2033 St. Louis River Walkers: And the saga continues

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Record: 8-2, 1st (Tied/w. Springfield), 3 GA Des Moines
Nick Shaw continued his torrid start to the season hitting two more home runs, and Kevin Hrdlicka took a no-hitter into the sixth inning as St. Louis defeated Indianapolis 4-1 at the Astrodome (1995).
The River Walkers have won seven straight games.
Shaw's first homer came in the top of the first inning, off Racers starting pitcher Jon Diaz, to give the River Walkers a 2-0 lead.
His other homer came in the sixth, a solo shot again off Diaz to make it 4-0.
For the season, through 10 games, Shaw is hitting .378 with seven homers and 23 RBIs.
In between the Shaw long balls, St. Louis got a run in the top of the fifth.
Jose Segura led off with a double off Diaz and scored on an Abdul-Nasser bin amr single.
Hrdlicka did not allow a hit until Ozzie Albies connected on a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
Brandon Lee, who had reached on a pinch-hit single and later stole second, scored on Albies' hit.
Altogether, Hrdlicka (1-0) allowed one run on one hit over seven innings. He struck out eight and walked two.
Greg Sones and Ron Cox finished the game with a scoreless inning each.

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Record: 9-2, 1st (Tied/w. Springfield), 3 GA Des Moines
Mark Herman led off the top of the ninth inning with a triple and scored two batters later on an Abdul-Nasser bin Amr single to give St. Louis a 4-3 win over Indianapolis at the Astrodome (1995).
The win was the eighth in a row for the River Walkers.
Herman's triple came off Racers relief pitcher Ramiro Canales.
Jose Segura, the next batter, was given an intentional walk.
bin Amr followed with his single, rapping a 1-1 pitch past the shortstop to bring Herman home.
Indy's Brian Newell hit a three-run home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Josh McDonald with two outs in the bottom of the fourth to give his team a 3-1 lead.
St. Louis tied it in the top of the sixth against Racers starter Chris Lutz.
It was back-to-back bombs from Manuel Coke (his fourth of the season) and Nick Shaw (his eighth), which drew the Walkers even.
McDonald lasted six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out four and walked three.
Brett McVey worked a scoreless seventh for the Walkers.
Nick Ruffalo (0.2 IP) and Scott Rissler (0.1) combined to stymie the Racers in the eighth.
Bobby Westerman shook off a series of rough outings to earn his second save.

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Record: 10-2, 1st, 1 GA Springfield
Xavier Wigfall pitched seven scoreless innings and Abdul-Nasser bin Amr provided the game's lone run with a home run in the top of the seventh, as the River Walkers defeated Indianapolis 1-0 at the Astrodome (1995).
Indy starter Chung Pei matched Wigfall scoreless frame for scoreless frame for the first seven innings.
Pei exited to begin the eighth, being replaced by Craig Martinez.
Martinez struck out Jose Segura to begin the eighth.
bin Amr, however, got ahold of a 0-1 pitch and smacked it 393 feet over the left-field wall for his second homer of the season.
Wigfall (2-0) allowed three hits -- two singles and a double -- in his seven innings. He struck out six and walked three.
Greg Sones worked a scoreless eighth for the Walkers.
Closer Bobby Westerman registered his third save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

