2028 St. Louis River Walkers: Starting our second decade

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Walkers news: River Walkers statistics at All-Star break

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MBL news: Week 15 Awards and standings (one game played)

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Record: 55-37, 1st, 0.5 GA Des Moines
Angel Tiburcio allowed one run over 6.1 innings and St. Louis opened the post-All-Star-break portion of its schedule with an 8-2 win over Louisville at Redbirds Park.
Earning his ninth win of the season, Tiburcio (9-2) allowed one run on seven hits. He struck out nine and walked none.
The right-hander exited the game after giving up a double to Isaiah Byers, the Redbirds' Tyler Kehoe was thrown out at the plate for the second out of the inning on the play.
Cory Tiller stepped in and struck out Jake Burger to end the inning and keep the score at 3-1.
St. Louis grabbed the lead in the top of the second on a solo homer from Ozzie Albies off Louisville starter Owen White.
Jean Carmona got to White for a two-run homer in the fifth to make it 3--0.
It's lead at 3-1, Andrew Benintendi hit an RBI triple off Andres Garcia in the eighth to make it 4-1.
St. Louis busted it open with four in the top of the ninth.
Brujan did half the damage with a two-run homer off James Carney.
After finishing the seventh, Tiller recorded the first two outs of the eighth.
Jose Alvarado (0.1 IP), Zac Lowther (0.1) and Luis Angel Medina (0.2) combined to finish off the game for St. Louis.

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Record: 55-38, 1st, 0.5 GA Des Moines
Down 2-1, Jacob Campbell hit a two-run home run off St. Louis reliever Jose Alvarado with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Louisville to a 3-2 win at Redbirds Stadium.
Alvarado struck out Michael Conforto to open the bottom of the eighth, but Jonathan Vaughns followed with a double.
Then, with a 2-1 count, Campbell cranked a pitch 387 feet over the left-field wall to put the Redbirds in front.
The River Walkers jumped out to a 2-0 lead right away with a pair of runs in the top of the first off Louisville starter Josh Fleming.
Alek Thomas led off the game with a single, and moved to single when Vidal Brujan got down a bunt.
Ozzie Albies scored Thomas with a single.
Two singles later, from Andrew Benintendi and Jared Thomas, Albies had scored to make it 2-0.
The Redbirds first run came in the bottom of the third, with it all happening with two outs.
Kellum Clark singled off Walkers starter Brendan McKay, and he reached third with Michael Conforto doubled.
A third straight hit, this one from Jonathan Vaughns, and it was 2-1.
Fleming lasted just three innings, allowing two runs on eight hits..
Five relievers followed Fleming to the mound -- Brian Baker (1.1 IP),
Omar Simmons (1.2), Matt Stoppenhagen (1.0), Lawrence Caulfield (1.0) and James Carney (1.0) -- with Caulfield (6-1) earning the win and Carney his 19th save.

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Record: 56-38, 1st, 0.5 GA Des Moines
Edward Olivares homered three times, including a solo shot in the top of the 10th inning which helped give St. Louis a 4-3 win over Louisville at Redbirds Ballpark.
Olivaeres already had hit a solo homer off Redbirds starting pitcher Zack Hunsicker in he fourth inning and a two-run homer off reliever Brian Baker in the sixth, when he came to the plate against Andres Garcia to lead-off the top of the 10th.
It came on a 2-2 pitch, Olivares lining it 390 feet over the left-field wall to put the RIver Walkers in front for good.
St. Louis trailed 3-1 when Olivares hit his second homer in the sixth to tie it at 3-3.
Walkers starting pitcher Kaneo Kawamoto allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings.
Ricky Cisneros worked a scoreless seventh and got the first two outs of the eighth.
Zac Lowther finished the eighth inning with two runners aboard.
Ernesto Barbosa (6-0) earned the win, after a perfect ninth inning.
The 10th belonged to Jake Brentz, who allowed a a pair of base runners amongst the first three batters, on a single and an error by second baseman Ozzie Albies, but retired the next two for his 14th save.

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Record: 57-38, 1st, 0.5 GA Des Moines
Tanner Bibee turned in perhaps his best start of the season working the first 7.2 innings of a 4-0 win, as St. Louis downed Louisville at Busch Stadium (1997).
Bibee (4-9) earned his second consecutive win of the season.
He scattered seven hits during his time on the mound, while striking out six and walking two.
The right-hander exited with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, but Jose Alvardo stepped in and struck out Kellum Clark to quell the threat.
Alvarado recorded the first two outs of the ninth before allowing a double to Jacob Campbell.
Ernesto Barbosa took the ball and got Isaiah Byars to ground out to end it.
St. Louis got the only run it would need in in the bottom of the first off Redbirds starting pitcher Zachary Fuller.
Alek Thomas opened the inning with a walk, and moved to second when Vidal Brujan got down a bunt.
He would scored on a two-out single from Cris Rosario.
The Walkers added two more runs in the fourth.
Ozzie Albies with an RBI single off Fuller, while Thairo Estrada had a two-out run-scoring single off Jim Clark.
Rosario collected his second RBI of the game in the sixth with a sacrifice fly.
It scored Bibee who led off with a single.
A walk to Alek Thomas moved Bibee to second and a sacrifice bunt from Brujan out runners at second and third.
Walkers

