2025 St. Louis River Walkers -- Here we go again

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Record: 71-48, 1st, 7 GA Springfield
Eric Pardinho worked seven shutout innings and a pair of Indianapolis relievers finished the job as the Racers downed St. Louis 4-0 at Busch Stadium (1997).
The loss was the fourth in a row for the River Walkers.

Jean Carmona led off the bottom of the first inning with the Walkers with a single, but that was the only hit Pardinho allowed before exiting after seven innings.
In all, Pardinho allowed the two hits while striking out four and walking only one.
As for the bullpen, Mike Reeves sent St. Louis down in order in the eighth.
Joey Luchesi did allow a single to Alek Thomas in the ninth but got out of it without sustaining any real damage.
Offensively,the Racers did most of their damage in a three-run second inning against Walkers starting pitcher Jimmy Lambert.
Lambert retired the first two Indianapolis hitters in the second, before issuing a two-out walk to Travis Odom.
The next hitter, Gabriel Maciel, also drew a walk and after Adalberto Mondsei reached on an error by second baseman Christian Arroyo.
Pardinho then helped his own cause with a two-run single.
Royce Lewis singled to again load the bases.
Cesar Salazar then drew the third walk of the inning, scoring Mondesi to make it 3-0.
The Races added their fourth run in the third whenTravis Odom homered off Lambert.

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Record: 72-48, 1st, 7 GA Springfield
Johan Camargo went 4-for-4 with two home runs including a grand slam which capped a five-run bottom of the seventh inning as St. Louis rallied for a 12-10 win over Indianapolis at Busch Stadium (1997).
The loss allowed the River Walkers to salvage the finale of their three-game series against the Racers. It also halted a four-game losing streak.
A bases-loaded walk from Danny Grigg to Joe McCarthy followed by a run-scoring single from Royce Lewis in the top of the seventh had given Indy a 9-7 lead.
But the Walkers charged back in the bottom half, all of it coming with two outs.
Romy Gonzalez set things in motion with a two-out single off reliever Mike Reeves.

Edmond Americaan followed with another single before a walk to Carlos Vidal loaded the bases.
Larry Ernesto drew another walk to score Gonzalez and make it 9-8.
Carmona then turned around the first pitch he saw and lined it 366 feet into the right-field seats to put St. Louis in front 12-9.
Indy cut its deficit to two runs in the eighth against Jake Brentz, as Cesar Salazar singled and scored on a two-out double from Greg Bird.
But Edwin Diaz set the Racers down in order in the ninth for his 19th save.
A two-run double from Salazar off Walkers starter Alex Faedo highlighted a three-run first for Indy.
Camargo tied it in the bottom of the third with his first homer of the game, a solo shot off Racers starter Julio Urias.

From the fourth through ninth inning, each team scored in every inning but one.
Faedo pitched into the sixth allowing six runs on 10 hits. He did strike out 10 and walk none.
Five pitchers took the mound for St. Louis to get the game to Brentz in the eighth.
Tim Hill (0.1 IP), John Curtiss (0.1) and Dan Jennings (0.1) all recorded one ot apiece.

Grigg (5-1) actually recorded two and would come out of it with the victory.

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Record: 72-49, 1st, 6 GA Springfield
Carter Kieboom two-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Chase Davis with the winning run as Quad City downed St. Louis 3-2 in 11 innings at Fenway Park (1970).
Davis led off the bottom of the 11th with a single off River Walkers relief pitcher Jake Brentz, who was in his second inning on the mound.
A fly ball from Thomas Dillard moved Davis to second.
Kieboom's two-out single to left field scored Davis to give the Thunder the victory.
The River Walkers had tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth when Andrew Benintendi hit a solo homer off Q-C starting pitcher Jonathan Stiever.
Stiever pitched five innings, allowing one run on four hits. He struck out seven and walked none.
Thad Ward handled the next two innings, while Sarkis Ohanian and Brenan Hanifee both worked one to get the game through nine.
John Daley (3-0) pitched both the extra innings and earned himself a win.