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Record: 11-2, 1st, 1 GA Springfield
Record: 11-2, 1st, 1 GA Springfield
Zach Wenman connected on a two-run single with one out in the top of the 11th inning to help lift St. Louis to a 7-5 win and a four-game sweep of Indianapolis at the Astrodome (1995).
The win was the 10th in a row for the River Walkers.
St. Louis got singles from its first three batters – Nick Shaw, Eddie Estrella and Jose Segura -- off Racers relief pitcher Jeremy Dawson to begin the top of the 11th.
Wenman made it four straight singles, with his driving Shaw and Estrella across the plate to snap the 5-5 tie.
Down 5-4, St. Louis had tied it in the top of the ninth on back-to-back two-out doubles from Shaw and Estrella off Indy closer Ramiro Canales.
The River Walkers did own an early 3-0 lead, only to have the Racers tie it in the bottom of the fourth.
Damiao Orozco got Indy on the board with a two-out single off St. Louis starting pitcher Ming Xiang.
Rich Calhoun then plated two more with another single.
Tony Galvan connected on another two-out single, again off Xiang, in the fifth as the Racers went in front 4-3.
Calhoun collected his third RBI of the game in the sixth, this time with a single off Ron Cox as the Indy advantage reached 5-3.
Mark Herman led off the seventh for St. Louis with a single. He later scored on an Estrella fly ball, making it 5-4.
Chiang went five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He struck out four and walked three
He was followed to the mound by six relievers – Ron Cox (1.2 IP), Maximilliano Minelli (0.1), Scott Rissler (0.1), Armando Cintron (1.2), Brett McVey (1.0) and Nick Ruffalo (1.0) – with McVey (1-0) earning his first win of the season and Ruffalo his first save.

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MBL news: April 20 -- Week 2 -- Awards and standings

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Record: 12-2, 1st, 1.5 GA Springfield
Trailing 5-4, St. Louis used a pair of home runs -- a grand slam by Jackson Miller and a three-run homer by Eddie Estrella -- to put up seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on its way to an 11-6 win over Des Moines at Busch Stadium (2006).
The Harvesters roughed up River Walkers starting pitcher Jesse McNaboe to the turn of five runs over the first 5.1 innings.
A David Tapley two-run homer off McNaboe in the top of the fifth had given Des Moines a 5-3 lead.
St. Louis sliced that advantage to a run in the bottom of the fifth.
Estrella with a two-out RBI single off Harvesters starter Josh Crespo.
That set the stage for St. Louis' big outburst in the bottom of the sixth.
Tafoya took the mound to start the inning.
He wasn't good.
Bill Pena drew a walk to start the inning and moved to second when Jordan Quinto reached on a bunt single.
Bob Saavedra followed with the third single of the inning.
Miller then supplied his second long ball of the season -- a 391 blast to left field to make it 8-5.
Trevor Wortham replaced Crespo. He actually got an out getting Marcos Francis to fly out for the inning's first out.
But Nick Shaw followed with a walk and Jose Segura was hit by a pitch.
This brought Estrella to the plate, and he deposited an 0-1 pitch from Wortham 465 feet over the wall in left-center for his first homer of the season.
McNaboe managed to get through 5.1 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits.
Armando Cintron finished the sixth inning for St. Louis.
Maximilliano allowed a run while working the seventh for the Walkers.
Brett McVey handled the eighth and got the first out of the ninth before tiring.
Scott Rissler ended it by recording the final two outs.

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Record: 12-3, 1st, 1.5 GA Springfield
Pat Walters pitched seven scoreless innings and Des Moines built a 7-0 lead before St. Louis got onto the board -- thanks to three consecutive home runs in the top of the eighth -- as the Harvesters ended the River Walkers' 11-game win streak with a 7-2 victory at Busch Stadium (2006).
Walters, making his first start of the season, allowed just three hits over the first seven innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Des Moines tallied single runs off St. Louis starting pitcher in the fourth and sixth innings.
It was Leo Cerna driving in Joe Allen on both occasions.
In the fourth, Allen drew a lead-off walk and scored on a Cerna single.
Allen drew another walk in the sixth, this time with one out.
He moved to second on a passed ball charged to catcher Jackson Miller.
Cerna scored Allen with another single.
Ron Cox took all the damage in the Harvesters' eighth inning.
Zigza Mukuru led off the innings with a single.
He scored on Allen's first home run of the season.
Hector Hildalgo and Cerna then followed with solo blasts.
The Walkers' two runs came in the bottom of the eighth on a home run by Manuel Coke off reliever Matt Gernhardt.
Gernhardt pitched the eighth and got the first out of the ninth.
Jose Tafoya notched the game's final two outs.

