2033 St. Louis River Walkers: And the saga continues

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Walkers news: August 1 -- Team statistics for 2033

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Record: 42-61, 7th, 15.5 GB Des Moines
Mike Sartain hit a two-run homer off St. Louis relief pitcher Kevin Baker with no outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift Twin Cities to a 5-3 win at Target Field.
Jeff Waddell had led off the the bottom of the 10th with a single.
Sartain then blasted a 0-1 pitch 453 feet over the wall in right center, his 25th home run of the season.
The Snow Cats had gone up 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run double from pinch-hitter Nick Schnell of St. Louis reliever Josh Forgy.
The River Walkers tied it in the top of the eighth when Javon Gill tripled off reliever Jesse Gaither to drive in a run.
Nick Shaw followed that with a double, scoring Gill.
Twin Cities starting pitcher Garrett Karp allowed one run on four hits over the first six innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
Avery Williams pitched a scoreless seventh before Jesse Gaither allowed the two runs while pitching the eighth to tie it.
Dennis Mallory worked a quiet ninth and got the first out in the 10th.
Jose Castenada came on after the initial batter of the top of the 10th
He did allow the Walkers to load the bases with two outs, but got Kevin Melendez to fly out to keep it tied.

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Record: 42-62, 7th, 15.5 GB Des Moines and Springfield
For the second straight game, Michael Sartain hit a game-winning home run off St. Louis reliever Kevin Baker, this time a thre-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Twin Cities downed the River Walkers 8-6 at Target Field.
The previous day, Sartain hit a walk-off two-run homer off Baker in an 5-3 victory.
This time, the game was 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth when he hit a three-run bomb.
Twin Cities scored three times in the inning to overcome an 6-5 deficit.
Sammy Siani and Roc Riggio led off the inning with consecutive singles off St. Louis reliever Nick Ruffalo.
This brought Baker into the game.
His 1-0 pitch to Sartain landed 374feet into the left-field seats, his 26th home run of the season.
At one point, St. Louis led 5-1 and later 6-3.
The Snow Cats pulled to within 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth against Walkers reliever John Good.
Both runs scored with two outs.
Riggio drove in the first run with a double.
Sartain plated the first of his four RBIs with a single.
Keith Brennan made his first start of the season for Twin Cities, he lasted just 4.2 innings allowing five runs on seven hits.
Hunter Barco finished off the fifth inning, before allowing a run in the sixth/
Avery Williams (7-6) worked two innings of scoreless relief.
It earned him the victory.
Jim Messina set St. Louis down in order in the ninth for his 16th save.

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Record: 42-63, 7th, 16.5 GB Springfield
St. Louis jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, by the time the River Walkers scored again they trailed 8-3 and Twin Cities went onto an 8-5 win at Target Field.
The victory completed a three-game sweep for the Snow Cats.
A two-run homer from Jared Thomas off Twin Cities starting pitcher Mason Montgomery highlighted the first-inning outburst for the Walkers.
That lead didn't last long.
Roc Riggio led off the bottom of the first with a single off St. Louis starter Alex Pazos, and Mike Sartain followed with a double.
Daniel Sanabria drove both in with a single, slicing the deficit to 3-2.
An inning later, Patrick Winkel singled with one out and moved to third when pitcher Mason Montgomery reached on a throwing error by Pazos.
Winkel tied it when he scored on a Riggio fly ball.
Sartain then drove in Montgomery with a single, putting Twin Cities up 4-3.
The Cats expanded their lead to 7-3 with a four-run bottom of the fifth
Jeff Friedman singled and Kurt Barty drew a walk, both with one out from Pazos, to get things going, and end Pazos' time on the mound.
Yeison Santos took over and proceeded to walked Winkel.
Relief pitcher Hunter Barco then reached on another throwing error by the pitcher, this time Santos, which allowed Friedman and Baty to score.
Riggo made it 7-3 with an RBI single.
Twin Cities got its final run in the bottom of the seventh, Friedman leading off the inning off Santos.
St. Louis did pull within 8-5, and had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth.
But with runners at first and third, Jim Messina got Kyren Paris to fly out to end it.
Montgomery handled the first 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked one.
Barco (5-4) finished the fifth inning and worked a scoreless sixth.
After that, it was Dennis Mallory (1.0 IP), Jesse Gaither (1.2) and Messina (0.1).
Messina earned his 17th save for earning just one out.