Thomas, who had again had walked and gone to second on a Brujan bunt.
Albies had to leave the game after being injured while running the bases.
He was diagnosed with a strained and is expected to miss about a walk.
With Jean Carmona already injured but still on the roster, Albies will probably be placed on the disabled list.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have placed second baseman Ozzie Albies on the 10-day injured list after he suffered a strained back while running the bases in a 4-0 win over Louisville on June 14.
It is the 31-year-old Albies second trip to the injured list this season.
In his first season with the Walkers, Albies is hitting .301 with 12 homers and 42 RBIs in 79 games.
Getting the call up from Memphis is 21-year-old third baseman Jose Reyes.
Reyes has batted .302 with two homers and 19 RBIs this season for the Redbirds.

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Record: 58-38, 1st, 1.5 GA Des Moines
Down 8-7, St. Louis scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning to help it down Louisville 11-8 at Busch Stadium (1997).
A six-run bottom of the fifth -- which featured a three-run homer from Vidal Brujan and solo homers from Carlos Vidal, Cris Rosario and Jose Reyes -- had planted the River Walkers out in front 7-2.
But that evaporated quickly over the next two innings.
The Redbirds scored four times in the sixth -- chasing St. Louis starter Angel Tiburcio in the process -- Joakim Osuna had the big hit with a two-run single off reliever Ricky Cisneros.
An inning later, Louisville plated two more runs when De'Shaun Noack smacked a two-run homer off Cisneros, putting the Redbirds up 8-7.
But the Walkers stormed back.
Carlos Vidal got it going with a lead-off walk off reliever Matt Stoppenhagen and Andrew Benintendi followed with a single.
Rosario chased them both across the plate when he followed with a triple.
Pinch-hitter Alek Thomas was issued an intentional walk.
But Thairo Estrada connected for a single to score Rosario.
Keegan Fish drove in the inning's final run with a single off Andres Garcia.
Tiburicio lasted 5.2 innings, giving up six runs on five hits.
Cisneros had a rare bad outing allowing two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings.
Despite his rough game, Cisneros (3-0) still came out of it with the win.

But the final three Walkers pitchers -- Cory Tiller (0.2 IP), Zac Lowther (0.1) and Ernesto Barbosa (1.0) - kept the Redbirds off the scoreboard over the final two innings.
For Barbosa, the save was his fourth.

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Record: 59-38, 1st, 1.5 GA Des Moines
Brendan McKay pitched six shutout innings before running into trouble in the seventh inning, but it didn't matter as St. Louis completed a three-game sweep of Louisville with a 5-2 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
The River Walkers' victory wrapped up a string of seven-consecutive games against the Redbirds, four in Louisville and three in St. Louis, with St. Louis winning six of them.
Up 3-0, McKay pitched into the seventh inning but immediately ran into trouble allowing a single to Michael Conforto and a double to Cory Acton to open the inning.
That hastened McKay's exit.
Cory Tiller took over, and struck out Jacob Campbell for the first out.
But a wild pitch allowed Conforto to score.
Acton then scored on an Isaiah Byars ground out.
Tiller struck out Tyler Kehoe to end the inning, with the Walkers still in front 3-2.
In six innings, McKay (5-3) allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out nine and walked none.
After giving up two, the Walkers got a run back in the bottom of the seventh when Thairo Estrada hit a two-out homer off Redbirds reliever Andres Garcia.
A Vidal Brujan homer off Lawrence Caulfield in the eighth later made it 5-2.
Louis Angel Medina worked a scoreless eighth for the Walkers.
Closer Jake Brentz did the same in the ninth for his 15th save.
St. Louis built its lead with two runs in the first.
A two-run double from Jared Thomas off Louisville starter Owen White scored both.
A solo homer from rookie Jose Reyes, his second in as many games, off White in the second made it 3-0.

