2027 St. Louis River Walkers: Looking at another postseason run

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Walkers news: Team full season statistics at end of August 2027

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Player of the Month: Jared Thomas -- The 26-year-old catcher batted .304 with five homers, 18 RBIs and 14 runs scored in 23 games. He got on base at a .385 clip and slugged .557.
Starting Pitcher of the Month: Adonis Medina -- The 30-year-old right-hander was selected National League Pitcher of the Month after he went 4-1 with a 1.54 ERA in five starts. He pitched a total of 35.0 innings, during which he struck out 33 and had a 0.83 WHIP.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Danny Grigg -- The 35-year-old right hander pitched in eight games during which he went 1-0 with one save and a 0.00 ERA. He worked 5.2 innings, duringn which he struck out seven and had a 0.53 WHIP.

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Walkers news: Player Development Report on Sept. 1

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Record: 75-64, 3rd, 8.5 GB Kansas City
Jose Leyva homered twice -- one that tied it and another which gave Cedar Rapids the lead -- as the Golden Grapplers rallied for a 5-2 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (1997).
The win completed a two-game sweep for Cedar Rapids. The River Walkers have dropped six of their last seven games.
Trailing 2-1, Leyva tied it with a home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Tanner Bibee in the sixth inning.
Two innings later, Leyva put the Grapplers in front with a homer off Luis Angel Medina.
Cedar Rapids added two insurance runs in the ninth, as it strung together five consecutive singles to open the inning.
Ke'Bryan Hayes and Matt McLain both drove in runs with their hits.
Grapplers starter Gerrit Cole allowed two runs on five hits in five innings.
Danny Schaeffer (5-1) worked three scoreless innings and picked up the win.
Jose Leclerc worked a quiet ninth for his 37th save.

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Record: 76-64, 3rd, 8.5 GB Kansas City
Trevor Larnach hit a walk-off home run off Green Bay closer Mike Goodwin on a 1-2 pitch, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, as St. Louis won 2-1 at Busch Stadium (1997).
Larnach drove in both of the River Walkers' runs, his one-out single off Long Haulers reliever David Cullison in the seventh scoring Andrew Benintendi who had led off the inning with a double off starter Royan Rolison.
Benintendi had moved to third on a Fernando Tatis Jr. gground out.
St. Louis starter Adonis Medina allowed one run on nine hits in 6.1 innings.
Alex Claudio got the final out of the seventh.
Jake Brentz (3-3) retired all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth, and earned the win.

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Record: 76-65, 3rd, 9.5 GB Kansas City
Erickson Lanning limited St. Louis to one run over five innings and four relievers tossed shutout ball the rest of the way, as Green Bay won 3-1 at St. Louis (1997).
Lanning (13-6) allowed just the one run -- it came on a Jean Carmona homer in the fifth inning -- on four hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Carmona's homer made it 3-1.
The Long Haulers went up 1-0 against River Walkers starter Brendan McKay in the first inning.
Jordan Lawlar reached on an error by Carmona at shortstop to open the game.
Pavin Smith scored Lawlar when he followed with a double.
Green Bay's other two runs came in the third inning against McKay.
Smith led off with a double and scored when Rick Dorning tripled with one out.
Dorning scored on a Josiah Satterfield single.
Omar Garcia worked a scoreless sixth innig and got the first out of the seventh for the Haulers, before leaving with an undisclosed injury.
Josh Forgy finished the seventh inning.
Mike Goodkin send St. Louis down in order in the eighth.
Armando Cintron worked around a two-out double by Jared Thomas in the ninth for his 14th save.

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Record: 77-65, 3rd, 9.5 GB Kansas City
For 11 innings, Green Bay and St. Louis battled through a scoreless game.
But Green Bay busted loose for four runs in the top of the 12th.
However, St. Louis tallied five in the bottom half to steal away a 5-4 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
River Walkers starting pitcher Angel Tibrucio took a no-hitter into the seventh inning -- when he allowed a one-out single to Ozzie Albies.
He would pitch ninth innings, alowing two hits hile striking out 10 and walking one.
The Long Haulers' top of the 12th opened with a pinch-hit lead-off homer from Jorge Bello off Dany Grigg.
Jordan Lawlar followed with a single, which led to Grigg's exit.
A wild pitch from Williams Jerez moved Lawlar up a base, and a ground out placed him on third.
An intentional walk to Ozzie Albies put runners at the corners.
Jerez followed with a strike out of Austin Hendrick for the second out, before exiting.
Luis Angel Medina brought nothing to the mound.
Rick Dorning greeted him with a two-run double, making it 3-0.
After an intentional walk to Jonathan Vaughns, Josiah Satterfield hit another double and Green Bay led 4-0.
Making his first appearance of the 2027 season as a September callup, things started well for Haulers' reliever Michael Wacha with a pair of fly outs.
However Jared Thomas kept the game going with a two-out single.
Two more singles, from Fernando Tatis Jr. and JT Schwartz, and suddenly it was 4-1.
Pinch-hitter Larry Ernesto connected for the inning's fourth-straight single, and it was 4-2.
Vidal Brujan upped the single streak to five, reloading the bases.
Andrew Benintendi ended it with a sixth straight hit, this one a double which scored Schwartz and Ernesto, and St. Louis had stolen a win.
After Tiburcio exited, four relievers combined to finish the game for the Walkers.
Alex Claudio and Danny Grigg got the game to the 12th.
Williams Jerez got the first two outs of the 12th. Medina (9-7) took some heavy hits but earned a victory he probably did not deserve.