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Record: 12-4, 1st, 1.5 GA Springfield
Scoreless into the seventh inning, Des Moines put up four runs - highlighted by a three-run home run by Zigza Mukuru -- as the Harvesters went on to defeat St. Louis 4-0 at Busch Stadium (2006).
River Walkers starting pitcher Josh McDonald had shut out Des Moines on five hits over the first six innings, but Willie Martinez led off the seventh with a double and scored on a Corey Jordan single to put the Harvesters ahead 1-0.
After another single, not sure by whom as the play-by-play seems glitchy, McDonald left the game in favor of Scott Rissler.
Mukuru drove Rissler's first pitch 370 feet for his first homer of the season, and a 4-0 Harvesters' lead.
Des Moines starting pitcher Jason Dexheimer last just 3.1 innings. He didn't allow a run on six hits.
Trevor Wortham finished the fourth, and also worked a silent fifth and sixth.
Drew Mendoza pitched a scoreless seventh and then allowed the lone St. Louis run while recording the first out in the eighth.
Mark Herman drove in a run with a double in the eighth for the River Walkers.
Noah Green got the final two outs of the eighth for the Harvesters.
A scoreless ninth earned Mark Polzin his first save.

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Record: 12-5, 1st, 2 GA Springfield
Trailing 2-0, Rockford sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring nine runs on two hits, seven walks and one error, as the Lightning went on to defeat St. Louis 10-2 at RFK Stadium (2005).
River Wakers starting pitcher Xavier Wigfall got pinch-hitter Bill Morris to ground out to open the top of the fifth.
However, he walked the next batter, Ernesto Ferreras.
A strike out of Alex Horta followed.
But after that, Wigfall's control completely vanished.
He walked four consecutive batters, driving in two runs to tie the game before he exited
Rookie Maximilliano Minelli took over.
He proceeded to walk Fernando Tatis Jr., putting Rockford in front 3-2.
Daylen Reyes was able to put the bat on the ball, hitting a double scoring three and extending the advantage to 6-3.
Bill Morris lofted a pop fly toward third base, only to have Bill Saavedra drop the ball.
Ferreras, batting for the second time, capped the scoring with a three-run home run.
Lightning starting pitcher Bob Singer (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits over the first five innings. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter.
Altogether, St. Louis pitchers issued 12 walks. Rockford didn't give out any.
Andres Garcia pitched the sixth and seventh for the Lightning.
The eighth and ninth belonged to Chad Hales and Jorge Aristizabal, respectively.

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Record: 13-5, 1st, 2 GA Springfield
Rookie right-hander Ming Xiang allowed one run over seven innings and St. Louis snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-1 win over Rockford at RFK Stadium (2005).
Signed out of Taiwan in the offseason, Xiang (2-0) allowed one run -- an RBI single from Matt Weaver scored Wade Martin in the bottom of the second to make it 2-1 -- on four hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Solo home runs from Bob Saavedra, to lead off the game, and Jose Segura in the first and second innings, respectively, off Lightning starting pitcher Shane Drogo staked St. Louis to that 2-0 lead.
Drogo had spent the previous three seasons, including a 2036 campaign where he went 16-8, with the Walkers before being allowed to leave as a free agent.
The Walkers added two more runs off Drogo in the fourth.
Back-to-back doubles from Eddie Estrella and Segura off Drogo drove in the runs,
St. Louis added single runs in the fifth -- Mark Herman with an RBI single off Drogo -- and seventh -- Herman with a run-scoring double off Ferrie Stolk -- to cap the scoring.
After Xiang's exit after seven innings, Greg Sones and Nick Ruffalo pitched a scoreless frame apiece to seal the win.

