St. Louis River Walkers 2019 season: Is a repeat in the Cards?

[rink23]

MBL news: All-Star fan voting for June 23

[rink23]

Leading Rockford 5-2 entering the top of the ninth inning, the St.Louis River Walkers turned to closer Keone Kela to wrap up their win over the Lightning at Busch Stadium.
It didn't work out quite the way the planned.
Kela, who had not pitched in nine days, hit the first batterhe faced then allowed a single and two walks to load the bases with no outs as Rockford pulled to within 5-3.
Brad Boxberger was brought in to clean up the mess.
He struck out Billy McKinney and Greg Garcia before walking Ahmed Rosario to pull the Lightning within 5-4.
With the bullpen short of arm, either they had already pitcher or came into the game warn out, Boxberger remained in the game to face Charlie Blackmon.
Blackmon struck out to seal a 5-4 Walkers win.
St. Louis starter Trevor Bauer (6-6) turned in a strong outing, allowing two runs on five hits over seven innings.
St. Louis scored all of its runs within the first three innings -- Albert Almora and Nicky Delmonico had two RBIs apiece -- to build a 5-1 lead.
Rockford starting pitcher David Price left in the second inning, after allowing four runs on five hits, with a mild abdominal strain.

[rink23]

MBL news: Week 12 report

[rink23]

Green Bay's Marcell Ozuna hit a walk-off two-run home run off St. Louis relief pitcher Andrew Miller in the bottom of the ninth to give the Long Haulers a 3-2 win at War Memorial Stadium.
The River Walkers had grabbed a 2-1 advantage in the top of the ninth, when Nicky Demonico hit a two-run blast off Green Bay closer Nick Burdi.
But with closer Keone Kela unavailable, Miller was chosen to handle the bottom of the ninth and failed miserably.
He walked Miguel Cabrera on four pitches to open the inning. Then on his sixth pitch of the inning, and first strike, Ozuna drove it into the right-field seats to win the game.
Both starters were dominant both going six innings.
The Walkers went scoreless against Max Scherzer, who allowed three hits while striking out eight and walking two.
Green Bay did muster an run off St. Louis starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks in the bottom of the sixth.
Kevin Pillar led off the inning by reaching on an error by second baseman Jin-hwan Chung. He moved to second on a ground out and scored on a two-out single from Ozuna.

[rink23]

St. Louis' Andrew Benintendi launched a home run 460-feet to dead center of Green Bay's War Memorial Stadium to help stake the River Walkers to a 3-0 advantage over the Long Haulers.
But it wasn't enough, as Green Bay would rally for a 4-3 win.
Benintendi's two-run blast, off Green Bay starter Zach Davies, came in the third inning.
An RBI single from Manny Pina an inning later made it 3-0.
But Green Bay tied it with a three-run outburst against St. Louis starter Zach Godley in the sixth. Aaron Judge driving in the first run with a sacrifice fly and Chase Sisco and Ryan Zimmerman connecting on RBI singles.
An inning later came the game-winner, Kevin Pillar opening the bottom of the seventh with a lead-off double off Jonathon Holder and scoring when Wilmer Difo strokes a one-out single off Phil Maton.
Davis went the first five innings, and allowed all of St. Louis runs.
Five relievers combined to finish it off. Nick Burdi handled the ninth for his 24th save.

[rink23]

Rhys Hoskins led off the top of the 10th inning with a home run off Springfield's Josh Hader for St. Louis, and the River Walkers added another run later in the inning on a Jin-hwan Chung double to help lift them to a 7-5 win over the Prairie Fighters at Olympic Stadium.
The game probably never should have seen extra innings, as Springfield scored three times in the bottom of the ninth to force it into the 10th.
Down 5-2, the Fighters' Whit Merrifield hit a two-run home run off Brad Boxberger in the bottom of the ninth to make it 5-4.
Closer Keone Kela than came on a failed to retire either of the batters he faced -- allowing a single to Tony Kemp and walking Leury Garcia -- before departing.
An Andrew Miller wild pitch moved the runners to second and third.
Michael Brantley then hit a ground ball to third, but third baseman Nicky Delmonico's throw to first was wild, allowing Kemp to score.
Miller was able to get O'Koyea Dickson to ground out to send it to extra innings.
Down 2-0 early, St. Louis rallied to take that 5-2 advantage.
The Walkers tied it on a two-run homer from Michael Conforto off Justin Verlander in the top of the second.