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Record: 42-62, 7th, 15.5 GB Springfield
Justin Doughtie shut out Evansville late into the seventh inning and the St. Louis bullpen finished the job, as the River Walkers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-0 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
Doughtie (4-1) continued to pitch well since being placed in the starting rotation.
The veteran left-hander scattered five hits over 6.2 innings.
He exited after allowing a pair of walks in the top of the seventh.
Doughtie struck out eight and walked two.
Josh Forgy came on and got the final out of the seventh and the first out of the eighth.
Scott Rissler recorded the final two outs of the ninth.
Kevin Baker, who struggled in the Walkers' last series at Twin Cities, was given the opportunity to earn the save but was not up to the task.
He sandwiched a walk and a single around a strikeout before being replaced.
Oscar Martinez retired the only two batters he faced for his first save.
The Walkers scored single runs in four different innngs.
Jared Thomas led off the second inning with a double off Bosses starting pitcher Cory Maddox.
He scored on a two-out single by Thairo Estrada.
An inning later, Daniel Becerra led off the inning with a single.
Becerra stole second and scored on a two-out single by Jared Thomas.
The lead reached 3-0 in the third.
Kyren Paris drew a lead-off walk rom Paris.
He stole second and scored on a two-out single from Nick Shaw.
Nathaniel Dixon scored the Walkers' final run in the eighth.
He was pinch-running for Jose Ramirez, who had left after being hit by a Roman Watson pitch.
Ramirez suffered a bruise on his hands and will be sidelined for maybe five days.
He will probably not be placed on the injured list.
A Dan Hillard single moved Dixon to second.
Thairo Estrada got down a bunt to put runners at second and third.
Paris scored Dixon with a fly ball.

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Record: 43-62, 7th, 14.5 GB Springfield
Daniel Becerra hit a two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning off Evansville's Fernando Maldonado to give St. Louis a 6-4 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
Kevin Melendez opened up the bottom of the 12th with a single off Maldonado.
The right-hander retired the next two, one a sacrifice bunt, but Becerra cranked a 1-2 pitch 447 feet over the fence in left-center, his 12th homer of the season, to give the River Walkers the win.
Evansville jumped out to a 4-0 lead, with two runs in the third and fifth innings off St. Louis starting pitcher Jesse McNaboe.
The Walkers climbed their way back to tie it.
Nick Shaw hit the first of his two solo homers in the seventh off Bosses reliever Dalvin Rosario.
Evansville starter and ace Matthew Liberatore had just exited the game with an intact shutout and having thrown 92 pitches.
St. Louis sliced the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth when Melendez hit a two-run homer, again off Rosario.
Shaw's second homer of the game, Mike Moore this time the victim, leading off the bottom of the ninth tied it.
McNaboe worked the first six innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits.
Nick Ruffalo followed that with two scoreless innings.
Cory Tiller go the first two outs of the ninth.
Yeison Santos the first out of the ninth and the first two outs of the 10th.
Scott Rissler pitched 1.2 scoreless innings.
Josh Forgy (5-1) handled the top of the 11th, and earned the victory.

