2033 St. Louis River Walkers: And the saga continues

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Record: 82-67, 1st, 7 GA Quad City
Down 4-1, Louisville scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning to take the lead over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (2006).
In the bottom half, the River Walkers scored five times to grab an 8-6 victory.
The Sluggers top of the eighth got started with a one-out single from Lance Brown and a Caleb Kinney double off reliever Greg Sones.
Elvis Pool then took over and proceeded to walk Will Banfield followed by a two-run single by pinch-hitter Mike Courtney.
He retired Jose Gonzelez for the second out.
But Jario Diaz followed with a two-run homer to make it 6-4 in favor of Louisville
The Walkers quickly went to work against Louisville reliever Kyle Kulig in the bottom of the inning.
Pinch-hitter Jordan Quinto drew a lead-off walk and Bob Saavedra followed with a double to put runners at second and third.
Mark Herman flew out to left to score Quinto with the inning's first run.
Manuel Coke then reached on an error by Diaz at shortstop to put runners at the corners.
Shaw scored Saavedra to score the inning's second run and tie the game.
John Fiefield then replaced Kulig.
Two pitches later, St. Louis had the lead as Marcos Francis put a 0-1 pitch over the left-field wall for a home runs and an 8-6 lead.
St. Louis starting pitcher Kevin Hrdlicka fared pretty well, allowing one run on four hits over the first 5.2 innings, but had to exit after having thrown 107 pitches.
Ken Henry took over and not only finished the fifth but also set the Sluggers down in order in the seventh.
Henry struck out all four batters he faced.
Greg Sones (0.2 IP) late season struggles continued as he allowed two two hits and was charged with two runs in a two-thirds of an inning.
Elvis Pool also struggled in his two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs on two hits.
Armando Cintron closed out the game without allowing a run for his eighth save.

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Record: 84-67, 1st, 8 GA Quad City; Magic No.: 4
Manuel Coke homered twice, including a walk-off solo shot in the bottom of the 13th inning, to help give St. Louis a 4-3 win over Louisville at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory trimmed the River Walkers' magic number to clinch the National League South Division to four games over the second-place Quad City Thunder.
Solo homers accounted for all of the St. Louis runs.
In addition to his one-out game-winner in the 13th off Sluggers relief pitcher Mike Davis, Coke also went deep in the bottom of the sixth off Louisville starter Victor Mendez.
That homer was Coke's team-leading 33 of the season and put the Walkers ahead 3-2.
Also going deep for St. Louis were Nick Shaw to lead off the second and Marcos Francis leading of the fifth.
Francis' homer tied it 2-2.
The Sluggers forced extra inning with a home run from Caleb Kinney in the top of the ninth off St. Louis closer Bobby Westerman.
It marked Westerman's 11th blown save.
St. Louis starter Ming Xiang allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings. He struck out 11 and walked two.
Maximiliano Minelli and Westerman both pitched an inning to get the game to the 10th.
Scott Rissler worked two scoreless innings of relief.
Armando Cintron handled the 12th and the first out of the 13th.
Ron Cox (5-1) struck out the only two batters he faced in the 12th.
That set Cox up for his fifth win of the season.

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Record: 84-68, 1st, 8 GA Quad City; Magic No.: 3
The second-half struggles continued from the St. Louis bullpen as Akron scored three times in the bottom of the ninth inning to rally for a 3-2 win at Candlestick Park (1993).
Nick Shaw exceeded the 100-RBI barrier for the fourth consecutive season with a two-run homer off Flying Feet starting pitcher Ramon Leon.
Shaw now has 26 homers and 101 RBIs for the season.
The scored stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth when the River Walkers' bullpen suffered another collapse.
Nick Ruffalo opened the inning and allowed three of the four batters he faced.
Jorge Goto opened with a single before Victor Romero struck out.
Pinch-hitter Adam Vargas drew a walk and Harry Cummings followed with an RBI double to make it 2-1.
Rookie Elvis Pool took over and his 0-1 pitch to pinch-hitter Danny Morrison was driven between short and third base to plate a pair and give the Sluggers the win.
Leon worked five innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked one.
Erik Hammons followed with two innings of scoreless relief.
The top of the eighth was handled by Santiago Snyder.
The ninth was taken care of by Francisco Justo (2-1), who collected his second win of the season.