They added on the other three in the fourth, Rhys Hoskins driving in the first one with a double. Chung took credit for the other two with a single.
Nola, who allowed a pair of runs in the first inning, was strong after that with five scoreless innings. He six hits in six innings. Nola struck out six and walked a pair.

[rink23]

Trevor Bauer went the distance, scattering six hits and three walks over nine innings, to lead the St. Louis River Walkers to an 8-0 win over the Springfield Prairie Fighters at Olympic Stadium.
Bauer needed 107 pitches to complete his gem. He struck out five batters. It is the second shutout of the season for the Walkers, Kyle Hendricks owning the other one.
St. Louis got the only run it would need in the top of the first when Andrew Benintendi reached on a one-out error by Fighters shortstop Brett Lawrie. He later scored on a Michael Conforto single off Springfield starting pitcher Gerrit Cole.
The lead grew to 2-0 in the sixth when Jin-hwan Chung led off with a double off Cole and scored on a Nicky Delmonico two-bagger off Brad Hand.
The Walkers broke the game open with a four-run seventh. Conforto drove in three of the runs with a homer off Josh Hader.

Adeiny Hechavarria later had an RBI single, also off Hader.

[rink23]

Well, we got our midseason note from the ownership.
For the most part, they are happy.

Although, we are not the clear-cut best team in the league we were a season ago. We still lead our division, own the best record in the NL and just five games off the best record in the league.
However, he has two complaints, and I hate there. It shows the AI (as owner) has no clue what I am trying to do.
He is upset that I let Sean Rodriguez go in the offseason.
Rodriguez was not even good enough to make our postseason roster, why keep him.
He also wants me to acquire another power hitter, when I already lead the league in homers.
At what position, I have power in left field, right field, third base and first base. The other four -- center field, second base, shortstop and catcher -- I put defense into the equation and all four are among the best in the league.
I won the league in a rout a year ago. I am right there where I need to be this season, I base some of my struggles on a World Series hangover, let me be and stay in your skybox.
Just venting.

[rink23]

MBL news: All-Star fan voting for June 30

[rink23]

Andrew Benintendi connected for a run-scoring, pinch-hit single off Springfield reliever Juan Nicasio with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to help give the St. Louis River Walkers a 2-1 win over the Springfield Prairie Fighters at Olympic Stadium.
Nicky Delmonico had opened the top of the inning with a single off reliever Kenyan Middleton. A walk to Jin-hwan Chung had moved him to second.

A one-out single by Manny Pina had loaded the bases, and chased Middleton from the game.
This chased Middleton from the game and brought Nicasio to the mound.
He got Adeiny Hechavarria to fly out. But Benintendi, taking a rare day off, was asked to come off the bench. and came though with the biggest hit of the game.

An Enrique Hernandez solo homer off Kyle Hendricks in the fifth inning had given Springfield a 1-0 lead.
It lasted until the eighth when the Walkers tied it when Albert Almora singled with two out and scored when Brock Holt followed with a double.
Both starters pitched well. The Walkers' Hendricks went seven innings allowing one run on seven hits.He struck out eight and walked none.
Springfield's Alex Reyes tossed 5.1 shutout frames. He gave up three hits while striking out nine and walking none.

[rink23]

MBL news: Week 13 report

[rink23]

MBL news: Players and Pitchers of the Month for June

[rink23]

MBL news: Rookies of the Month for June

[rink23]

MBL news: AL batting and pitching leaders at end of June

[rink23]

Attachment 598983

Attachment 598984

Attachment 598985MBL news: NL batting and pitching leaders at end of June

[rink23]

Walkers news: Team statistics at end of June

[rink23]

Player of the Month: Second baseman Jin-hwan Chung. A high-priced signing in the off-season, Chung busted loose in June after a slow first couple of months. He go into 26 games and batted .304 with three home runs and 18 RBIs. He scored 16 runs, had an eye-popping on-base percentge of .486 and a slugging percentage of .544. Chung also was named NL Rookie of the Month.