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Record: 44-64, 7th, 15.5 GB Springfield
Evanville jumped on St. Louis starting pitcher Jerry Tate for six runs over six innings and rolled to an 8-5 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
A two-run, two-out home run from Jeff Waldron staked the Bosses to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
An inning later, with its lead now at 2-1, Evansville plated a pair.
Myles Austin drew a lead-off walk.
He stole second and scored on a single by Carlos David Rodriguez.
Rodriguez also stole second and scored on a throwing error by Tate on a ball hit by pitcher Ramon Lopez.
A two-run homer from Tommy Gardner highlighted a three-run third for the Bosses, as Tate's outing came to an end.
Austin scored the third run after drawing a walk following Gardner's homer.
He scored on a two-out double by Kouji Morita.
A Robbie Mackie one-out homer off River Walkers reliever John Good in the fourth made it 7-1.
A three-run bottom of the sixth did draw St. Louis to within 7-5 -- Nathaniel Dixon drove in two of the runs with a single off Bosses reliever Sam Stroutenborough -- but that would be the last of the scoring for the Walkers.
Austin scored his third run of the game and completed the scoring in the top of the eighth.
He led off the inning with a single off Kevin Baker.
A bunt by Rodriguez moved Austin to second.
He scored on a throwing error by catcher Jared Thomas on a ball hit by Morita.
Leon (8-6) lasted 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits.
Six relievers -- Stoutenborough (0.1 IP), Ricky Cisneros (0.1), Omar Gordon (1.0), Fernando Maldonado (0.2), Dalvin Rosario (0.1) and Mike Moore (1.0) -- combined to cover the final 11 outs.
Moore registered his 29th save.

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Record: 45-64, 7th, 15.5 GB Springfield
Daniel Becerra singled with one out in the bottom of the 13th inning with a single and later scored on a wild pitch to give St. Louis a 3-2 win over Evansville at Busch Stadium (2006).
The victory gave the River Walkers' wins in three of their four games against the Bosses.
Becerra's one-out single came off Evansville reliever Brad Tonks.
A single by Jarred Thomas moved Becerra to third.
Fernando Maldonaldo entered the game and his 2-2 pitch eluded the catcher allowing Becerra to scoring the winning run.
Becerra scored all three of the Walkers' runs.
He led off the bottom of the second inning with a homer off Bosses starting pitcher Ray Pocock, his 13th of the season, to put St. Louis in front 1-0.
With the Bosses having taken a 2-1 lead, Becerra scored again in the fourth.
This time, he drew a lead-off walk from Pocock, and then stole second.
He scored on a Thairo Estrada one-out single.
St. Louis rookie starting pitcher Ronald Crossingham worked six innings, allowing two runs on five hits.
After that, five relievers combined to pitch seven shutout innings for St. Louis.
Yeison Santos handled the seventh and eighth.
Cory Tiller took care of the ninth.
Oscar Martinez got the first two outs of the 10th.
Scott Rissler finished the 10th and also held Evansville scoreless in the 11th and 12th.
Kevin Baker (1-1) earned the win after a keeping it tied in the top of the 13th.

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MBL news: Week 16 -- Awards and standings

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Record: 45-65, 7th, 16 GB Springfield
St. Louis took a 1-0 lead into the top of the eighth, but reliever Josh Forgy allowed solo homers in that inning and again in the 10th as Kansas City rallied for a 3-1 win at Busch Stadium (2006).
The River Walkers got a strong start from rookie Alex Pazos, who shut out the Monarchs over 7.1 innings before exiting.
With the bullpen running on fumes after playing extra innings in two of their three previous games, St. Louis was looking to get an extending out from Forgy, its only rested reliever.
The lead didn't last long, as Adrian Del Castillo greeted Forgy with a solo homer to tie the game.
After a scoreless ninth, Josh Shuler put the Monarchs in front with a lead-off homer off Forgy.
With no relief really available, St. Louis stuck with Forgy and it led to another run for Kansas City.
Ryan West doubled with one out.
He scored when Nander De Sedas singled to make it 3-1.
The Walkers had gone up 1-0 in the bottom of the second.
Nick Shaw led off the inning with a double off KC starting pitcher Leo Hermosillo.
A walk and fielder's choice moved Shaw to third with one out.
Dan Hillard drove him in with a ground out.
Hermsillo allowed St. Louis one run on three hits over 6.2 innings.
Zachary Stella finished off the seventh for the Monarchs.
That was followed by a scoreless inning apiece from Matt Broussard, Nate Guthrie and Dominic Pipkin.
Guthrie (1-0) earned his first win of the season.
Pipkin upped his save total to 28.

