St. Louis River Walkers 2021 season: On the rebound

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Record: 77-71, 3rd, 3 GB Cedar Rapids
Cody Bellinger connected for a run-scoring double to highlight a three-run top of the 10th inning as Des Moines won 7-4 over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (1997).
With the win, the Harvesters moved back past the River Walkers for second-place in the National League South Division.
Cedar Rapids sits atop of the NL South, 2.5 games ahead of Des Moines and three in front of St. Louis.

Logan Warmouth opened the inning with a lead-off single off River Walkers relief pitcher Phil Maton.
With four left-handers in a row scheduled to hit, lefty Grant Dayton was sent to the mound for the River Walkers.
He got Austin Meadows to fly out for the first out.
But it quickly fell apart for the veteran.
He gave up a single to Rafael Devers, and Bellinger followed with his double, scoring Warmouth and moving Devers to third.
A passed ball then allowed Devers to score.
Billy McKinney finished the onslaught with an RBI single, as Dayton allowed the final three batters he faced to reach base.
Earlier, Bellinger had given Des Moines a 4-2 lead with a two-run homer off reliever Jake Diekman in the sixth inning.
St. Louis tied it in the bottom of the seventh when Bo Bichette launched a two-run blast of his own off Harvesters reliever Leo Vazquez.
Des Moines starting pitcher Leo Vazquez worked four innings giving up just two runs on eight hits.
Seven relievers followed him to the mound -- six of them working an inning apiece.
Kyle Zurak handled the ninth and despite giving up three hits, didn't allow a run to earn his first win of the season.
Jandel Gustave took care of the 10th and collected his 21st save.

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Record: 77-72, 3rd, 4 GB Cedar Rapids
Des Moines raced to an 8-1 lead and then had to hold off a late St. Louis rally for an 8-6 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
River Walkers starting pitcher Wade Miley lasted just 2.1 innings before getting yanked.
It started badly as John Lehto led off the game with a solo home run.
Austin Hays had an RBI double later in that first inning.
Lehto reached on an error by third baseman Nicky Delmonico to lead off the third inning.

He stole second and scored on an Rafael Devers double which ended his day.
Austin Hays greeted reliever Jacob deGrom with an RBI double, as the Harvesters lead grew to 4-0.
Meadows led off the fourth with an inside-the-park homer off deGrom, making it 5-0.
Lehto doubled later in the inning and scored his third run of the game on a Nicky Lopez single.
Single tallies in the sixth and seventh innings later made it 8-1.
All the River Walkers had to do was get Des Moines starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel out of the game.
During his time on the mound, six innings, he allowed one run on three hits.
But against the bullpen, St. Louis scored four runs in the seventh -- two of the runs scoring on bases-loaded walks -- and one in the eighth -- an RBI double from Delmonico -- to creep within 8-6.
However, Harvesters closer Zach Britton set the Walkers down in order in the ninth for his eighth save.

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Record: 78-72, 3rd, 3 GB Cedar Rapids
Des Moines' Raphael Devers hit an inside-the-park home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Yu Darvish in the top of the first inning, but the River Walkers answered with four runs in the bottom half and never trailed while posting a 9-4 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
With the win, St. Louis split the four-game series with the Harvesters. The River Walkers sit in third place in the National League South Division, three games behind first-place Cedar Rapids.
Des Moines trails the Golden Grapplers by 2.5 games.
Home runs drove in all the runs in that big first inning for the Walkers.
Rhys Hoskins did the bulk of the damage with a three-run shot off Harvesters starter Ronny Chirinos.
Two batters later, Tucker Barnhart delivered a solo shot.
A Nicky Delmonico two-run homer off Chirinos in the fourth made it 6-1.
The Walkers biggest lead of the game came in the eighth, after Hoskins second homer of the game made it 9-2.
St. Louis starter Yu Darvish allowed two runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. He left the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth.
Reliever John Curtiss struck out Carson Kelly and John Lehto to wiggle out of the jam.
Five more relievers saw work for the Walkers. Grant Dayton (1.1 IP) and Josh Stautmont (1.0) carried the heaviest loads, but also allowed a run apiece.

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MBL news: Week 18 awards and standings

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With a 9-3 win over Rockford, the Madison Muskies have wrapped up their third consecutive National League North Division title.
With a record of 96-54, the Muskies own a 13-game lead over second-place Chicago in the division.
That record also is seven games better than American League North leader Columbus, for the best record in the Midwest Baseball League.