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MBL news: Week 16 Awards and standings

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Record: 60-38, 1st, 1.5 GA Des Moines
Andrew Benintendi hit a grand slam and Vidal Brujan launched a three-run homer to power St. Louis to a 9-2 win over Quad City at Busch Stadium (1997).
Benintendi opened his scoring with his grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the third inning off Thunder starting pitcher Brenan Hanifee.
An inning later, Brujan's three-run shot off reliever Victor Moreno capped a five-run inning which put the River Walkers in front 9-0.
St. Louis got a strong four-innings of scoreless relief from Travis Krogman, who took over with one out in the fourth inning after starter Adonis Medina exited with a tired arm.
Medina is expected to be out for about a week.
Zac Lowther stepped in and finished off a scoreless eighth.
However, he did allow a pair of meaningless run in the top of the ninth.

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Record: 61-38, 1st, 2.5 GA Des Moines
Kaneo Kawamoto pitched eight shutout innings to lead St. Louis to a 3-0 win over Quad City at Busch Stadium (1997).
Kawamoto (7-6) allowed eight hits in his time on the mound. He struck out four and didn't walk a better.
He exited after having thrown 112 pitches.

Ernesto Barbosa allowed a single in the ninth, but nothing else to earn his fifth save.
The River Walkers went up 1-0 with a run in the bottom of the second off Thunder starting Nick Wood.
Jose Reyes scored the run after drawing a walk with two outs.
Thairo Estrada drove him to second with an infield single.
JT Schwartz, who has had a horrible season in his reserve role, actually did something right delivering a single to score Reyes.
The other two Walkers runs came in the seventh.
Kawamoto scored the first run after he singled off reliever Billy Weiner with one out.
Singles from Alek Thomas and Andrew Benintendi, sandwiched around a strikeout of Vidal Brujan, loaded the bases.
Jared Thomas drove two home with a single.

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Record: 61-39, 1st, 2.5 GA Des Moines
Quad City jumped on St. Louis starting pitcher Tanner Bibee for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning and gradually added on from there on its way to an 11-1 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory allowed the Thunder to avoid being swept in its three-game series with the River Walkers.
Hector Solis opened the contest with one of the two solo homers he would hit in the victory.
With one out, Chase Davis doubled off Bibee.
Consecutive singles from Nick Gonzalez and Thomas Dillard sent Davis to third and across the plate, respectively.
The QC lead grew to 3-0 in the third when Andrew Bethea double off Bibee with one out.
A Dillard single moved Bethea to third, and he scored when Bibee threw a wild pitch.
The game became lopsided in the fifth when the Thunder scored four times.
Solis started it with his second solo shot of the game to lead-off the inning.
Bethea followed with a double, and when Chase Davis hit a two-run homer, it was shower time for Bibee.
Zac Lowther took over for the Walkers, only to be greeted by a solo homer from Nick Gonzalez.
Quad City now led 7-0.
The Walkers lone run came in the top of the sixth, when pinch-hitter Steve Ruland doubled off Thunder starter Andy Harper and later scored when Andrew Benintendi singled off reliever Victor Moreno.
Quad City piled on four more runs in the top of the ninth against Luis Angel Medina.
The big hit was a two-run homer from Dillard.
Christian Franklin also drove in a run with a single off Ricky Cisneros.
Harper (6-7) alowed one run on three hits in 5.2 innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Three relievers -- Victor Moreno (1.1 IP), Chance Adams (1.0) and John Daley (1.0) -- combined to shut out the Walkers the rest of the way.
St. Louis second baseman Vidal Brujan left the game after being injured while running the bases.
The extent of his injury is uncertain.

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Record: 62-39, 1st, 2 GA Des Moines
A five-run bottom of the first inning staked St. Louis to a 5-0 lead, and the River Walkers rolled from there for a 7-4 win over the Chicago G-Men at Busch Stadium (1997).
Edward Oliveras provided the big blow of the bottom of the first with a three-run homer off G-Men starting pitcher Tyler Beede.
Before Oliveras' long ball, Alek Thomas had led off the game with a walk and would later score on a wild pitch.
Thairo Estrada had followed Thomas' single with one of his own and scored on a Jean Carmona single.
Walkers starter Angel Tiburico was masterful, allowing one run on six hits over seven innings.
He struck out 11 and didn't issue a walk.
Chicago, however, did make it interesting late against the St . Louis bullpen.

Down 7-1, the G-Men scored three times in the top of the eighth -- Luis Tejada and Cruz Calderon with run-scoring single while Steven Williams plated another on a ground out, all against Jose Alvarado -- and loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Walkers closer Jake Brentz.
But Brentz struck out both Darren Miller and Tejada to notch his 16th save of the season.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have announced they have placed infielder Vidal Bruajn on the 10-day injured list with a strained posterior cruciate ligament injury.
The injury is expected to keep Brujan out for five weeks.
Brujan, 30, has had another impressive season for the River Walkers having taken over the role as their starting third baseman.
In 94 games this season, Brujan has batted .287 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs.
Getting the call up from AAA Memphis will be infielder Alberto Checcinato.
It will be the 24-year-old's second callup of the season.
In a brief stint, he got into six games with the Walkers, batting .083.
At AAA, Checcinato has hit .237 for the Redbirds with four homers and 24 RBIs.