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Record: 45-66, 7th, 17 GB Springfield
Kansas City scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning off St. Louis starting pitcher Justin Doughtie, and the Monarchs made it hold up winning 2-1 at Busch Stadium (2006).
It started in the top of the first with a lead-off walk to Cole Wagner.
After a fly out, Josh Shuler drew another walk.
Wagner was thrown out stealing for the second out while Darren Miller was at the plate.
Miller, however, came through with a double scoring Schuler.
Ed Moore followed with a single to plate Miller.
St. Louis got its lone run in the bottom of the second off Monarchs starter Mike Tucker.
Jared Thomas drew a lead-off walk and scored on a Jovan Gill single.
That would be the extant of the scoring, although the River Walkers outhit KC 11-6 and left eight runners in scoring position.
Tucker (12-9) earned his 12th win by going 5.1 innings, during which he allowed one run on eight hits. He struck out four and walked two.
Nate Guthrie finished off the sixth for KC.
Four relievers -- Zachary Stella (1.0 IP), Jose Lazaro (0.1), Matt Broussard (0.1) and Grayson Rodriguez (1.0) -- combined to finish the game for the Monarchs.
Rodriguez earned his first save.

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Record: 46-66, 7th, 16 GB Springfield
There is little doubt the 2033 season will go down as the worst in the history of the St. Louis River Walkers, up to this point.
But they will always have August 10 to savor.
Jesse McNaboe pitched his first career no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Kansas City at Busch Stadium (2006).
It is the third complete game no-hitter in franchise history.
Angel Tiburcio tossed a no-hitter, also against Kansas City, on July 31, 2028.
Kyle Hendricks threw a rain-shortened five-inning no-hitter in a game against Green Bay on May 27, 2022.
The win allowed the Walkers to avoid being swept at home by the Monarchs.
The 24-year-old McNaboe faced just 27of a 28 batters.
The only base runner he allowed was a walk to first baseman Cole Wagner in the second inning.
McNaboe (9-8) struck out eight batters, while walking the one.
Monarchs starting pitcher Jose Buenrostro was impressive as well, allowing one run on three hits over 6.2 innings.
That run came in the bottom of the third when Jovan Gill led off with a single.
With one out, McNaboe attempted to get down a sacrifice bunt but a poor decision by Wagner, allowed both runners to be safe.
A walk to Kyren Paris loaded the bases.
Daniel Becerra struck out for the second out.
But Jose Segura drew the second free pass of the inning, scoring Gill with what would be the game's lone run.

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Record: 46-67, 7th, 15.5 GB Springfield
Tied 2-2, Louisville bludgeoned the St. Louis bullpen for six runs in the top of the seventh inning, as the Sluggers rolled to a 9-2 win at Dodger Stadium.
The River Walkers had tied the game with a pair of runs in the seventh.
Glenallen Hill Jr. and Jared Thomas with two-out RBI singles off Louisville reliever Joe Wahl.
But the Sluggers wasted little time getting to St. Louis reliever Oscar Martinez, who had replaced Walkers starter Jerry Tate to begin the inning.
Hisanori Yasuda got things rolling when he reached on an error by Hill at second base.
Jario Diaz quickly scored Yusada when his single to right was bungled by Dan Hillard.
Gamaliel Gonzalez scored Diaz with a double.
Martinez exited after retiring Ed Hardy with a fly ball.
His replacement, Cory Tiller was not any better.
He walked the first batter he faced, Bradley Mondesir.
Tiller struck out Tom Blevins for the second out.
But Dan Boyle followed with a double, scoring Gonzalez with the inning's third run.
Now it was Nick Ruffalo's turn.
His fifth pitch Bobby Chapman powered over the wall in left field for a three-run homer and an 8-2 lead.
Ruffalo hit the next batter, Cole Turney, with a pitch igniting a bench-clearing brawl.
Both Ruffalo and Turney were ejected.
Yeison Santos took over for the Walkers.
Yasuda greeted him with a single.
Diaz struck out to end the inning.
Sluggers starting pitcher Zach Fuller lasted just 2.1 innings, he didn't allow a run and just thee hits.
He exited with a shoulder injury. It is expected to keep him out for 10 days.
Alec Marsh took over and completed the third inning, while also pitching a scoreless fourth and recording the first out of the fifth.
Five relievers, Lawrence Caulfield (1.2 IP), Eric Pardinho (0.1), Joe Wahl (0.2), Rafael Espinoza (0.2) and Terry Lesnau (1.1) combined to finish the game.
Wahl (6-5) came away with the win.