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Record: 73-49, 1st, 6 GA Springfield
Steven Brault tossed a four-hit shutout and Rhys Hoskins drove in all the runs with a three-run homer as St. Louis downed Quad City 3-0 at Fenway Park (1970).
Brault (10-5) allowed nothing but singles while striking out six and walking two.
Hoskins' long ball came in the third inning off Thunder starter Izzy San Juan.

Brault and Larry Ernesto both got aboard with one-out singles.
Hoskins then clobbered a 3-2 pitch which carried 402 feet over the fence in right field.

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Record: 73-50, 1st, 5 GA Springfield
Quad City busted loose for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to snap a 4-4 tie and send the Thunder to a 7-6 win over St. Louis at Fenway Park (1970).
With the win, the Thunder took two of the three games in the series.
The River Walkers had scored twice in the top of the seventh to square the game at 4.
But the deadlock didn't last long.
Nick Gonzalez and Kameron Misner opened the inning with consecutive doubles off St. Louis reliever Nick Lodolo.
Randolph Thorne followed with a single to put runners at the corners.
Lodolo struck out Davis but when the next batter Thomas Dilllard hit a routine fly ball to left, Andrew Benintendi botched the catch allowing Misner to score.
A single by Andrew Bethea loaded the bases and brought John Curtiss to the mond.
Carter Kieboom greeted him with a fly ball which was deep enough to score Thorne.
St. Louis came close to tying it in the ninth.
A walk to Carlos Vidal and a Larry Ernesto double off Thunder reliever Nick Goody put runners at second and third.
Goody struck out Johan Camargo for the second out.

But Rhys Hoskins drove them both in with another double.
Goody got Andrew Benintendi to fly out to end it.
Q-C starter Evan Steele allowed two runs on three hits over six innings. He struck out six and walked three.
Sarkis Ohanian was battered for two runs on three hits without recording an out.
Thad Ward, Brenan Hanifee and Goody all worked an inning to wrap up the game.
Ward (3-3) came out of it with the win. Goody gave up two runs but still was credited with his 22nd save.

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MBL news: Week 18 Awards and standings

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Record: 73-51, 1st, 4.5 GA Springfield
Adrian Hernandez connected for a two-out single off St. Louis reliever Danny Grigg to score Brian Mundell and give Kansas City a 3-2 win at Kansas City Municipal Stadium (1969).
Tied 2-2, Luis Palomo opened the ninth on the mound for the River Walkers. He got Blaze Jordan to fly out for the first out.
Nick Lodolo then took over and allowed a double to pinch-hitter Brian Mundell before getting Josh Shuler to ground out as Mundell moved to third.
Grigg was then summoned and on his second pitch, Hernandez drove it past short and third to bring home Mundell with the winning run.
Down 2-1, St. Louis had tied it in the top of the seventh.
Tanner Kohlhepp led off with a single and then stole second.
A ground out moved Kohlhepp to third.
He scored on a Jean Carmona sacrifice fly.
Pit Masters starting pitcher Juan Sandoval worked the first five innings, allowing one run on two hits. He struck out 10 and walked two.
David Berg handled the sixth inning and got the first two outs of the seventh.
The final out of the seventh was recorded by Kyle Nelson who went on to work a scoreless eighth.
Jace Fry (5-1) got through the ninth without allowing a run, and with that ended up earning the win.

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Record: 73-52, 1st, 4.5 GA Springfield
Blaze Jordan connected for an RBI single off St. Louis reliever Jake Brentz with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Kansas City a 2-1 win at Kansas City Municipal Stadium (1969).
It was the second walk-off win for the Pit Masters in as many games.
Brentz recorded outs against the first two batters he faced in the 10th.
But he walked Marco Martinez and hit Josh Shuler to move Martinez to second.
Jordan then grounded a 1-2 pitch past shortstop Jean Carmona to bring Martinez home with the game-winning run.
The bulk of the game was a pitchers' duel between the River Walkers' Alex Faedo and the Masters' Max Fried.
The Masters struck first in the bottom of the sixth when Fried doubled and later scored on a Shuler sacrifice fly.
The Walkers tied it in the top of the seventh.
Andrew Benintendi reached on an error by second baseman Jayson Gonzalez to open the inning.
A Jason Carmona bunt moved him to second.
Benintendi scored on a single by Jared Thomas.
Fried took care of the first 6.2 innings, allowing just the one run on four hits. He struck out seven and walked none.
Trevor Hildenberger and Cam Bedrosian both worked 1.1 innings to get the game into the 10th.
Jace Fry (6-1) got the final two outs of the 10th, and came away with the win for the second straight game after the Masters put together a walk-off win.