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Record: 78-73, 2nd (Tied/w. Des Moines), 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Miguel Gomez hit a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning off St. Louis closer Tommy Kahnle to give Quad City a 6-5 win at Fenway Park (1970).
The River Walkers entered the bottom of the ninth with a 5-4 lead, but for the eighth time this season Kahnle found a way to give a victory away.
He walked Anthony Alford to open the inning and Justin Turner followed with a single.
A Derek Fisher ground out moved the runners to second and third.
Gomez followed with his game-winning hit on the fourth pitch he saw.
It was Gomez's second big hit of the game.

In the opening inning, after a solo homer from Ender Inciarte and an RBI single from Michael Conforto had given St. Louis a 2-0 lead, Gomez had connected for a three-run homer off Walkers ace Aaron Nola to put the Thunder up 3-2.
The Walkers regained the lead in the seventh, also relying on the long ball.
Bo Bichette hit a solo homer and Rhys Hoskins a two-run home run to make it 5-4.
That stood until Kahnle's meltdown in the ninth.
Thunder starting pitcher Matt Ruppenthal exited after four innings,during which he allowed two runs on five hits.
Justus Sheffield followed with two shutout innings.
Jimmy Herget tossed a scoreless ninth to set himself up for the win, his sixth of the season, after Kahnle could not hold the lead.

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Record: 78-74, 3rd (Tied/w. Kansas City), 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Quad City jumped on St. Louis starting pitcher Danny Duffy for four runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back in a 7-4 win at Fenway Park (1970).
Duffy allowed the first five batters he faced to reach base.
The big hits which scored runs, were a triple from Marcus Wilson, a Justin Turner single, a Yu-Cheng Chang single and a fielder's choice from Niko Decolati.
A two-run homer from Andrew Benintendi in the fourth off Thunder starting pitcher Michael Santos made it 4-2.
But Quad City scored three more times in the fifth against the River Walkers' bullpen, Duffy had left after getting into another jam in the third.
Derek Fisher led off the inning with a solo homer off Jake deGrom.
Decolati later singled off deGrom, stole second and scored on a Drew

lefty specialist Jake

Robinson made it 7-2 when he scored after a Blake Rutherford single off Jake Diekman.
A Tucker Barnhart solo homer in the ninth made it 7-4, but St. Louis never got the tying run to the plate as Jimmy Herget struck out Scott Schebler to end it and earn his 21st save.
Santos, who allowed two runs on three hits in five innings, collected his fourth win of the season.

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Record: 79-74, 3rd (Tied/w. Kansas City), 4 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis scored six times in the top of the second inning, and although Quad City tallied four in the bottom half, it was enough to send the River Walkers on their way to an 11-6 win at Fenway Park (1970).
With the win, the River Walkers took the final game of the three-game series after dropping the first two.
St. Louis sits with Kansas City in a tie for third in the National League South Division,4.0 games in back of Cedar Rapids with nine games remaining.
Rhys Hoskins sparked the big second inning when he hit a solo homer off Zach Petrick to lead-off the inning.
The Walkers would collect five hits in the inning and be helped by a pair of walks.
Bo Bichette and Andrew Benintendi both had two-run singles in the inning.
The Thunder ripped St. Louis starting pitcher Alex Faedo for four runs in the bottom half of the second.
Blake Rutherford and Anthony Alford had back-to-back two-run doubles.
Bichette's two-run homer off reliever Kyle McCullouch in the fourth put the Walkers up 8-4.
Hoskins' two -run homer off Koda Glover in the seventh made it 10-5.
Faedo worked five innings, giving up five runs on seven hits.
Six relievers combined to finish it off.
Phil Maton handled a scoreless eighth and Bill Warson did the same in the ninth.