Starting Pitcher of the Month: Right-hander Aaron Nola was 5-0 in six starts with a 1.85 ERA over 39.0 innings. He struck out 36 and had a WHIP of 1.00. He was named NL Pitcher of the Month.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Rookie right-hander Phil Maton got into 12 games and went 1-0 with one save. He pitched a total of 10 innings with an ERA of 0.90 and a WHIP of 0.90. He struck out nine.

[rink23]

St. Louis scored three times off Des Moines starting pitcher Marcus Stroman in the top of the first and never trailed en route to a 10-4 win in the opener of a four-game series between the top two teams in the National League West Division at LaBlatt Park.
The first five River Walkers hitters reached base against Stroman.
Batting second, Andrew Benintendi made it 2-0 with a two-run homer.
Rhys Hoskins folllowed with a single and scored on a Michael Conforto triple.
The Harvesters answered back with a run in the bottom of the first when Kolten Wong tripled and scored on a wild pitch by St. Louis starter Zach Godley.
But that would be the only run Des Moines would get off Godley in his seven innings.
By the time the Harvesters would score again, on a three-run homer from Giancarlo Stanton off Jonathon Holder in the bottom of the ninth, it was 10-1.
Godley went seven innings, allowing just the one hit. He struck out six and walked three.
St. Louis posted crooked numbers in the fifth and seventh innings -- scoring two and four runs, respectively -- as it broke the game open.
Conforto hit a two-run homer off Stroman in the fifth. The seventh-inning outburst was highlighted by a three-run triple by Brock Holt.

[rink23]

St. Louis right-hander Aaron Nola has been one of the best pitchers in the National League much of the season and against Des Moines, he turned in perhaps his best game of 2019 with a 2-0 two-hit, complete game at LaBlatt Park.
Nola only got into trouble in one inning, when an error by catcher Tucker Barnhart and walk to Mike Clevinger put runners at first and second with one out.
But Nola got A.J. Pollack to fly out and Kolton Wong grounded out to survive the inning unscathed.
The Harvesters only other base runners came in the fourth (lead-off single by Rafael Devers) and eighth innings (two-out double by relief pitcher Erasmo Ramirez), both of which amounted to nothing.
Nola, who threw 114 pitches, finished with nine strikeouts and the one walk.
The River Walkers got the only run they would need in the eighth inning, after Albert Almora led off with a double off Ramirez. He scored on a one-out single by Michael Conforto.
St. Louis added an insurance run in the ninth. Brock Holt led off with a double. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third. Almora scored Holt with a single.

[rink23]

St. Louis' Nicky Delmonico hit a three-run home run off Des Moines starting pitcher Jose Berrios with one out in the top of the seventh inning to help give the River Walkers a 3-2 win at LaBlatt Park.
Leading 1-0, Brock Holt led off the seventh with a single and was joined on the bases by Michael Conforto with a one-out walk.
That set the stage for Delmonico's 17th home run of the season.
River Walkers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer turned in another strong outing, allowing one run on five hits in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked none.
Des Moines did threaten in the bottom of the ninth.
Rafael Devers open things with a double off Andrew Miller and a Cody Bellinger single put runners at the corners.

A passed ball while Giancarlo Stanton scored Devers, and moved Bellinger to second.

But Stanton struck out. Miller then got Austin Hays to ground out and struck out Chris Taylor to end it and earn his fourth save.
Berrios went the distance for Des Moines, allowing all three of the runs from Delmonico's homer. That was one of three hits for St. Louis. He struck out eight and walked one.
(NOTE: I simmed this game by mistake. I usually play out all nine innings. While I don't mind the result, there were some players used by the AI which I was planning to give a day off).