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St. Louis River Walkers relief pitcher Nick Ruffalo and Louisville outfielder Cole Turney have both been suspended after they engaged in fisticuffs in the Sluggers' 9-2 win in Louisville on August 12.
Turney charged the mound after he was hit by a Ruffalo pitch.
Ruffalo had allowed a three-run homer to the previous hitter, Bobby Chapman.
Ruffalo will sit for three games.
Turney will be out for five games.

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Record: 47-67, 7th, 14.5 GB Springfield
Rookie Ronald Crossingham pitched into the ninth inning and St. Louis scored three runs in the top of the first inning and never trailed in a 3-0 win over Louisville at Dodger Stadium.
Crossingham (2-0) allowed just one run through the first eight innings -- a solo homer by Bobby Chapman in the bottom of the seventh innings -- before allowing a one-out walk to Hisanori Yasuda and hitting Seth Beer with a pitch in the ninth.
Kevin Baker got the call to take over.
He got Dan Boyle to fly out for the second out.
Chapman flew to center to end it.
For Baker, it was his first save.
Crossingham, in his 8.1 innings, allowed the one run on three hits.
He struck out two and walked one.
The River Walkers did all of their damage in the first inning against Sluggers' 14-game winner Jim Martin.
Dan Hillard doubled with one out, and scored when Jose Ramirez hit his 17th homer of the season.
St. Louis was not done.
Daniel Becerra singled off Martin with two outs.
Becerra stole second and scored on a Jovan Gill double.

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With the St. Louis River Walkers in the midst of the worst season in franchise history, it comes as no surprise there might be a change in the coaching staff.
Even with the team, which sits in last place in the National League South Division with a 47-67 record some 14.5 games in back of first-place Springfield, well out of postseason contention.
It was veteran bench coach Stubby Clapp, who took the fall.
The 60-year-old Clapp was released following the Walkers' 3-1 win at Louisville on August 13.
He is being replaced by 46-year-old Jonathan Mota, who last worked in the minor-league system of the Chicago G-Men.
Clapp has been part of the St. Louis' organization since the inception of the Midwest Baseball League in 2018.
He spent 12 season managing their AAA team at Memphis.
During that span, the Redbirds made seven playoff appearances and won two Pacific Coast League titles.
Clapp joined the Walkers as their bench coach prior to the 2029 season.
St. Louis won the NL South Division in 2030 and 2031 with Clapp on the coaching staff, but both years failed to reach the World Series.
Mota is relatively inexperienced but is well thought of.
He spent 12 season managing in the Arizona Fall League for Chicago.
Mota has spent the 2032 and 2033 season, working as a scout for the G-Men.
There is a good chance, this is nothing more than a trial run for Mota, and if things do not pan out well St. Louis may look elsewhere to fill its bench coach role in 2034.

