seven free passes. He struck out three.
McNaboe also had an impact at the plate, giving the River Walkers that 1-0 lead with an RBI single off Tucker in the top of the second.
Jose Segura scored the run, after reaching on a lead-off error by Gillem at second base,
A two-out single from Kevin Melendez moved Segura to third.
He scored when McNaboe followed with another single.
The Walkers went up 3-0 in the top of the sixth on Rick Scott's 19th homer of the season, a two-run blkast off reliever Justin Allely who had just entered the game.
St. Louis added single runs in the seventh -- Jordan Groshans with an RBI single -- and ninth -- Steve Rossi leading of with a homer off Josh Sandoval -- to go up 5-1.
Yeison Santos, Zach Evers, Andres Hernandez and Elian Acosta all pitched one inning after McNaboe's departure.
Josh Shuler homered off Hernandez in the eighth for the lone Monarchs' run.

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Record: 45-27, 1st, 5 GA Cedar Rapids
Kansas City took control of a scoreless game with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, off St. Louis ace Angel Tiburcio, and the Monarchs rolled on for a 6-3 win at Royals Stadium (1974).
The loss ended a seven-game winning streak for the River Walkers.
Three consecutive hits got things rolling for KC in the fourth against Tiburcio.
Jason Gillem led off with a single, but was picked off by Tiburcio.
But Blaze Jordan starting things back up again with a double.
Josh Shuler followed with a single, putting runners a the corners.
Tiburcio struck out Darren Miller for the second out.
Ed Moore, however, came through with a triple to score both runners.
Moore then scored when Jon Leon doubled, as the Monarchs went up 3-0.
Danny Cushing led off the fifth with a homer off Tiburcio, increasing the KC lead to 4-0.
St. Louis got back-to-back solo shots from Tiburco and Jose Ramirez off Monarchs starter Dominic Pipkin in the sixth to draw within 4-2.
When Ricky Liriano went deep off Nate Guthrie to lead off the eighth, the KC lead was down to 4-3.
But that lead didn't remain a run for long, as Adrian Del Castillo cranked a two-run homer off Elian Acosta in the bottom of the eighth, making it 6-4.
Pipkin (4-6) handled the first 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out nine and walked two.
Tyler Whitaker finished the sixth and worked a silence seventh.
Guthrie allowed the Liriano homer in the eighth.
Travis Rinker kept it 6-3 in the ninth for his first save.

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Record: 45-28, 1st, 4 GA Cedar Rapids
Kansas City roughed up St. Louis starting pitcher Izzy San Juan for six runs over the first four innings, and the Monarchs went on for a 6-2 win at Royals Stadium (1973).
With wins in the final two games, KC won the three-game series.
The River Walkers tallied twice in the top of the first inning against KC starter Javier Assad.
But the Monarchs got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning when Roman Puente led off with a homer off San Juan.
Kansas City grabbed the lead in the bottom of the third when Jason Gillem hit a two-out, two-run homer off San Juan.
The Monarchs took the lead an inning later.
Darren Miller led off the inning with a homer.
Logan Tanner and Tony Martinez later connected on back-to-back doubles to make it 5-2.
Assad, the pitcher, later singled to score Moore and grow the lead to 6-2.
Assad (3-2) took care of the first six innings, allowing two runs on five hits.
Tyler Whitaker, Chris Clarke and Travis Rinker all pitched a scoreless inning to seal the win.

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Record: 45-29, 1st, 4 GA Cedar Rapids
St. Louis jumped out to a 5-2 but squandered over the last half of the game, as Akron rallied for a 7-5 win at Candlestick Park (1993).
The River Walkers scored at least one run in each of the first four innings -- it could have been more as they left seven runners on base over that span -- while building that 5-2 advantage.
The Flying Feet got their comeback really going in the bottom of the fourth, putting together four singles off St. Louis starter Zack Hunsinger.Singles by Victor Romero and Matt Arnold both scored runs.
Akron went in front with a three-run eighth.
Walkers reliever Cory Tiller had another rough outing, allowing a two-run double to Victor Romero as Akron went in front.
Braden Shewmake, who had hit a two-run homer off Hunsicker in the second, made it 7-5 with a double off Argenis Batista.
Feet starting pitcher Jesus Cervantes had trouble finding the plate, walking five batters in 3.2 inning during which he alsl allowed five hits and five runs.
Johnathan Rocco replaced Cervantes but exited with an undisclosed injury after allowing a hit to the only batter he faced.
Matt Arnold finished off the fourth and pitched a scoreless fifth.
Joe Black handled the sixth and seventh without incident.
Willie Mendoza (3-4) netted the win after a scoreless eighth.
Brian Stewart allowed two hits, but no runs in the ninth to earn his 20th save.