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Record: 63-59, 1st, GA Des Moines
Down 2-0, St. Louis wiped out that deficit with a four-run bottom of the second and then added six more runs over the next three innings, on its way to a 10-4 win over the Chicago G-Men at Busch Stadium (1997).
River Walkers starter Brendan McKay surrendered a two-run homer to Darren Miller in the top of the first to put his team in that early hole.
That deficit disappeared in the bottom of the second.
A walk to Alek Thomas and a sacrifice bunt by Carlos Vidal which saw both runners reach base got it going.
The rest of the damage all came with two uts.
A walk to McKay loaded the bases.
G-Men starting pitcher Anderson Parra followed with another walk, this one to Alek Thomas, to score the first St. Louis' run of the game.
A wild pitch scored Vidal to tie it.
After which a third straight walk, loaded the bases again.
Jared Thomas then supplied the big blow with a two-run single, making it 4-2.
Vidal scored again in the third.
This time he led off with a double and scored on an Alek Thomas single.
Vidal scored for a third straight inning in the fourth,. hitting a two-run homer off Tony Cebrero to make it 7-2.
A three-run bottom of the fifth officially made it a blow out.
Jose Reyes led off with a double off Cebrero and later scored on a wild pitch.
Jared Thomas later hit a two-run homer off Todd Peterson, pushing the Walkers' advantage to 10-2.
McKay (6-3) pitched six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits.
Travis Krogman went the rest of the way, with three shutout innings, to earn his fourth save.

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Record: 64-39, 1st, 3 GA Des Moines
Kaneo Kawamoto allowed one run over seven innings and St. Louis completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago G-Men with a 5-2 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
Kawamoto (8-6) allowed just the one run on three hits over seven innings. He struck out 11 and walked none.
Tied 1-1, the River Walkers took the lead for good with a pair of runs off G-Men starter Chris Rodriguez in the bottom of the fourth.
Andrew Benintendi reached on a one-out single and scored when Jean Carmona smacked a triple into the gap in right-center.
Jared Thomas chased Carmona across the plate with a fly ball.
St. Louis pushed its advantage to 5-1 in the fifth.
Alberto Checchinato got it moving with a one-out walk.
He was moved to second when Kawamoto got down a bunt.
When Alek Thomas doubled, Checchionato scored to make it 4-1.
A single from Thairo Estrado plated Thomas.
Jose Alvarado worked a scoreless eighth for the Walkers.
Louis Angel Medina allowed a run in the ninth, but nothing else.

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MBL news: Week 17 Awards and standings

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Record: 65-39, 1st, 4 GA Des Moines
Thairo Estrada hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning and a two-run double in the ninth to help St. Louis rally for a 6-4 win over Twin Cities at Metropolitan Stadium (1977).
Down 4-1. Alek Thomas drew a lead-off walk from Snow Cats relief pitcher Jon Gray in the eighth and Estrada followed with his fourth homer of the season.
A batter later, Andrew Benintendi made it a back-to-back as St. Louis tied it at 4-4.
In the ninth, Keegan Fish led off with a double off Jonathan Cooper.
For some reason, Twin Cities then decided to walk Steve Ruland and Alek Thomas moved the runners to second and third with a bunt.
Estrada made them pay with a double down the right-field line as St. Louis went up 6-4.
The game was scoreless through five innings, before St. Louis struck first in top of the sixth.
Estrada drew a lead-off walk from Victor Castenada and scored when Cris Rosario hit a two-out double off Kyle Nelson.
But Twin Cities answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning.
Will Banfield drove in the first run with a single off Walkers starter Tanner Bibee.
Yan Contreras did the rest with a three-run homer.
Bibee was great for the first five innings, but gave it all up with a rotten sixth.
Overall, he allowed four runs on nine hits in 5.2 innings.
Zac Lowther recorded the final out of the sixth.
Travis Krogman worked the seventh and got the first out of the eighth.
Ricky Cisneros (4-0) finished off that inning and came out of it with the victory.
Jake Brentz set the Cats down in order in the ninth for his 17th save.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have recalled second baseman Ozzie Albies from the 10-day injured list and sent third baseman Jose Reyes back to AAA Memphis.
Albies has been out since July 14 with a strained back.
The 31-year-old has hit .301 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs in 79 games in his first season with the River Walkers.
The 21-year-old Reyes made some nice contributions in his brief time with the Walkers -- he batted .280 with two homers and two RBIs in seven games -- but it was decided he was better off in AAA where he could play every day.