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Record: 84-69, 1st, 8 GA Quad City; Magic No.: 2
After putting up six runs in five innings against St. Louis starting pitcher Xavier Wigfall, Akron manhandled the River Walkers' bullpen for seven runs in the bottom of the seventh to open the door for a 13-9 win at Candlestick Park (1993).
Single runs in the third and fourth innings off Flying Feet starting pitcher Orland Claude (third) and Joe Black (fourth) staked St. Louis to a 2-0 lead.
Akron wiped that out with back-to-back three-run innings against Wigfall in the fourth and fifth.
Black, the pitcher, drove in two of the fourth-inning runs with a two-out triple.
An inning later, John Polk ripped a two-out three-run homer to put Akron ahead 6-2.
Then it was St. Louis' turn for a seven-run inning.
It's coming in the top of the sixth.
With one out put five straight batters on base against Black and Dave Crocker.
Included in that were two-run singles from Abdul-Nasser bin Amr and Bob Saavedra.
Manuel Coke handled the rest of the damage with a two-out three-run homer off Estrada.
In the bottom of the seventh, it was the Fly Feet's turn.
They put their first three runners on base against Ken Henry, loading the bases.
Elvis Pool took over.
He was not good.
He gave up an RBI single to Victor Romero.
Then saw a run score on a wild pitch.
Polk drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Jimmy Johnson plated the inning's fourth run with a double before Tony Urbalejo drew a walk putting two on with one out.
Ron Cox got the call.
Three pitches later, the ball went over the wall pinch-hitter Danny Morrison with a three-run homer to make it 13-9.
Claude lasted just three innings, allowing two runs on two hits. He walked three and didn't strike out a batter.
He was reported as having a herniated disc, which could keep him out for the rest of the season.
Black pitched 1.2 innings, giving up a pair of runs on three hits.
Dave Crocker gave up five runs on four hits in just a third of an inning.
Alex Disney finished off the sixth for Akron.
Francisco Justo (3-1) pitched a scoreless seventh.
Justo would be awarded the win.
Joe Hatchett allowed four base runners but not runs in the eighth and ninth.

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Record: 85-69, 1st, 9 GA Quad City; NL South Division title clinched
Down 2-0, St. Louis got a pair of home runs in the top of the third inning -- a three-run homer from Manuel Coke and a two-run homer from Jackson Miller -- and the River Walkers went on to defeat Akron 9-4 at Candlestick Park (1994).
The win made St. Louis the first team in 2037 to clinch a playoff berth.
The River Walkers lead second-place Quad City by nine games with eight games remaining.
St. Louis has no chance of catching NL North leader Twin Cities for home-field advantage in the NL championship series.
The Snow Cats sit at 98-57, 12.5 games ahead of St. Louis, and lead second-place Rockford by four games in their division.
The playoff berth is the second in a row for St. Louis and its ninth under manager Mike Renkes in the 20 seasons since the formation of the Midwest Baseball League.
The Walkers won the league championship in 2018 and 2025. They've lost in the World Series on three other occasions, most recently in 2030.
In this contest, the Flying Feet tallied twice against St. Louis starter Josh McDonald in the bottom of the second.
Bill Savage driving in both runs with a two-out double.
St. Louis, however, answered right back with the homers from Coke and Miller off Akron starter Randy Jones.
Akron would score single runs off McDonald in the third and fourth to creep back within a run.
But McDonald rebounded to hold the Flying Feet scoreless in the fifth and sixth.
The Walkers later broke it open in the seventh thanks to a three-run homer from Mark Herman off Santiago Snyder to make it 8-4.
Miller singled off Joe Hatchett in the top of the eighth and scored on a Bob Saavedra fly ball for the game's final run.
Mcdonald (10-8) reached double-digit wins for St. Louis for the third consecutive season since he was acquired from Ann Arbor.
He went six innings in this game, allowing four runs no five hits. He struck out three and walked two.
The Walkers finally got a good outing from its bullpen as well.
Greg Sones, Scott Rissler and Maximilliano Minelli all pitched scoreless innings.