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Record: 45-30, 1st, 4 GA Cedar Rapids
A three-run homer from Jose Segura in the top of the first staked St. Louis to an early lead, but by the time the River Walkers scored again they trailed 6-3 and Akron would on to win 6-4 at Candlestick Park (1993).
Segura launched his 27th homer of the season off Flying Feet starting pitcher Joel Thomas to put St. Louis ahead early.
Akron began to mount its comeback in the bottom of the third, when Zach Arnold led off the inning with a solo homer off Walkers starter Kaneo Kawamoto.
An inning later, the Feet had the lead after scoring three times.
Lee Oakley plated the first run with a single off Kawamoto.
Arnold took care of the other two when he followed that with a double.
Akron added two insurance runs in the seventh against the St. Louis bullpen.
Andres Hernandez allowed the inning's first two batters to reach base.
Kylon Tye made him pay with a one-out triple.
Thomas (5-0) settled down after the Segura homer, but still pitched just five innings allowing the three runson four hits.
Nick Kahny followed with a pair of scoreless innings.
Willie Mendoza pitched the eighth, and allowed a homer to Steve Rossi.
Jose Leclerc earned his first save with a scoreless ninth.

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Record: 45-31, 1st, 3 GA Cedar Rapids
Matthew Libertatore tossed six shut-out innings and Akron had no problem making a 4-0 lead hold up, as the Fly Feet downed St. Louis 4-1 at Candlestick Park (1993).
Liberatore (4-5) scattered five hits in his six innings. He struck out three and walked none.
Akron gained the lead, and it was for good, in the bottom of the second when the red-hit Braden Shewmake hit a two-out solo homer off River Walkers starter Jesse McNaboe.
The Feet added two more runs in the third, again via the long ball, this time Adam Vargas connecting on a two-run shot off McNaboe.
Akron scored for the third straight inning in the fourth.
Victor Romero singled off McNaboe with one out.
A Shewmake double moved him to third.
Liberatore drove him home with a single.
Jonathon Rocco pitched the seventh for Akron and got the first out of the eighth.
He also allowed the lone Walkers' run on a single by Jose Segura.
Jose Leclerc stepped in with runners on first and second in the eighth.
The first hitter he faced, Jordan Groshans singled, to load the bases.
But he got Rick Scott and Jean Carmona to both fly out and keep it 4-1.
Brian Stewart struck out the side in the ninth for his 21st save.

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MBL news: June 29 -- All-Star fan voting update

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Record: 45-32, 1st, 2 GA Cedar Rapids
Robby Martin hit a walk-off two-run homer off St. Louis reliever Elian Acosta in the bottom of the 10th inning, to give Akron a 3-1 win at Candlestick Park (1993).
Zach Arnold led off the bottom of the 10th with a double off Acosta.
Adam Vargas followed with a fly ball, which moved Arnold to third.
But Marin made the sac fly academic, driving a 1-2 pitch 376 feet over the wall in left field to give the Flying Feet a sweep of the four-game series.
The River Walkers scored the game's first run in the top of the fifth.
Rick Scott drew a two-out walk from Akron starter Damon Casetta-Stubbs.
A Ricky Liriano single moved him to second, and he scored on a single by pitcher Angel Tibruico.
The Feet answered with a run in the bottom of the inning.
Kylon Tye led off with an infield single off Tiburcio.
A pair of wild pitches moved him to third, and Tye scored on a fly ball hit by Daylen Reyes.
Casetta-Stubbs worked just five innings, allowing one run on four hits.
Four relievers -- Nick Kahny (1.0), Jonathan Rocco (1.0), Matt Arnold (2.0) and Brian Stewart (1.0) -- combined to finish the game.
Stewart (4-2), who already had saved two games in the series, came out with the win in this one.

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MBL news: Week 12 -- Awards and standings

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Walkers news: July 1 -- Player Development Report

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MBL news: July 1 -- Players and Pitchers of the Month for June

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MBL news: July 1 -- Rookies of the Month for June

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MBL news: July 1 -- American League leaders

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MBL news: July 1 -- National League leaders

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Walkers news: July 1 -- Team statistics for June