2023 St. Louis River Walkers -- Postseason or bust

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Walkers news: Team statistics for July

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Player of the Month: Andrew Benintendi: In 25 games, Benintendi batted .267 with six homers, 15 RBIs and 15 runs scored. He posted an on-base percentage of .431 and slugging percentage of .622.
Starting Pitcher of the Month: Brendan Spagnuolo: In four starts, Spagnuolo went 3-0 with a 1.90 ERA. He pitched a total of 23.2 innings, posting a WHIP of 1.18 and striking out 22.
Relief Pitcher of the Month: Jake Brentz: In 11 games, Brentz went 2-0 with a save while posting a save. He worked a total of 12 innings, striking out 23 and posting a WHIP of 0.92.

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Walkers news: Player Development report for August 1

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The game between the Des Moines Harvesters and St. Louis River Walkers has been postponed by rain.
It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on August 2.

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Record: 52-49, 3rd, 13 GB Des Moines
Yeo-San Park and three relievers combined on a five-hit shutout and Kahlil Lee had a huge day at the plate as Des Moines downed St. Louis 5-0 in the first game of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium (1997).
Park scattered four hits while striking out four and walking none during six innings on the mound.
Mike Soroka worked a scoreless seventh inning.

Luis Avilan handled the eighth and got the first out of the ninth.
Blake Parker did the rest, as the Harvesters shutout the River Walkers for the second consecutive game.
Lee homered twice, his solo shots off Walkers starting pitcher Alex Faedo in the first leading off the game and third innings, put Des Moines up 2-0.

In the fifth, Lee singled off Faedo driving in Thairo Estrada with the Harvesters third run of the game.
Austin Meadows hit a solo homer off Faedo in the sixth, making it 4-0.
John Lehto had an RBI single off reliever Eduardo Jimenez to close out the scoring.

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Record: 52-50, 3rd, 14 GB Des Moines
Argenis Batista tossed six scoreless innings, but he ran out of gas in the seventh and Des Moines went to town scoring 10 runs over the final three innings and rolling to a 10-3 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (1997).
Batista retired the first batter to open the seventh, but it unraveled after that.
Billy McKinney singled, Miguel Amaya doubledand Carlos David Rodriguez singled, scoring a run and sending Batista to the shower.
Brad Hand entered and faced one batter.

Corey Ray singled, loading the bases.
John Curtiss then took the mound.
John Lehto greeted him with a triple, and all of a sudden the Harvesters led 4-3.
Later, Jake Brentz took the mound and balked while pitching to the first batter he faced.
Des Moines led 5-3.
The Harvesters added three runs in the eighth.

Amaya and Lehto had RBI doubles, while Rodriguez plated one with a single.
The Harvesters plated two more in the ninth.

Cody Bellinger drove in the first with a double off Bill Warson.
A Warson wild pitch scored what would be the game's final run.
Des Moines starters Jose Berrios allowed two runs on five hits in four innings.
Leo Vazquez handled the fifth and sixth, earning his fifth win of the season ion the process.
The remainder of the game was handled by Bryan Garcia (1.0 IP), Blake Parker (1.2) and Jandel Gustave (0.1).

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Record: 53-50, 3rd, 13 GB Des Moines
Rookie Jimmy Lambert took a shutout into the seventh inning and St. Louis grabbed the finale of its four-game series with Des Moines, posting a 5-3 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
With the victory, the River Walkers grabbed the final game of the series after losing the first three.
Making his first start in the majors of the season and the second overall, Lambert didn't allow a run over the first six innings before tiring in the seventh.
For the game he allowed two runs on three hits. He struck out two and walked one.
Rafael Devers hit a two-run homer off Lambert to end his day.
He was replaced by Brad Hand., who was vicitimized by a solo homer from John Lehto, making it 5-3.
John Curtis came on and got out of the inning, without allowing another run.
Curtiss got the first two outs of the eighth before allowing a single to Carlos David Robinson with two outs.
Jake Brentz cameon and got Rafael Devers to ground out, ending the eighth.
Brentz returned to the mound in the ninth, setting the Harvesters down in order to seal the win and earn his second save.
St. Louis did the bulk of its scoring in the fourth inning, when it tallied four runs.
Andrew Benintendi got things going by leading off the inning with a homer off Des Moines starter Nick Pivetta.