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Record: 74-52, 1st, 4.5 GA Springfield
St. Louis scored three times in the top of the 15th inning to defeat Kansas City 7-4 at Kansas City Municipal Stadium (1969).
Andrew Beninteindi got things started right away with a lead-off single off Pit Masters reliever Cam Bedrosian.
Pitcher Jake Brentz attempted to get down a sacrifice bunt but Benintendi was thrown out at second.
Brentz soon found himself at second, though, after Jared Thomas singled.
Edmond Americaan drove in the inning's first run with a single.
The other two scored on a two-out triple from Christian Arroyo.
Down 4-0, the River Walkers had tied it with a four-run top of the eighth.
Johan Camargo drove in the first run with an RBI single off reliever Austin Hansen.
The next two scored when Alek Thomas smacked a double.
A Jean Carmona sacrifice fly against Trevor Hildenberger tied it at 4.
St. Louis starting pitcher Aaron Civale allowed four runs on eight hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Eight relievers followed him to the mound and combined to keep the Masters from scoring.
They were in order -- John Curtiss (0.2 IP), Nick Lodolo (0.0), Luis Palomo (0.1), Tim Hill (0.1), Edwin Diaz (3.0), Dan Jennings (1.0), Jake Brentz (2.2) and Stephen Brault (0.2) -- with Brentz (8-2) earning the win.
Brault, who is scheduled to start the Walkers next game, struck out Ryan McMahon to end it.

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Record: 75-52, 1st, 5.5 GA Springfield
Called up from AAA Memphis to make a spot start, Tanner Bibee limited Kansas City to one run over six innings and helped lead St. Louis to a 2-1 win at Kansas City Municipal Stadium (1969).
With the victory, the River Walkers took the final two games of the three-game series.

With Steven Brault unavailable after having to pitch in a 15-inning game the day before, Bibee was called up from the River Walkers.
In his six innings, he allowed four hits while striking out six and walking two.
The Walkers struck first in the top of the fourth as Larry Ernesto singled to open the inning.
Ernesto stole second and scored on a Jean Carmona double.
The Pit Masters tied it in the bottom of the fourth.
Bibee walked Tim Anderson to lead off the inning.
Anderson found himself on third after Blaze Jordan doubled.
Danny Cushing scored Anderson with a sacrifice fly.
The winning run came in the top of the eighth.
Reliever Austin Hansen walked lead-off batter Carlos Vidal, who promptly stole second base.
Hansen struck out the next two batters, Ernesto and Andrew Benintendi, but Rhys Hoskins followed with a double to drive in the winning run.
Five relievers followed Bibee to the mound.
Tim Bill recorded the first two outs of the seventh.
He was relieved by Luis Palomo, who finished the seventh and worked a scoreless eighth.
That was enough to earn Palomo (1-1) the win.

In the ninth, Nick Lodolo, John Curtiss and Dan Jennings all recorded an out apiece.
Jennings notched his first save by throwing one pitch.

