2023 St. Louis River Walkers -- Postseason or bust

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Record: 43-40, 3rd, 8.5 GB Kansas City
Ka'ai Tom infield single scored Miguel Gomez from third with the game-winning run, as Quad City rallied for a 3-2 win over St. Louis in 11 innings at Fenway Park (1970).
The Thunder got things going in the 11th with a pair of one-out walks from Bill Warson to Miguel Gomez and Dustin Peterson.
Warson got Duke Kinamon to hit into a fielder's choice putting runners at the corners.
Bobby Poyner was called to the mound, and Tom hit a 3-2 pitch that Bo Bichette could not make a play on as Gomez crossed the plate.
The River Walkers took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on a two-run homer from Rhys Hoskins off Q-C starter Justus Sheffield.
However, the Thunder rallied to tie thanks to a pair of Blake Rutherford homer.
The first opened the bottom of the seventh off Walkers starter Alex Faedo.
The second came with one out in the ninth, as St. Louis closer Tommy Kahnle blew his first save and allowed his first run of the season.
Sheffield worked the first five innings, giving up two runs on five hits.
Five relievers followed Sheffield to the mound -- Brenan Hanifee (1.0 IP), Trae Harmon (1.0), J.D. Hammer (2.0), Joe Kelly (1.0) and P.J. Conlon (1.0) -- with Conlon earning his second win of the season.

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Record: 43-41, 3rd, 9.5 GB Kansas City
Franklin Perez tossed six scoreless innings and combined with two relievers on a six-hit shutout in an 8-0 Quad City win over St. Louis at Fenway Park (1970).
Perez scattered three hits during his time on the mound. He struck out seven and walked none.
Brenan Hanifee worked a scoreless seventh inning. The eighth and ninth innings belonged to Trae Harmon.
The Thunder relied on the long ball to supply most of its offense.
In the first inning, Duke Kinamon drew a lead-off walk from River Walkers starter Argenis Batista and Ka'ai Tom followed with single before Derek Fisher drilled a 2-1 pitch over the right-field wall.
Quad City struck again in the third, this time with Orlando Arcia cracking a three-run shot with two outs off Batista.

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Record: 44-41, 3rd, 8.5 GB Kansas City
Andrew Benintendi drove in the game's only run with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly and Brandon Spagnuolo worked 6.1 scoreless innings, as St. Louis downed Quad City 1-0 at Fenway Park (1970).
With the victory, the River Walkers managed to salvage the final game of their three-game series against the Thunder.
Edmond Americaan got things going into the eighth for the Walkers with a one-out single off reliever J.D. Hammer.
Koda Glover came on and intentionally walked Michael Toglia after throwing a first-pitch ball.
The Thunder than turned to Trae Harmon, who walked Bo Bichette, unintentionally, to load the bases.
Quad City brought in P.J. Conlan to face Benintendi, but he was able to lift a ball into right field deep enough to score Americaan.
St. Louis starter Spagnuolo worked 6.1 innings for the Walkers, allowing just three hits and no runs.
The Walkers used seven relievers after that -- Brad Hand (0.1 IP), Phil Maton (0.0). Jake Brentz (1.0), Reyes Moronta (0.0),. Bobby Poyner (0.1) and Tommy Kahnle (1.0) -- with Brentz earning his fifth win of the season and Kahnle notching his 12th save.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have placed infielder Christian Arroyo on the injured list with an oblique strain suffered on July 10.
In 67 games this season, Arroyo has batted .261 with two homers and 12 RBIs.
Called from AAA Memphis will be Cristhian Adames, who will be in his second stint in the majors.
In 14 games with the Walkers, he has batted .258 with one homer and one RBIs.

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Record: 45-41, 3rd, 7.5 GB Des Moines and Kansas City
Down 4-3, St. Louis put up seven runs over the fifth through eighth innings to rally for an 11-4 win over Kansas City at Municipal Stadium (Kansas City, 1969).
The River Walkers tied it in the top of the fifth inning, when Edmond Americaan connected for an RBI single off Pit Masters starting pitcher Kyle Wright.
Nicky Delmonico scored on the hit, after he had led off the inning with a single and gone to second on an error by center fielder Danny Cushing.
St. Louis took the lead an inning later on an Andrew Benintendi solo homer off reliever Kyle Nelson.
The Walkers went up 7-4 with a pair of runs in the seventh. It came with another long ball, Rhys Hoskins with a two-run shot off Nathan Karns.
St. Louis made it ugly by scoring four times in the eighth.
Pinch-hitter Larry Ernesto had an RBI double.
Jean Carmona drove in two with a single. Michael Toglia plated a pair with another single.
Walkers starter Aaron Nola last 5.1 innings, giving up four runs on five hits.
Brad Hand finished the sixth inning.

The rest of the game was handled by Phil Maton (1.0 IP) and Thad Ward (2.0).

