2026 River Walkers: Ready to defend what we've earned

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Record: 11-9, 2nd, 3 GB Cedar Rapids
Luis Castillo handled the first 5.1 innings and the Springfield bullpen took care of the rest as Springfield shutout St. Louis 5-0 in the opening game of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium (1997).
A lead-off single by Andrew Benintendi in the fifth inning was the lone hit allowed by Castillo (1-2) in his 5.2 innings.
During that time, he struck out three and walked one.
Kenley Jansen got the final out of the sixth inning and the first two outs of the seventh.
Francis Martes finished off the seventh inning.
Franklin Perez worked a quiet eighth inning and retired two batters in the ninth.
With the River Walkers making some noise, they had two runners on base, Andrew Miller came on and struck out Larry Ernesto to end it.
The Prairie Fighters got the only run they would need in the bottom of the second.
Victor Caratini singled with one out off St. Louis starter Jimmy Lambert.
An Obdubel Herrera double chased him to third, and he scored on a Wander Samuel Franco groundout.
Springfield added two more runs off Lambert in the fourth.
Three straight batters reached to open the inning -- singles from Riley Greene and Nate Traylor while Caratini got aboard on an error by second baseman Bo Bicehtte -- before Herrera drove in a run with a single.
J.D. Davis plated the inning's second run with a sacrifice fly.
Greene connected for a two-run single off Williams Jerez in the seventh to make it 5-0.

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Record: 11-10, 2nd (Tied/w. Quad City and Des Moines), 3.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Riley Greene connected for a two-run single off St. Louis relief pitcher Jake Brentz with one-out in the bottom of the 10th inning to help give Springfield a 4-2 win and a doubleheader sweep at Busch Stadium (1997).
John Curtiss had opened the inning on the mound for the River Walkers.
He allowed a lead-off single to Anthony Seigler before getting pinch-hitter Alex Bregman to fly out.
Brentz then entered and struck out J.D. Davis for the second out.
Eric Hosmer followed with a double, putting runners at second and third.
Greene connected for a single, scoring them both.
The Prairie Fighters' Wander Samuel Franco's solo homer in the top of the seventh off reliever Alex Faedo had made it 2-1.
Rhys Hoskins tied it in the bottom half, going deep off reliever Mark McConnell.
Springfield starter Thomas Szapucki lasted five innings,giving up one run on two hits.
Andrew Miller worked the sixth for the Fighters.
Mark McConnell handled the seventh and eighth, allowing Hoskins game-tying solo shot.
Dinelson Lamet (2-2) struck out the side in the ninth, and would earn the win.
Juan Then allowed a hit, but not a run in the 10th to collect his first save.

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Record: 11-11, 4th (Tied/w. Springfield), 4 GB Cedar Rapids
Riley Greene snapped a 4-4 tie with an RBI double off St. Louis starting pitcher Argenis Batista with no outs in the fifth inning to help give Springfield a 5-4 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory gave the Prairie Fighters a three-game sweep of their series.
Once down 4-0, the River Walkers had tied it at 4 in the bottom of the fourth when Rhys Hoskins hit a two-run homer off Springfield starter Jared Kelley.
Batista, who had been battered for four runs in the top of the first, gave the lead away in the top of the next inning.
Wander Samuel Franco led off with a single and scored when Greene followed with his double.
In the first inning, Springfield had put five of its first six batters aboard against Batista.
Alex Bregman scored two in that inning with a double.
Framil Reyes and Victor Caratini also had RBI doubles in the inning.
Kelley lasted just four innings, allowing four runs on four hits.
Francisco Martes (fifth and sixth) and Dinelson Lamet (eighth and ninth) sandwiched two-inning stints around Mark McConnell who worked a scoreless seventh.
Martes (3-1) earned the win. Lamet got his first save.

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MBL News: Players and Pitchers of the Month for April 2026

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MBL news: Rookies of the Month for April 2026 and May 1 standings

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MBL news: American League leaders on May 1

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MBL news: National League leaders on May 1

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Walkers news: Team statistics on May 1, 2026

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Player of the Month: Andrew Benintendi -- The 31-year-old outfielder batted .304 with four homers, 10 runs scored and 13 RBIs in 21 games. He boasted a .389 on-base percentage and slugged a a .506 clip.
Starting Pitcher of the Month Alex Faedo -- The 30-year-old right-hander went 3-0 in his five starts posting a 0.89 ERA. He worked a total of 32.2 innings, striking out 35 and posting a 0.83 WHIP.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Jake Brentz -- The 32-year-old lefty got into seven games and didn't post a decision or earn a save. He worked 8.0 innings, posting a 1.13 ERA while striking out 10 and boasting a 0.88 WHIP.