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Record: 86-69, 1st, 9 GA Quad City; NL South clinched
Getting called up to start after St. Louis clinched in the National League South Division title, Danny Burch shined in his first appearance at the major league level of the season limiting Akron to one run over eight innings in a 2-1 River Walkers' win at Candlestick Park (1993).
Burch, who went 9-6 with a 3.25 ERA at AAA Memphis in 2037, scattered four hits in his eight innings. He struck out two and walked one.
The one run Burch allowed came in the top of the first inning when John Polk singled with one out.
Polk stole second and took third on an error by catcher Zach Wenman.
Zach Arnold scored Polk with a fly ball to left.
Nick Shaw drove in both Walkers' runs.
His RBI single off Flying Feet starter Joel Thomas in the top of the first scored Jordan Qunito, who had drawn a one-out walk and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Shaw drove in what-would-be the winning run in the sixth with a two-out double off Thomas.
The hit scored Eddie Estrella, who had singled in front of Shaw.
Bobby Westerman set Akron down in order in the bottom of the ninth for his 26th save.

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MBL news: Sept. 28 -- Week 24 - Awards and standings

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Record: 87-69, 1st, 10 GA Quad City; NL South Division clinched
Making probably his final start of the regular season, Ming Xiang made it perhaps his best limiting Quad City to just two hits in an 8-0 St. Louis win at Fenway Park (1976).
The only hit Chang allowed were a first inning double to Bruce Almarez and a fifth-inning single by Fontana Felitti.
Xiang (16-6) also struck out five and walked just one.
It was the first complete-game shutout of the season for St. Louis.

With their playoff position basically solidified, St. Louis will probably elect to keep the rookie out of action until the start of the postseason.
St. Louis took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on Marcos Francis' 28th homer of the season, a two-run shot off Thunder starting pitcher Hector Almedina.
Eddie Estrella, who went 4 for 5 with a homer and two runs scored and two RBIs, connected for an RBI single off Almedina in the second.
Abdul-Nassar bin Amr drove in two runs with a double off Alemedina in the fifth.
Estrella's solo homer off Shane Gilley in the sixth made it 7-0.
Coke doubled and scored in the ninth to cap the scoring.

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Record: 88-69, 1st, 11 GA Quad City; NL South Division clinched
Kevin Hrdlicka held Quad City scoreless for the first eight innings and St. Louis shut out the Thunder for the second consecutive game with a 7-0 win at Fenway Park (1976).
Hrdlicka (8-6), who exited after throwing 105 pitches, allowed just three singles in his eight innings. He struck out nine and walked two.
Rookie reliever Ken Henry held the Thunder scoreless in the bottom of the ninth.
The River Walkers got the only run it turned out they would need in the top of the first when Bob Saavedra led off the game with a single off QC starter Antonio Ceja and scored on a Mark Herman double.
St. Louis added two more runs off Cera in the fourth, Abdul-Nasser bin Amr collecting both the RBIs with a two-out double.
Manuel Coke hit a three-run homer off reliever Michele Vassalotti in the seventh.
It was Coke's 36th home run of the season and upped his RBI total to 102.
It is the second consecutive season Coke has exceeded the 100-RBI barrier.
Pinch-hitter Alex Nunez led off the ninth with a single off Terry Zahnow.
He scored on a deep fly ball by Nick Shaw to cap the scoring.