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Record: 13-6, 1st, 1 GA Springfield
Wade Martin connected on a two-out double off St. Louis closer Bobby Westerman in the bottom of the ninth to score David Blanton with the winning run, as Rockford defeated the River Walkers 5-4 at RFK Stadium (2005).
The win gave the Lighting wins in two of three games in the series.
Blanton had gotten on board on a one-out walk from Nick Ruffalo.
Ruffalo struck out Erik Stowe for the second out, before being replaced by Westerman.
Martin's game winning hit came on a 3-2 pitch, as he lined it into right field deep enough to score Blanton.
Two-run innings in the top of the third and fourth had given St. Louis a 4-1 lead.
Jackson Miller drove in the two third inning runs with a double off Rockford starting pitcher Gregg Krawczyk.
Marcos Francis hit his second homer of the series, and the season, off Krawczyk in the fourth, making it 4-1.
The Lightning sliced that deficit to a single run in the bottom of the fifth.
Bill Morris and Ernesto Ferreras led off the inning with consecutive doubles off St. Louis starting pitcher Jesse McNaboe.
Two batters later, David Blanton connected for the inning's third double to make it 4-3.
The Lightning tied it in the sixth.
Matt Weaver led off with a double off McNaboe.
He later scored on an Alex Garcia fly ball hit off Brett McVey.
Krawczyk went five innings, allowing four runs on four hits. He struck out four and walked one.
After that, it was an inning apiece for Sean Hopkins, Chad Hales, Jorge Ariistizabal and Craig Fritzler.
Fritzler (1-0) earned his first win since joining Rockford in the offseason.

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MBL news: April 27 - Week 3 -- Awards and standings

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The St. Louis River Walkers have called up right-handed relief pitcher Mike Fagan from AAA Memphis and sent rookie righty Maximilliano Minelli down to the Redbirds.
Acquired from Cleveland in an off-season trade, Fagan suffered a back injury during spring training which forced him to begin the season in the minors.
In five games with Memphis, Fagan didn't have a decision but did post three saves and a 0.00 ERA.
In his 6.2 innings, Fagan struck out three batters and posted a 0.60 WHIP.
Minelli, who was signed as a free agent in the offseason, earned the chance to make his major-league debut after a strong spring training.
April wasn't good to Minelli, 24, who in eight outings was 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA.
He pitched a total of five innings, during which he struck out two and had a 3.20 WHIP.

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Record: 14-6, 1st, 2 GA Springfield
Kevin Hrdlicka pitched six shutout innings and St. Louis bullpen completed the job, as the River Walkers downed Rockford 6-0 at Busch Stadium (2006).
Hrdlicka (2-1) allowed just a pair of singles during his time on the mound. He struck out seven and walked three.
He exited after throwing 89 pitches.
St. Louis got the only run it would need in the bottom of the first.
Bob Saavedra drew a lead-off walk from Crushers starting pitcher Caleb Walker.
Jackson Miller moved Saavedra to third with a single.
Two batters later, Nick Shaw made it 1-0 with another single.
St. Louis made it 2-0 in the third inning.
Marcos Francis led off with a triple.
He scored on a Shaw fly ball, as the 2036 NL MVP picked up his 30th RBI of the month.
Miller hit his third home run of the season in the seventh, coming off Bobby Wheeler, to make it 3-0.
St. Louis broke it open with a three-run eighth.
Saavedra collected all the RBIs, with a three-run triple off Andy Chevez.
After Hrdlicka left the mound, Ron Cox took over and of his six outs over the next two innings, five came via strike outs.
Mike Fagan, just called up from AAA, pitched a scoreless ninth to end it.

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Record: 15-6, 1st, 3 GA Springfield
St. Louis scored at least one run in each of the first five innings and went on to defeat Milwaukee 7-3 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The River Walkers scored single runs in the bottom of the first, second, fourth and fifth innings while plating two in the third.
Lightning starting pitcher Melvin Araujo was on the mound for much of the damage, allowing four runs in the first three innings.
Reliever Pablo Ochoa gave up the final two, as St. Louis built a 6-2 lead.
Manuel Coke put the Walkers in front with a solo homer in the bottom of the first.
An inning later, Zach Wenman made it 2-0 with an RBI single which scored Bill Pena, who had led off with a single.
A Mark Herman homer provided the first run of the two-run third.
Abdul-Nasser bin Amr plated the other with a two-out single, scoring Eddie Estrella who had reached on an error by shortstop Paul Broyles.
In the fourth, Marcos Francis singled off Ochoa with one out.
A single and an error by Ochoa later loaded the bases.
Nick Shaw drove Francis home when he hit into a fielder's choice.
Bill Pena led off the fifth with a homer off Ochoa.
St. Louis starting pitcher Josh McDonald (1-1) earned his first win of the season.
He allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Bret McVey pitched a scoreless seventh for St. Louis.
Scott Rissler (1.2 IP) and Greg Sones (0.1) combined to seal the win.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have placed shortstop Abdul-Nasser bin Amr on the 10-day injured list after he suffered a strained oblique suffered while running the bases during a 7-3 win over Milwaukee on April 28.
The injury is expected to keep the 26-year-old out for up to three weeks.
In 21 games this season, bin Amr has hit .218 with two homers and 10 RBIs.
Getting called up from AAA Memphis is 25-year-old infielder Rich Dodson.
In 19 games for the Redbirds, Dodson is hitting .346 with one homer and 12 RBIs.
Dodson has six games at the major league level already under his belt.
He hit .077 with one RBI while with the Walkers in 2036.