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Record: 77-66, 3rd, 10.5 GB Kansas City
Mike Trout hit a pinch-hit homer in the top of the ninth to tie it, and Green Bay scored three in the top of the 10th inning to win it, as the Long Haulers prevailed 4-1 in 10 innings at Busch Stadium (1997).
The win gave Green Bay a split of its four-game series with the River Walkers.
St. Louis starting pitcher Jason Froelich pitched seven shutout innings, and reliever Alex Claudio carried it into the eighth.
But the 36-year-old Trout smacked a Grigg pitched 431 feet over the wall in right-center to even matter.
In the 10th, the Haulers roughed up St. Louis closer Jake Brentz.
In the first four batters, they put togethers three hits and a hit by pitch.
Josiah Satterfield provided the big blow with a three-run double.
Green Bay starting pitcher Hunter Cope allowed one run on three hits over five innings.
Five different relievers -- Josh Forgy, Woo-jin Ahn, Mike Nikorak, Ryan Agnew and Arnando Cintron -- all pitched an inning apiece, shutting out the Walkers along the way.
Agnew (2-0) got the win.
Cintron added his 15th save.

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MBL news: Week 20 Awards and standings

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Record: 77-67, 3rd, 10.5 GB Kansas City
Down 1-0, Rockford scored four times in the top of the sixth inning and rolled from there to a 9-1 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (1997).
River Walkers starting pitcher Tanner Bibee didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning and held the Lightning scoreless through five.
But Rockford exploded for four straight hits top open the sixth inning to go up 4-1.
Drew Mendoza got things going with a double.

Javy Monjaras followed with an RBI single.
A single from Jake Holland put two runners aboard.
Both scored when Jose Ramirez hit a three-run homer.
The Lightning added two more runs in the sixth.
Christian Moore led off with a single off Nick Lodolo, and he moved to third wen Rece Hinds followed with a double.
Mendoza scored Moore with a sacrifice fly.
Zac Lowther replaced Lodolo.
A wild pitch moved Hinds to third, and Monjaraz scored him with a ground out.
Rockford kept rolling in the eighth, scoring three more times.
Hinds drove in two with a double off Tony Ramirez. Drew Ellis had an RBI single.
Rockford starter Kyle Gleason (4-9) worked five innings, allowing one run on six hits.
Joe Jimenez (1.2 IP), Jaden Foster (0.1) and Noah Cutrona (2.0) combined to keep the Walkers scoreless over the final four innings.

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Record: 78-67, 3rd, 9.5 GB Kansas City

Andrew Benintnedi hit a walk-off two-run homer with nobody out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give St. Louis a 7-5 win over Rockford at Busch Stadium (1997).
The River Walkers trailed 5-1 at one time. They tied it with four runs in the bottom of the eighth and then won it on Benintendi's 13th homer of the season.
Benintendi's homer spoiled a three-home run effort for the Lightning's Drew Mendoza.
All of Rockford's run came in five solo homers.

Walkers starter Adonis Medina allowed four of the long balls, over the first four innings.
Christian Moore homered to lead off the game. Gage Canning also went deep for the Lightning.
Down 5-1, Vidal Brujan opened the bottom of the eighth with a solo homer off Rockford reliever Josh Fleming.
Rhys Hoskins and Benintendi later drew one-out walks.
Travis Krogman took over and threw a wild pitch while Fernando Tatis Jr. was at the plate.
Tatis Jr., with runners at second and third, grounded out for the second out.
But Jared Thomas followed with a double, making it 5-4.
Romy Gonzalez then connected for a double to tie it.
Medina lasted five innings, allowing four runs (all on solo homers) on seven hits. He struck out six and walked one.
Kyle Marman worked two scoreless innings.
Nick Lodolo, Luis Angel Medina and Jake Brentz all pitched an inning apiece, keeping Rockford off the scoreboard.
Brentz (4-4) came out of it with the victory.