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Record: 12-11, 2nd, 4 GB Cedar Rapids
Tied 2-2, St.Louis scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to set the stage for a 5-3 win over Quad City at Busch Stadium (1997).
The River Walkers first five batters -- four singles and a walk -- reached against Thunder starting pitcher Matt Ruppenthal in the fourth.
Jean Carmona drove in the inning's first run with a single.
Immediately following, Austin Hedges connected on another single to make it 4-2.
After pitcher Adonis Medina hit into a double play, Bo Bichette made it 5-3 with Walkers fifth single of the inning.
On the mound, Medina worked the first six innings allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Williams Jerez pitched two silent innings.
Nick Lodolo handled the ninth for his first save of the season.

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Record: 13-11, 2nd, GB Cedar Rapids
Steven Brault limited Quad City to one run over the first six innings and the St. Louis bullpen blanked the Thunder the rest of the way as the River Walkers won 5-1 at Busch Stadium (1997).
The lone run Brault allowed came in the top of the fifth inning, by which time St. Louis already led 5-0.
In his time on the mound, Brault allowed while striking out four and walking a pair.
Jared Thomas put the Walkers on top 1-0 with a homer off Thunder starting pitcher Daniel Ritcheson in the second inning.
The rest of their scoring came in a four-run fourth.
Brault drove in a run with a single and Bo Bichette plated another with a double.

Carlos Vidal took care of the other two with a homer off Ritcheson, who was immediately yanked from the contest.
Derek Gordon followed Brault to the mound and pitched a pair of innings.
John Curtiss struck out two of three batters he faced in the ninth to end it.

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Record: 14-11, 2nd, 3 GB Cedar Rapids
Carlos Vidal scored on a Larry Ernesto infield single in the bottom of the 11th inning to give St. Louis a 4-3 win over Quad City at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory gave the River Walkers a three-game sweep of their series with the Thunder.
Bichette reached base in the 11th by drawing a lead-off walk from Q-C reliever John Daley.
Bichette was eliminated when Carlos Vidal tried to get down a sacrifice bunt.
But Rhys Hoskins kept it going with a single, Vidal moving to second.
A wild pitch with Andrew Benintendi moved the runners to second and third.
Benintendi was then given an intentional walk.
Ernesto then hit a ground between first and second and reached base before a play could be made, as Vidal crossed the plate.
Down 3-1, the River Walkers had tied it in the bottom of the ninth on a two-out, two-run homer from Vidal.
St. Louis got a lengthy effort from its bullpen, as starting pitcher Jimmy Lambert had to exit in the first inning with an undisclosed injury.
Nick Lodolo got the ball first and worked 4.1 innings, giving up all three Thunder runs.
He was followed by Danny Grigg (1.0 IP), Tim Hill (2.0), Jake Brentz (1.0), Edwin Diaz (1.0) and John Curtiss (1.0).

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MBL news: Week 3 Awards and standings

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Record: 14-12, 2nd, 4 GB Cedar Rapids
Nick Pivetta took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Des Moines rolled to a 6-0 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (1997).
Pivetta walked Andrew Benintendi with one out in the seventh, his third walk of the game, and Larry Ernesto followed with a single which would be the River Walkers lone hit of the game.
In all, Pivetta (1-2) would work 7.1 innings, allowing just the one hit. He struck out three and walked the same.
Ronny Carvajal got the final five outs for the Harvesters.
It was a rough day for River Walkers ace Alex Faedo, who gave up single runs in the first and second innings and a pair of them in the third as Des Moines grabbed a 4-0 lead.
Austin Meadows drove in the first inning run with a double.
The second saw John Lehto plate one with a two-out single.
In the third, Faedo allowed Des Moines to load the bases with two outs.
The first run scored when a Faedo pitch got past catcher Jared Thomas.
The second crossed the plate when Faedo unleashed a wild pitch.
Another wild pitch, this one from Derek Gordon, in the eighth scored a run for Des Moines.
Rafael Devers led off the ninth with a homer off Willams Jerez to complete the scoring.

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Record: 14-13, 3rd, 5 GB Cedar Rapids
Des Moines pounded St. Louis starting pitcher Argenis Batista for five runs in the top of the third inning to send the Harvesters to a 6-2 win over the River Walkers at Busch Stadium (1997).
After two scoreless innings, Batista could not get anything to work in the top of the third against the Harvesters.
Five of their first six batters reached bases -- the one who didn't got down a sacrifice bunt -- to cause all kinds of trouble.
Jarron Silva got it started with a lead-off double.
He scored when Carlos David Rodriguez followed with a single.
Andrew Foley drove in the second run with a single.
All Rafael Devers had to do was get hit by a pitch to make it 3-0.
Batista then unleashed a wild pitch, making it 4-0.
Jackson Miller plated the inning's final run with a sacrifice fly.
Des Moines starting pitcher Zach Davies worked six innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Andrew Perez, Reyes Moronta and Bryan Garcia pitched an inning apiece to close it out.