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Record: 80-74, 2nd, 4 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis scored three times in the top of the 12th inning to lift the River Walkers to a 5-3 win over Springfield at Olympic Stadium (Montreal).
With the victory, St. Louis moved into second place in the National League South Division, but it trails first-place Cedar Rapids by four games with eight games remaining in the season.
Tied since the Prairie Fighters had tied it at 2 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Christian Arroyo led off the top of the 12th with a double off Matt Barnes.
With one out, Mason McCullough took over on the mound for Springfield and he promptly walked Carlos Asauje and Albert Almora to load the bases.
Bo Bichette drew a third straight walk, bring Arroyo across the plate.
Andrew Benintendi followed with a single, making it 4-2.
A sacrifice fly from Rhys Hoskins then made it 5-2.
Springfield did get something going in the bottom of the 12th when Trevor Larnach hit his second solo homer of the game, this one off closer Tommy Kahnle, with one out.
However, Kahnle retired the other three hitters he faced for his 27th save.
A two-run double from Nicky Delmonico off James Paxton in the second inning put the Walkers up 2-0.
Delmonico was injured running the bases, his status moving forward is uncertain.
Springfield pulled within 2-1 on Larnach's first homer in the bottom of the second off St. Louis starter Wade Miley.
Nate Traylor connected for an RBI double in the fourth, tying it.
Miley went six innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out three and walked two.
Five relievers -- Phil Maton (1.0 IP), Jake Diekman (2.0), Reyes Moronta (1.1), Bobby Poyner (0.2) and Kahnle (1.0) -- followed Miley to the mound.

Poyner earned his third win of the season.

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Record: 81-74, 2nd, 4 GB Cedar Rapids
Tied 1-1,St. Louis scored three times in the top of the third inning and added seven runs late as it defeated Springfield 11-3 at Olympic Stadium (Montreal).
Ender Inciarte led the top of the third off with a single off Cedar Rapids starter Nathan Karns.
Karns retired the next two batters but Rhys Hoskins came through with a two-out single and Michael Conforto smacked a three-run homer to make it 4-1.
J.P. Crawford's two-run homer off River Walkers starting pitcher Yu Darvish in the bottom of the third did make it 4-3.
But those would be the Prairie Fighters final runs of the game.
St. Louis broke it open late by scoring once in the seventh, twice in the eighth and four times in the ninth.
Conforto yielded the biggest stick going 3 for 5 with a double, a homer and five RBIs. J.T. Realmuto was 4 for 4 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBIs.
On the mound, Darvish worked six innings allowing three runs on five hits as he earned his 15th win of the season.

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Despite falling 5-1 to Indianapolis, the Grand Rapids Traders have clinched the American League West Division title.
At 85-69, the Traders own a nine-game lead over second-place Detroit with seven games left in the season.
The Traders, however, will be hard pressed to have home-field advantage in the AL Playoffs as both Columbus and Akron (92-63) own a sizeable edge in terms of best record in the league.

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Record: 82-74, 2nd, 3 GB Cedar Rapids
Trailing 4-1, St. Louis exploded for nine runs in the top of the seventh to defeat Springfield10-4 at Olympics Stadium (Montreal).
With the win, the River Walkers swept the three-game series against the Prairie Fighters. They remain in second place in the National League South Division, two-games behind Cedar Rapids with six games remaining.
Walkers ace Aaron Nola struggled Dylan Couzens hit a two-run homer in the third inning, Springfield led 4-0.
St. Louis got one run back in the fourth on an RBI double from Michael Conforto off Springfield starter Pablo Lopez.
Lopez, however, exited the game after the fifth inning, still holding a 4-1 lead, having through 89 pitches.
In the seventh, all heck broke loose for the Walkers against the Fighters bullpen.
Facing four different relievers, St. Louis sent 12 batters to the plate, collecting six hits and benefiting from three walks.
The biggest hit belonged to Andrew Benintendi, whose bases-loaded triple off Aaron Loup made it 9-4.
Joe Mundy, pinch-hitter Albert Almora, Ender Inciarte all had run-scoring singles. J.T. Realmuto and Bo Bichette both earned RBIs with bases-loaded walks.

Rhys Hoskins drove in the final run with a ground out.
The St. Louis bullpen did a good job holding down the fort after Nola exited with one out in the fifth.
John Curtiss and Josh Stautmont both pitched an inning apiece and Tony Gonsolin handled the final two.
Grant Dayton, who retired the only batter he faced to end the sixth inning, earned his fourth win of the season.