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Record: 78-68, 3rd, 10.5 GB Kansas City

Yeo-San Park limited St. Louis to one run over the first six innings and three relievers kept the River Walkers scoreless the rest of the way, as Rockford posted a 3-1 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory gave the Lightning victories in two of the series' three games.
Rockford grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the third against St. Louis starter Brendan McKay.
It all started with a two-out single frpom Park.
Christian Moore followed with another single.
Rece Hinds chased them both home with a double.
Trevor Larnach led off the fourth with a homer for the Walkers.
But the Lightning got that run back in the sixth.
Again, it all came with two uts.
Javy Monjaraz singled off McKay with two outs, and scored when Jake Holland followed with a double.
Park (7-11) allowed one run on six hits in his six innings. He struck out five and walked none.
Noah Cutrona, Travis Krogaman and Miguel Chavez all pitched scoreless innings to close it out.
For Chavez, the save was his 25h of the season.

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Record: 79-68, 3rd, 10 GB Kansas City
Down 1-0, St. Louis scored four times in the top of the ninth inning against the Kansas City bullpen to pave the way for a 4-1 win at Royals Stadium (1973).
Jean Carmona got things moving in the top of the ninth with a lead-off single off Pit Masters reliever Jesus Munoz.
Munoz then walked the next two batters-- Trevor Larnach and Rhys Hoskins -- to load the bases.
Jared Thomas struck out for the first out..
But Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with a single to tie it.
Pinch-hitter Keegan Fish then drew a walk, to put St. Louis in front 2-1
An Alek Thomas' single made it -1.
Jojo Romero took the mound for the Masters.
But Vidal Brujan greeted him with a single, as the Walkers lead grew to 4-1.
St. Louis starting pitcher Angel Tiburcio allowed one run on three hits over seven innings. He struck out eight and walked three.
J.B. Wendelken (3-3) worked scoreless eighth inning, and came out of it with the win.

Luis Angel Medina allowed a homer to Josh Shuler in the ninth, but still earned his second save.

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Record: 80-68, 3rd, 9 GB Kansas City

Andrew Benintendi went 3 for 4 with a two doubles,a homer and six RBIs to help power St. Louis to a 9-5 win over Kansas City at Royals Stadium (1973).
Down 2-1, the River Walkers took control by scoring four times in the top of the second inning.
Pitcher Jason Froelich got things rolling with a two-out double off Pit Masters starting pitcher Dominic Pipkin.
The Walkers later loaded the bases, and Benintendi unloaded them with a grand slam to make it 5-2.
In the fourth, Benintendi had an RBI double off reliever Jake Woodford to make it 6-2.
A three-run fifth for Kansas City --highlighted by a two-run homer from Jayson Gonzalez, who went deep twice in the game -- shrunk the Walkers lead to 6-5.
St. Louis got one of those runs back in the sixth on consecutive doubles from Fernando Tatis Jr. and pinch-hitter Larry Ernesto off reliever Jake Woodford.
A two-run homer from Vidal Brujan in the eighth off Wade Davis made it 9-5.
Froeclich (10-4) lasted just five innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. He struck out five and walked none.
It took five relievers-- Williams Jerez (1.1 IP), Luis Angel Medina (0.2), Kyle Marman (0.1), Zac Lowther (0.2) and Danny Grigg (1.0) -- to finish it off.

They didn't allow a run.

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Record: 81-68, 3rd, 8 GB Kansas City
Rhys Hoskins homered twice and Tanner Bibee pitched five scoreless innings as St. Louis downed Kansas City 5-2 at Royals Stadium (1973).
The win gave the River Walkers a sweep of the three-game weekend series. However, St. Louis trails the first-place Pit Masters by eight games with just 13 left in the regular season.
In addition to the two homers, Hoskins had a hand in scoring the game's first run in the fourth inning when he drew a lead-off walk from KC starter Nick Bitsko.
Hoskins was wiped when Trevor Larnach hit into a fielder's choice.
But Larnach reached third on a Jean Carmona single.
Larnach crossed the plate on a Jared Thomas fly out.
Hoskins made it 2-0 in the sixth with a solo homer off reliever Kyle Nelson.
His second homer came just an inning later, a three-run shot off Johnny Kuhn Jr., making it 5-0.
Bibee (5-10) allowed just two hits in his five innings.
Zac Lowther got the first two outs of the sixth. J.B. Wendelken finished that inning than pitched a scoreless seventh.
Nick Lodolo (0.1 IP) and Danny Grigg (0.2) combined on the eighth inning, when the Masters scored their two runs. Both were charged to Lodolo.
Jake Brentz got the first out of the ninth, but than had to leave with a finger blister.
He is expected to miss five days.
Alex Claudio retired the only two batters he faced, earning him his first win as a River Walker.