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The St. Louis River Walkers have placed right-handed pitcher Jimmy Lambert on the injured list after he suffered back injury during the first inning of a start against Quad City on May 3.
Lambert, 31, is expected to be out for three weeks.
The right-hander has pitched very well this season, going 2-1 in five starts with a 1.46 ERA.
He will be replaced in the rotation by Tanner Bibee, who is being called up from AAA Memphis.
Bibee, 27, has gone 1-2 this season for the Redbirds in five starts. He has an 5.16 ERA.

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Record: 14-14, 3rd, 5 GA Cedar Rapids
St. Louis starting pitcher Adonis Medina took a no-hitter into the top of the fifth inning, but after Quad City's Jarron Silva led off with a single the roof fell in.
The Thunder scored three runs off Medina in the fifth inning and add two more in the sixth paving the way for a 6-0 win over the River Walkers at Busch Stadium (1997).
The victory capped a three-game sweep for Quad City, which outscored St. Loiuis 18-2 in the three games.
Quad City loaded the bases with one outs before scoring the first run of the game.
Pitcher Kellan Tulio plated all three with a double.
In the sixth, Alex Freeland delivered two-run single off Medina to make it 5-0.
Tulio (3-1) shined on the mound as well, throwing 5.1 scoreless innings during which he allowed just hits. He also struck out seven and walked one.
Ronny Carvajal completed the sixth inning.
Vladimir Gutierrez followed with a pair of scoreless innings.
The ninth belonged to Addison Reed, who completed the whitewashing.

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Record: 14-15, 3rd, 5 GB Cedar Rapids
Dayton's Jeremy Eierman hit Williams Jerez first pitch of the bottom of the eighth inning 383 feet over the wall in left-center field to snap a 1-1 tie and help give the Fighter Pilots a 2-1 win over St. Louis at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium (1986).
The River Walkers had tied it at 1-1 in the top of the seventh on a one-out home run by pinch-hitter Edmond Americaan off Dayton reliever Tyler Glasnow.
The game's first run had not come until the bottom of the sixth.
Dayton's Taylor Trammell had led off with a double off Walkers starter Steven Brault and later scored on a Kyle Tucker single.
Pilots starting pitcher Chance Adams worked four scoreless innings, allowing four hits. He struck out six and walked one.
Glasnow would finish that fifth inning and also handle the sixth and seventh.
Albert Hernandez (2-0) held the Walkers in check in the eighth.
Kristjan Storrie did the same in the ninth for his third save.

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Record: 15-15, 3rd, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
The St. Louis River Walkers snapped out of an offensive slump in a big way, banging out 13 runs on 16 hits, including five home runs, in a 13-1 win over Dayton that snapped a four-game losing streak at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium (1986).
J.T. Schwartz and Bo Bichette both homered twice. Schwartz was 4 for 4 overall with four runs scored and three RBIs.
Fernando Tatis Jr. had the Walkers other homer.
St. Louis didn't need the long ball to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the second.
Fighter Pilots starter Lenny Torres retired the first two batters before Schwartz singled.
Torres then hit Jean Carmona with a pitch and Edmond Americaan followed with a double to score both.
St. Louis added four more runs in the third.
Tatis drove in two of the runs with his homer.

Schwartz, the next batter, followed with a solo shot.
Bichette hit his first homer of the game in the fourth, off reliever Jace Fry, making it 8-1.
Schwartz second homer of the game came in the seventh, a two-run blast off Ryan Castellani, and made it 10-1.
Bichette launched a two-run homer off David Cullison in the eighth.
All the offense overshadowed a strong start by rookie Tanner Bibee.
Making his first start in the majors this season since replacing the injured Jimmy Lambert, Bibee allowed just one run (unearned) over eight innings. He struck out three and walked the same.
Derek Gordon set the Pilots down in order in the ninth.

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Record: 16-15, 3rd, 3.5 GB Cedar Rapids
The St. Louis offense did significant damage to the Dayton pitching staff for the second straight game, this round banging out 10 runs on 15 hits, just one homer, in a 10-0 rout of the Fighter Pilots at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium (1986).
The win was the second straight for the River Walkers, giving them a win in the three-game series.
After hitting a pair of home runs in a 13-1 win the previous game, J.T. Schwartz started the scoring with a two-run homer off Pilots starter Wyatt Beddow in the second inning.
The River Walkers added three more runs in the third.
Andrew Benintendi drove in two of them with a double.
The third scored on a Larry Ernesto on a ground out.
St. Louis made the margin double figures by scoring five times in the eighth.
Pinch-hitter Johan Camargo hit a solo homer off reliever Ryan Castellani to make it 6-0.
Benintendi later plated three with a double.
Ernesto chased Benintendi home with a single.
All the offense overshadowed another strong effort by the St. Louis pitching staff.
Starter Alex Faedo got out of a bases-loaded first inning unscathed and followed with five more shutout innings.,
Faedo (4-1) allowed five hits in his six innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Derek Gordon, John Curtiss and Danny Grigg all pitched a scoreless inning apiece to close out the win.