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MBL news:Week 19 awards and standings

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Record: 82-75, 2nd, 4 GB Cedar Rapids
Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer off Jacob Lindgren in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift Cedar Rapids to a 4-2 win over St. Louis at LaBatt Park (Montreal).
With the loss, the River Walkers trail Cedar Rapids by four games with five left in the regular season.
The inability of closer Tommy Kahnle to finish game again cost St. Louis as although he wasn't credited with a blown save it was his meltdown which probably allowed the Harvesters to win the game.
Leading 2-0 entering the bottom of the ninth, left-hander Jake Diekman struck out the left-handed Bellinger to open the inning.
With a pair of right-handers scheduled to bat, Kahnle, a righty, entered the game and promptly walked Alfredo Rodriguez and allowed a single to Austin Hays before getting pulled.
He's getting paid $7.5 million to close games and the m'fer can't get a single batter out.
Anyway, reliever Omar Garcia allowed a double to Billy McKinney scoring Rodriguez and landing Hays at third.
A Carson Kelly sacrifice fly then scored Hays tying the game.
In the 10th, Bill Warson struck out Logan Warmoth to open things before giving way to left-hander Jacob Lindgren with a series of lefty hitters slated to hit.
He walked Kahlil Lee on a 3-2 pitch. His 3-2 pitch to Bellinger traveled 399 feet to end it.
A homer from Michael Conforto off Harvesters starting pitcher Rory Stevens staked St. Louis to a 2-0 lead which stood until the bottom of the ninth.
Stevens went four innings, allowing the two runs on two hits.
Five relievers -- Frankie Montas (2.0 IP), Max Fried (1.0), Jandel Gustave (1.0), Leo Vazquez (1.0) and Bryan Garcia (1.0) -- handled the final six innings.
Garcia earned his fifth victory of the season.

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Record: 82-76, 3rd, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids -- eliminated
Des Moines exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the second inning and rolled to an 8-2 win over St. Louis at LaBatt Stadium (Montreal).
With the loss, the River Walkers dropped into third place in the National League South Division and have been eliminated from playoff contention.
St. Louis trails first-place Cedar Rapids by 4.5 games with four games remaining.
Walkers starting pitcher Alex Faedo took a major pounding in the bottom of the second, allowing six hits and six runs before he exited.
John Lehto and pitcher Sixto Sanchez both drove in runs with single.
But Austin Meadows landed the big blow with a grand slam, which ended Faedo's outing.
Reliever Bobby Poyner didn't fare much better, allowing a solo shot to the first batter he faced Rafael Devers.
A two-run homer from Michael Conforto off Sanchez in the sixth inning provided the only St. Louis runs of the game.
Sanchez worked 5.1 innings, giving up the two runs on eight hits. He struck out seven and walked one while earning his seventh win of the season.

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Record: 82-77, 3rd (Tied/w. Kansas City), 6 GB Cedar Rapids -- eliminated
Officially eliminated from postseason contention, St. Louis went with a B-team lineup and it showed in an 8-3 loss to Des Moines at LaBlatt Park (Montreal).
With the win, the Harvesters swept the three-game series. Their victory, however, did not prevent Cedar Rapids from clinching the National League South Division title with a 3-0 win over Springfield.
The Golden Grapplers improved to 88-71 and lead Des Moines by 4.5 games with just three remaining.
Down 1-0, Des Moines broke this contest open with a five-run second inning against River Walkers starting pitcher Brandon Spagnuolo.
Nicky Lopez struck the big blow with a bases-loaded triple.

Austin Meadows followed with a single to score Lopez.
Meadows tallied the final run on a Rafael Devers' double.
The Harvesters added single runs in the third, sixth and eighth innings. Lopez scored the runs that came in the sixth and eighth inning, as Des Moines stole seven bases in the victory.
Harvesters starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel had exit during the fouth inning because of biceps tendinitis and didn't last long enough to earn his 14th win of the season.
The victory went to Dane Dunning, who finished the fourth, tossed a scoreless fifth and got the first out of sixth.
It was his first win of the season.
Three other relievers combined to finish off the game for Des Moines.

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The Cedar Rapids Golden Grapplers wrapped up the National League South Division crown with a 3-0 victory over Springfield.
With a 88-71 record, the Grapplers own a 4.5-game lead over Des Moines with just three remaining.
Cedar Rapids will not have home-field advantage in the best-of-5 NL playoffs, as North Division leader Madison owns the best record in the Midwest Baseball League at 103-56.

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MBL news: Players and Pitchers of the Month for September

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

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MBL news: American League leaders on Oct. 1