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Record: 89-69, 1st, 12 GA Quad City; NL South Division champions
Xavier Wigfall allowed two runs over seven innings to help St. Louis complete a three-game sweep of Quad City at Fenway Park (1976).
The win was the fifth in a row for the River Walkers, who have already clinched the National League South Division title.
Wigfall (10-12), who should be in the St. Louis rotation for the NL championship series, allowed runs in the first and seventh innings with five scoreless frames in between.
Overall, Wigfall allowed the two runs on four hits. He struck out three and walked one.
The Walkers tied the game in the top of the second when Mark Waterson doubled off Thunder starting pitcher Pascal Marcovicci and scored when Zach Weman followed with a single.
The lead swung the Walkers way with a three-run sixth against reliever Bobby Stove.
St. Louis opened the inning with four consecutive hits -- Mark Herman double, RBI-single from Manuel Coke, RBI single by Nick Shaw and a RBI double by Marcos Francis -- to go ahead 3-1.
Shaw later scored on a Zach Wenman fly ball which featured an errant throw to the plate by left fielder Angel Solis.
The Walkers added three more runs in the seventh.
Bob Saavedra led off the inning with a homer off Justin Davis.
Wenman later plated a pair with a single.
The score now 7-2, Manuel Coke hit his 36th homer of the season when he led off the ninth with a long ball of Shane Gilley.
Rookie Matt Wilson took over when Wigfall left after seven innings, he held the Thunder scoreless the rest of the way.

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

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MBL news: Oct. 1 -- Rookies of the Month for September and standings

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MBL news: Oct. 1 -- American League leaders

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MBL news: Oct. 1 -- National League leaders

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Walkers news: Oct. 1 -- Team statistics for September

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MBL news: Sept. 1 -- Team statistics for 2037 season

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Player of the Month: Manuel Coke: The 24-year-old outfielder batted .306 with 11 homers 24 RBIs and 24 runs scored in 27 games. He got on base at a .353 clip and slugged .722. Also named National League Player of the Month.
Starting Pitcher of the Month: Ming Xiang: The 25-year-old right-hander was 3-0 in six starts with a 2.13 ERA. He pitched a total of 28.1 innings, during which he struck out 33 and had a 0.86 WHIP. Also named NL Rookie of the Month.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Maximilliano Minelli:The 25-year-old right-hander got into 10 games 0-1 with a 1.12 ERA. He pitched a total of eight innings, where he struck out 11 and had a 0.75 WHIP.

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Walkers talk: Oct. 1 -- Player Development Report

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The Cincinnati River Sharks wrapped up their first playoff berth since 2024 with a 6-3 win over Cleveland at Riverfront Stadium (1984).
The victory gives the Sharks a five-game lead over second-place Cleveland with five games left in the season.
Cincinnati sits at 91-69 while the Juke Box Heroes are 86-74.
Lenyn LaMoureaux (18-6) became the first 18-game winner in the American League, allowing two runs on six hits over 6.2 innings.
Troy Heller hit a three-run homer off Heroes starting pitcher Reinhold McKessey to give the Sharks a 4-2 lead.
The playoff berth is just the first for Cincinnati dating back to the founding of the Midwest Baseball League in 2018.
The Sharks made the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, winning the World Series in 2023.

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Record: 89-70, 1st, 12 GA Quad City
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning, Peoria scored the next four runs on its way to a 4-2 win over St. Louis at Globe Life Field.
The River Walkers jumped in front almost right away with Bob Saavedra led off with a single off Rivemen starting pitcher Michael Walgren and later scored on a Nick Shaw single.
Peoria tied it in the bottom of the second against St. Louis starter Jesse McNaboe.
Wes Cohen led off the inning with a single but was eliminated when Jose Segura hit into a fielder's choice for the second out.
Segura then stole second while Brad Gregrich was drawing a walk.
Victor Solano tied it with an RBI single.
The Rivermen took the lead in the third against McNoe.
Drew Bowser drew a one-out walk.
Bowser stole second and scored on a Tony Gamez single.
Peoria's lead grew to 3-1 in the fifth.
Johnny Castagnozzi led off the inning with a double of McNaboe.
Gamez scored Castagnozzi with a sacrifice fly.
Randy Underhill's fifth homer of the season, off Jose Tapia tallied the Rivermen's final run in the bottom of the eighth.
Walgren (12-5) went six innings, allowing one run on four hits. He struck out two and walked one.
Rios, Mike Gil and Mike Fagan combined to close the game out by pitching an inning apiece.
Fagan, who St. Louis traded to Peoria in early July, earned his 23 saves.