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Record: 15-7, 1st, 2 GA Springfield
Tied 2-2, Milwaukee exploded for four runs in the top of the fourth inning and rolled on to defeat St. Louis 10-4 at Busch Stadium (2006).
The win allowed the Crushers to claim the final game of three-game series after dropping the first two.
Nicolas Thibault got the ball rolling for Milwaukee in the top of the sixth with a lead-off homer off River Walkers starting pitcher Xavier Wigfall.
Wigfall then allowed the next three batters to reach base -- a walk and two singles -- to load the bases and lead to his exit.
Brett McVey took over for St. Louis and retired the next two keeping the score at 3-2.
But Crushers pitcher Justin Buck changed that with an RBI single.
Ron Cox replaced McVey.
He was greeted by a two-run single by Pete Crow-Armstrong as the Milwaukee lead reached 6-2.
The Crushers would add three more runs in the seventh.
Alvaro Lovato drove in the first run with a single off Mike Fagan.
Buck later collected his second RBI with a ground out.
Sean Reed knocked a run-scoring single off Bobby Westerman in the top of the ninth to cap the scoring for Milwaukee.
Buck (3-2) pitched six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out four and didn't issue a walk.
Ed Sutherland didn't allow a run in the seventh or eighth for the Crushers.
Bobby Wheeler gave up a meaningless run in the ninth.

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Record: 15-8, 1st, 2 GA Springfield
Pinch-hitter Danny Ocampo tied it 1-1 with a two-out inside-the-park home run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and Evansville added on four more runs in the 10th, as the Bosses defeated St. Louis 4-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
River Walkers rookie starter Ming Xiang took a no-hitter into the eighth inning when Chris McFadden doubled for Evansville's first hit.
Xiang, who had allowed just one baserunner, on a walk, in the first eight inning then retired the first two hitters for the Bosses in the ninth.
But Ocampo smacked a shot into the right-field corner and rounded the bases before the Walkers could get the ball to the plate.
It was Ocampo's first home run of the season.
Evansville then unloaded on the St. Louis bullpen in the 10th, scoring three times on four hits.
Jeff Waldron led off the inning with a double off Walkers lefty Greg Sones, who had not allowed an earned run in first 12 appearances of the season.
Sones retired the next two but pinch-hitter Sean Thomas connected on the second double of the inning to put Evansville in front.
Lee Oakley was then given an intentional walk.
It backfired when Tommy Gardner connected on an RBI single.
Scott Rissler then got the mound call for St. Louis.
Brian Vargo greeted him with a single as the Bosses lead reached 4-1.
Evansville starting pitcher Bill Van Gieson went five innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out one and walked two.
The game's only run prior to the ninth came in the bottom of the fifth, when Marcos Francis and Jackson Miller opened the inning with consecutive doubles off Van Gieson.
Four relievers combined to finish the game for Evansville.
Ricky Cisneros pitched two scoreless innings.
After that, it was Stephon Harrison, Gaspare Cattaneo and Michael Bowen for an inning apiece.
Cattaneo (1-0) earned his first win of the season.
Bowen now has 11 saves.

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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