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Record: 47-68, 7th, 14.5 GB Springfield
Leading 1-0, Louisville pummeled St. Louis starting pitcher Alex Pazos for six runs in the bottom of the third inning, and the Sluggers cruised to a 10-1 win at Dodger Stadium.
The win gave Louisville wins in two of the three-game of the series.
The third inning was an ugly one for Pazos and the Walkers.
After a lead-off fly out by pitcher Myles Wilson, Pazos walked the next two batters before Dan Boyle loaded the bases when he reached on an error by second baseman Daniel Becerra.
Bobby Chapman made it 2-0 with a single, scoring Bradley Mondesir.
Tom Blevins then drew the third walk of the inning, this time driving in a run.
Steve Rossi, a former Walker, followed with a grand slam to complete the drubbing.
Rossi would homer a second time, a two-run homer in the seventh off Oscar Martinez to cap the scoring.
Louisville starter Myles Wilson worked eight innings, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Joe Wahl pitched a scoreless ninth.

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MBL news: Week 17-- Awards and standings

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Record: 48-68, 7th, 14.5 GB Springfield
Trailing 9-4, St. Louis exploded for six runs in the top of the seventh inning -- highlighted by a grand slam Nathaniel Dixon -- to propel the River Walkers to a 13-9 win over Des Moines at Green Canyon Park.
It was a game of big numbers.
St. Louis scored four times in the top of the first inning -- Jovan Gill hit the first of his two homers, this one a three-run shot off Harvesters starter Manny Pescosolido -- to grab a nice early advantage.
Franklin Flores hit a two-run homer off St. Louis starter Justin Doughtie as part of a four-run bottom of the second for Des Moines to even matters at 4-4.
Gill homered for the second time off Pescosolido to leadoff the fourth and put St. Louis in front 5-4.
Des Moines seized the biggest lead of the game with its five-run bottom of the fifth.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a two-run homer to drive in the inning's first two runs.
Aaron Bracho plated the other three by taking Yeison Santos deep, after Doughtie had left the game with an undisclosed injury.
St. Louis than had the biggest inning of a game of big innings in the seventh.
Dixon's grand slam, off John Curtiss, drove in the final four runs of the inning.
Before that, Daniel Becerra had drove in a run with a double. Nick Shaw had an RBI single.
Becerra later capped the scoring with a two-run homer off Yuki Matsui in the top of the eighth.
Doughtie pitched 4.1 innings, allowing six runs on nine hits, before leaving with an injury.
Santos struggled through an inning, allowing three more runs, exiting with one out in the sixth.
Scott Rissler (2-3) retired the only two batters he faced to end the sixth.
He got himself the win.
Cory Tiller pitched a pair of scoreless innings.
Kevin Baker handled the ninth without an issue, in a no-save situation.

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Record: 49-68, 7th, 13.5 GB Springfield
Daniel Becerra staked St. Louis to a 3-0 lead with a home run of Des Moines starting pitcher Marshall Lacombe, and the River Walkers never trailed on their way to a 6-5 win at Green Canyon Park.
The Harvesters pulled to within 3-1 when Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the bottomof the second with a single off St. Louis starting pitcher Jesse McNaboe, and eventually scored on a Raul Estrada ground out.
McNaboe was on the mound for the first time since pitching a no-hitter in his last start against Kansas City.
A two-run homer from rookie Dan Hillard off Lacombe in the fifth put St. Louis in front 5-1.
Des Moines sliced that to 5-3 with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Becerra scored his second run of the game in the top of the seventh after drawing a lead-off walk from reliever Nick Spear.
A single by pinch-hitter Nathaniel Dixon moved Becerra to third.
He scored when Kyren Paris hit into a fielder's choice.
Des Moines pulled within a run in the seventh against the St. Louis bullpen.
Justin Oates drew a two-out walk from John Good.
He stole second and scored when Trent Roward reached on an error by Paris at shortstop with Josh Forgy on the mound.
With the bases loaded, Forgy struck out Tatis Jr. to end the inning.
A solo homer from Raul Estrada off Nick Ruffalo in the eighth made it 6-5.
But Oscar Martinez sent the Harvesters down in order to give St. Louis the win.
McNaboe (10-8) allowed three runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings.
Rissler (0.2 IP), Good (0.2) Forgy (0.1), Ruffalo (1.0) and Martinez (1.0) combined to keep St. Louis in front the rest of the way.
Martinez earned his second save.