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Record: 75-53, 1st, 4.5 GA Springfield
With the game tied 2-2, St. Louis reliever Danny Grigg issued a bases-loaded walk to Cedar Rapids' Jose Leyva in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Golden Grapplers a 3-2 win at Shibe Park (1949).
The entire bottom of the ninth was a disaster for Grigg, who failed to retire any of the five batters he faced.
Hunter Watson drew a bases-loaded walk, but was thrown out by catcher Reece McGuire trying to steal second.
But that didn't stop Cedar Rapids.
Sam Cohen and Noah Naylor followed with single, and after that a walk to Matt McLain loaded the bases.
Leyva then worked a 3-2 count, setting the stage for his game-ending walk.
Cedar Rapids had tied it at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the eighth.
Jose Leyva scored the run after drawing a one-out walk from Tim Hill.
A single by Dominic Smith moved Leyva to second.
He scored on a two-out single by Joc Pederson off Dan Jennings.
Grapplers starting pitcher Rick Atkinson allowed two runs on seven hits over five innings.
Felipe Vazquez worked a scoreless sixth inning.
Five relievers -- Trevor Bauer (0.1 IP), Kyle Barraclough (0.0), Jose Alvarado (0.2), Thomas Burrows (1.0) and Jose Leclerc (1.0) -- combined to keep the River Walkers from scoring over the final three innings.
Leclerc (6-3) came out of it with the win.

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Record: 75-54, 1st, 4.5 GA Springfield
Cedar Rapids grabbed the lead in the third inning and never trailed on its way to a 4-3 win over St. Louis at Shibe Park (1949).
The Golden Grapplers went up 1-0 in the bottom of the second against River Walkers starting pitcher Jimmy Lambert.
Joc Pederson and RJ Teijeiro opened the inning with single, the latter moving Pederson to third.
Noah Naylor knocked him home with a sacrifice fly.
Cedar Rapids added two more runs an inning later.
Matt McLain drew a one-out walk and found himself at third after Dominc Smith doubled.
Lambert hit Domingo Santana to load the bases.
Teijierio drove them McLain and Smith home with a two-out single.
Single runs in the fourth and fifth drew the River Walkers to within 3-2.
But they would not score again.
The Grapplers added an insurance run against Lambert in the sixth inning.
Teijeiro continued his big day by leading off with a double.
He scored on a Terrin Vavra single.
Cedar Rapids starter Ranger Suarez lasted just four innings, allowing one run on four hits. He struck out six and walked two.
Trevor Bauer allowed the second St. Louis run in the fifth and got the first two outs of the sixth.
Bauer (3-4) would come out of it with the win.

Mychal Givens wrapped up the sixth and allowed the Walkers third run in the seventh.
Jose Alvarado and Jose Leclerc both recorded three outs without allowing a baserunner.
The save was the 28th of the season for Leclerc.

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Record: 76-54, 1st, 4.5 GA Springfield
Alex Faedo allowed one run over seven innings and St. Louis salvaged the finale of a three-game series against Cedar Rapids with a 2-1 win at Shibe Park (1949).
Faedo (12-5) allowed the one run on seven hits.He struck out eight and walked none.
With the River Walkers bullpen still feeling the toil of a pair of extra-inning games earlier in the week, Jake Brentz handled all of the final two innings as he earned his 14th save of the season.
St. Louis jumped on top right away after Bo Bichette led off the game with a double off Golden Grapplers starting pitcher Carlos Martinez.
A Carlos Vidal bunt moved Bichette to third and he scored on an Larry Ernesto ground out.
That lead became 2-0 an inning later, Jean Carmona hitting his ninth homer of the season off Martinez.

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MBL news: Week 19 Awards and Standings

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MBL awards: Player and Pitchers of the Month for August

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MBL news: Rookies of the Month for August

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MBL news: American League leaders on Sept. 1

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MBL news: National League leaders on Sept. 1

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Walkers news: Batting and pitching statistics for August

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Player of the Month: Larry Ernesto -- Given the opportunity to be the primary center fielder, the 24-year-old stepped up batting .297 with four homers and 14 RBIs. He scored a total of 21 runs while getting on base at a .331 clip and slugging .477.
Starting Pitcher of the Month: Alex Faedo -- The River Walkers ace was 4-0 in six starts boasting a 2.70 ERA. He worked 40.0 innings, striking out 47 and posting a 1.02 WHIP.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Jake Brentz -- The left-hander got into nine games going 3-2 with two saves and a 2.13 ERA. He pitched 12.2 innings, striking out 14 and posting a 0.87 WHIP.