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Record: 45-42, 3rd, 8.5 GB Kansas City and Des Moines
Pablo Lopez worked five scoreless innings and got plenty of help from his offense as Kansas City downed St. Louis 8-1 at Municipal Stadium (Kansas City, 1969).
Lopez scattered six hits during his time on the mound. He struck out five and walked one.

Dario Alvarez (1.0 IP), Danny Barnes (1.0) and Tyson Miller (2.0) combined to finish off the win.

The River Walkers got their lone run off Miller in the top of the eighth, by which time they already trailed 4-0.
The Pit Masters scored four times in the bottom of the eighth to break the game open.
Yordan Alvarez put the Masters up 2-0 with a two-run homer off St. Louis starter Kyle Hendricks in the bottom of the second inning.
Greg Jones got to Hendricks for a solo shot in the third, making it 3-0.
Mookie Betts had an RBI single off Hendricks in the sixth, putting K.C. up 4-0.
Betts earned all the RBIs in the eighth-inning outburst with a grand slam off Reyes Moronta.

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The St.Louis River Walkers have completed a five-player trade with the Cincinnati Skyline.
The Walkers will send three players from its major league roster -- shortstop Andrelton Simmons and relief pitchers Bobby Poyner and Reyes Moronta -- to the Skyline in exchange for minor league outfielder George Valera and left-handed reliever Wilmer Jimenez.
The 33-year-old Simmons had lost his starting job this season to Jean Carmona.
In 45 games in 2023, he had batted .184 with three homers and seven RBIs.
Poyner was putting together his second straight well-below sub-par season.
The 30-year old had pitched in 40 games with a record of 3-3 with one save. He owned an ERA of 5.40 over 33.1 innings with a WHIP of 1.59. He had allowed 10 homers.
Reyes, meanwhile, had struggled throughout the season.
The 30-year-old had pitched in 39 games with a record of 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA. He had pitched a total of 32 innings with a WHIP of 1.34.
Coming from Cincinnati, is Valera who has excelled at three levels this season.
In 22 games with eight games with the Reds, the 22-year-old had batted .343 with four homer and seven RBIs.
The 25-year-old Jimenez had just gotten back into action after missing 12 months with a left-elbow injury.

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Walkers news: George Valera card

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Record: 45-43, 3rd, 9.5 GB Kansas City and Des Moines
Tied 4-4, Kansas City scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift it to an 6-4 win over St. Louis at Municipal Stadium (Kansas City, 1969).
St. Louis relief pitcher Brad Hand just could not get the job done.
Tommy Edman led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a one-out double from Tyler Wade.
An intentional walk was issued to Tyler Frank,loading the bases.
Hand then walked Danny Cushing, bring Edman home with the go-ahead run.
Brian Mundell followed with a single, making it 6-4.
The River Walkers put together four runs in the top of the third, to grab a 4-1 lead.
But they could not maintain it.
Wade had an RBI double off Walkers starter Alex Faedo in the fifth and Frank drove in another on a ground out, making it 4-3.
The Pit Masters tied it with two outs in the sixth, Wade with an RBI single off Jake Brentz, who had just entered the game.
Masters starting pitcher Dinelson Lamet lasted just three innings, giving up four runs on five hits.
Six relievers followed him to the mound -- Dario Alvarez (1.2 IP), Danny Barnes (1.1), Andrew Ryan (1.0), David Berg (0.2), Kyle Nelson (0.1) and Zach Burdi (1.0 -- with Nelson earning his first win of the season.
Burdi struck out the side in the ninth for his 21st save.

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MBL news: All-Star fan voting final results

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MBL news: All-Star game rosters

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Kansas City pounded St. Louis starting pitcher Argenis Batista for six runs in a little over three innings to send it on the way to a 10-5 win over the River Walkers at Municipal Stadium (Kansas City, 1969).
With the win, the Pit Masters took the final three games of their four-game series against the River Walkers.
St. Louis has dropped 14 of 20 games since June 25 and will go into the All-Star break in third place, some 10.5 games behind Kansas City and Des Moines,which share the lead in the National League South Division.
Batista has lost the decision in each of his last four starts and has failed to go beyond five innings in any of them. He's combined to work just 10.2 innings in his last three outings.
Michael Toglia hit the first of his two homers in the game in the top of the first, staking St. Louis to an early 1-0 lead.
That advantage was gone by the top of the second, Mookie Betts coming up with an RBI double off Batista in the bottom of the first while anothe run scored on a passed ball by catcher J.T. Realmuto.
Bo Bichette's RBI single off K.C. starter Max Fried in the third tied it at 2.
But once again, the Masters immediately answered getting an RBI single from Yordan Alvarez in the bottom of the inning to go up 3-2.
Kansas City then chased Batista in the fourth when the first of Brian Mundell's two homers in the game, a three-run shot, sent him to the shower.
Toglia's second homer of the game, a three-run blast this time off reliever Nathan Karns, drew St. Louis to within 6-5.
But that was as close as the Walkers would get.
Mundell homered off Phil Maton in the sixth, making it 7-5.
Mike Gerber victimized Thad Ward for a three-run homer in the eighth, putting K.C. ahead by seven.
Fried worked 4.2 innings for the Masters, allowing three runs on three hits.
He was followed to the mound by seven relievers -- Karns (0.2 IP), Kyle Nelson (0.2), Andrew Ryan (1.0), David Berg (0.1), Dario Alvarez (0.0), Danny Barnes (0.2) and Zach Burdi (1.0) -- with the win over going to Ryan, his fifth of the season.