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MBL news: Week 21 Awards and standings

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The Madison Muskies routed Twin Cities 10-3 on Sunday to clinch the title of the National League North Division.
The Muskies (88-61) lead second-place Milwaukee by 14.5 games with 13 remaining in the season.
This will mark the second-consecutive postseason appearance for the Muskies.
Madison also won the NL North title in 2026, but fell to St. Louis in the National League Championship Series.
The Muskies reached the playoffs four straight years between 2019 and 2012, winning the championship in 2011.

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Record: 82-68, 3rd, 7.5 GB Kansas City
Down 2-0, St. Louis scored three times in the bottom of the eighth inning to steal a 3-2 victory from Quad City at Busch Stadium (1997).
An RBI double from Andrew Bethea off River Walkers reliever Williams Jerez in the top of the eighth had put the Thunder up 2-0.
In the bottom of the inning, Alek Thomas set things in motion for St. Louis with a one-out double off Brenan Hanifee.
Vidal Brujan followed with a double of his own to make it 2-1.
Hanifee then issued consecutive walks to Rhys Hoskins and Jean Carmona to load the bases.
A single from Fernando Tatis Jr. tied it.
Caden Lemons took the mound for QC, and Andrew Benintendi greeted him with a single and put the Walkers ahead.
Adonis Medina made the start for St. Louis, and lasted 6.1 innings during which he allowed one run on four hits.
Luis Angel Medina finished the seventh inning, and gave up the hit which turned into the Thunder's second run.
Jerez (5-2) got all three outs in the eighth, and would earn his fifth win of the season.
Kyle Marman got a rare chance to close, and set the Thunder down in order for his second save of the season.

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Record: 83-68, 3rd, 7.5 GB Kansas City
St. Louis poured across six runs in the bottom of the third inning to pave the way for a 10-2 win over Quad City at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory was the fifth in a row for the River Walkers, who sit 7.5 games behind first-place Kansas City with 11 games remaining.
A lead-off walk from Thunder starting pitcher Nick Wood to Alek Thomas got things going for St. Louis in the bottom of the third.
After Thomas reached, the Walkers kept things moving seven consecutive batters on base.
Three of those hitters reached via walks -- including bases-loaded free passes to Trevor Larnach and Fernando Tatis Jr. -- while Rhys Hoskins, Keegan Fish and Jean Carmona all had RBI singles.
Thomas drove in the inning's final run with a single off reliever Tyler Glasnow.
Hoskins later had a two-run single in the boittom of the fifth to make it 8-1.
Pitcher Brendan McKay made it 9-1 with an RBI single in the sixth.
A solo homer from Tatis Jr. in the eighth capped the scoring.
McKay (14-8) pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits.
Nick Lodolo and Tony Ramirez ended it with a scoreless inning apiece.

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Record: 84-68, 2nd (Tied/w. Cedar Rapids), 7.5 GB Kansas City
Down 4-2, St. Louis took control with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and two more in the sixth, before going on for a 9-7 win over Quad City at Busch Stadium (1997).
The win completed a three-game sweep for the River Walkers, and extended their win streak to six games. However, they trail first-place Kansas City by 7.5 games with 10 games left in the season.
Pitcher Angel Tiburcio got the Walkers rolling in the fifth with the first of his two homers in the game, a lead-off blast which made it 4-3.
Thunder starter Danny Garza then walked Alek Thomas, putting an end to his time on the mound.
Vidal Brujan got a bunt down, moving Thomas to second.
Hoskins got Thomas home with a double.
A two-out walk to Fernando Tatis Jr. put two runners aboard.
Carlos Vidal drove Hoskins home, and planted Tatis at third.
Jean Carmona struck out for the second out.
Bringing Tiburcio back to the plate, and this time he drew a walk, scoring Tatis Jr. and making it 7-4.
In the sixth, Vidal connected for his second double of the game, this time scoring two as St. Louis went up 7-5
Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a two-run homer off Zac Lowther with two outs in the top of the ninth, making it 9-7.
Danny Grigg took over and allowed a lead-off single to Nick Gonzalez.
But Chase Davis grounded out to end it.
Tiburcio (11-12) wasn't as good on the mound as he was at the plate, but still earned the win.
He lasted 5.2 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. He struck out 10 and walked none.
Williams Jerez finished the sixth inning and worked a silent seventh.
J.B. Wendelken (0.2 IP), Lowther (1.0) and Grigg (0.1) combined to finish the game.
Grigg now has 10 saves.