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MBL news: Week 13 awards and standings

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The National League scored in each of the first four innings, helping to propel it to a 5-0 win over the American League in the 2023 All-Star game at Cleveland Stadium (1980).
Des Moines' Cody Bellinger had RBI single in the first inning and a solo homer in the third off Cincinnati's Corbin Burnes.
Green Bay's Yoan Moncada drove in a run with a single in the second inning.

Des Moines' Rafael Devers hit a two-run homer off Evansville's Zach Britton in the fourth, making it 5-0.
Devers, who was 1 for 2 with two runs scored, was named the game's MVP.
Ten pitchers took the mound for the NL.

Rockford's Gunner Hoglund, who pitched the second inning, earned the win.

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MBL news: American League leaders at the All-Star break

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MBL news: National League leaders at the All-Star break

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Walkers news: Team statistics at the All-Star break

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The St. Louis River Walkers have called outfielder Byron Buxton and right-handed relief pitcher John Curtiss up from AAA Memphis, where both were on injury rehab.
The 29-year-old Buxton has not played in the majors since breaking a finger on his right hand after being hit by a pitch on May 30.
He was batting .226 at the time of the injury with seven homers and 17 RBIs.
In six games with the Redbirds, Buxton hit .375 with one homer and three RBIs.
Curtiss has been out since July 6 with back tightness. He pitched got into just one game at Memphis, pitching a scoreless innings.
With the River Walkers, the 30-year-old Curtiss has worked in 40 games this season posting a record of 1-1 with one save. He has worked a total of 44.0 innings. owning an ERA of 2.66 and has struck out 62 batters.
Going down to Memphis are outfielder Larry Ernesto and pitcher Eduardo Jimenez.
The 22-year-old Ernesto started hot but has cooled in recent weeks.
He played in 63 games for the Walkers batting .237 with seven homers and 24 RBIs.
The 28-year-old Jimenez, a right-hander, has worked in seven games in the majors and doesn't own a record. He has a 3.86 ERA over 4.2 innings. He has struck out six batters.
St. Louis will open the post All-Star break portion of its schedule with a four-game series at Green Bay.

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Record: 45-45, 3rd (Tied/w. Quad City), 11 GB Des Moines
Mike Hauschild and three relievers combined on a two-hitter and Green Bay hit three solo home runs to account for all of its scoring as it downed St. Louis 3-1 at War Memorial Stadium (Buffalo).
River Walkers starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed all three of the runs, two of them to Yoan Moncada.
Mondcada's first home came in the bottom of the second and put the Long Haulers up 1-0.
Bo Bichette later drew St. Louis even, with a solo homer of his own in the fourth inning. His blast came off Hauschild.
The Haulers' two other homers came back to back in the seventh, first by Aaron Judge and followed by Moncada.
Hauschild worked six innings, allowing the one run on two hits. He struck out five and walked none.
Richard Lovelady, Chad Green and Nick Burdi handled an inning apiece to close it out, and did not allow a baserunner.
Lovelady earn the win, his second of the season.
Burdi collected his 20th save.

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Record: 45-46, 3rd (Tied/w. Quad City), 12 GB Des Moines
Down 3-2, Green Bay scored three times in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the lead for good en route to an 8-4 win over St. Louis at War Memorial Stadium (Buffalo).
The long ball once again powered the Long Haulers, who hit four homers in the game.
A solo homer from pitcher Alex Faedo in the third off Green Bay starter Kodi Medeiros had put the River Walkers up 3-2.
But Faedo allowed a homer in the bottom half, and Addison Russell's three-run shot put the Haulers in front for good at 5-3.
St. Louis would slice the deficit to 5-4 in the fifth, Andrew Benintendi with an RBI single.
But that was all the Walkers could muster.
Green Bay was not done bashing.
It got solo homers from Aaron Judge (off Faedo) and Yoan Moncada (off reliever Wilmer Jimenez) in the sixth.
Judge's second homer of the game, off John Curtiss in the eighth, made it 8-4.
Medeiros exited after four innings, having allowing three runs on five hits.
Mike Goodkin handled the next two innings, and earned his sixth win of the season.
Richard Lovelady, Chad Green and Ryan Zeferjahn worked an inning apiece to close it out.