Romy Gonzalez later had an RBI single off Pivetta.
The final two runs came off a J.T. Realmuto double and an Edmond Americaan single, both off Pivetta,, making it 4-0.
Realmuto had an RBI single in the sixth, pushing it to 5-0.

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Record: 53-51, 4th, 13 GB Des Moines
A three-run homer from Andrew Benintendi in the top of the first staked St. Louis to a 3-0 lead, and advantage which would eventually become 4-1, but the River Walkers bullpen faltered down the stretch as Columbus rallied for an 8-5 victory at Forbes Field (1959).
Limited to a single run by River Walkers starter Brandon Spagnulo, the Golden Bears busted loose for four runs in the sixth to take control.
Spagnuolo lasted just two batters into the sixth.
Bryce Harper opened the inning with a double.
He scored when Xander Bogaerts followed with a two-run homer, which ended Spagnuolo's outing.
Wilmer Jimenez replaced Spagnuolo.
He retired two of the first four batters he faced -- allowing a single to DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and walk to Braden Comeaux -- but a walk to Nolan Gorman loaded the bases.
It also ended Jimenez time on the mound.
Replaced by Thad Ward, Paul Goldschmidt greeted him with a two-run single putting the Bears ahead 5-4.
Columbus added three insurance runs in the seventh.
Pinch-hitter Jeimer Candelario had an RBI single off Bill Warson.
Forrest Wall plated the other two with a double, also against Warson.
Columbus starter Francisco Martes lasted five innings,giving up three runs on five hits.
Blake Snell, Kirk Gibson, Joe Jimenez and Omar Garcia all worked an inning apiece to close it out.
Gibson earned his third win of the season.
Garcia collected his 21st save.

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Record: 54-51, 3rd, 12 GB Des Moines
Rookie Dahlandy Johnson homered twice including a three-run shot in the ninth inning to help St. Louis rally for a 6-4 win over Columbus at Forbes Field (1959).
Clayton Kershaw and a trio of relievers limited the River Walkers to a single hit -- a Johnson two-run homer in the third off Kershaw -- to help the Golden Bears own a 4-1 advantage going into the top of the ninth.
But St. Louis went to work right away in the ninth against the Golden Bears bullpen.
Bo Bichette greeted Omar Garcia with a lead-off double, and he moved to third when Andrew Benintendi followed with a single.
Kyle Gibson took over, and in the span of two batters the Columbus lead was gone.
Rhys Hoskins started it with an RBI single.
Johnson followed with a three-run shot, and St. Louis was 6-4.
Walkers starter Aaron Nola worked 6.1 innings, giving up two runs on eight hits. He struck out seven and walked none.
Brad Hand struggled, allowing two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings, ut still came away with his second win of the season.
John Curtiss got a rare opportunity for a save, and converted it for his third of the season.

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Record: 54-52, 3rd, 12 GB Des Moines
Columbus scored twice in each of the first two innings, a lead that eventually grew to 6-0, as the Golden Bears rolled to a 7-3 win over St. Louis at Forbes Field (1959).
David Dahl had an RBI single and DeShawn Keirsey Jr. drove in run with a fielder's choice in the bottom of the first against River Walkers starter Alex Faedo, as the Golden Bears grabbed a 2-0 lead.
That advantage grew to 4-0 an inning later, a bases-loaded walk to Nolan Gorman plated the first run.
A wild pitch by Faedo later made it 4-0.
Reliever Wilmer Jimenez surrendered a two-out, two run single to David Dahl in the sixth, as Columbus went up 6-0.
Bears starting pitcher Jeremiah Estrada (1-0) worked 5.2 scoreless innings, giving up three hits. He struck out five and walked one.
Three relievers combined to close it out -- Luis Ortiz (1.1 IP), Ryan Rolison (0.1) and Mauricio Cabrera (1.2) -- combined to close it out.
The save was Cabrera's third of the season.

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MBL news: Week 16 awards and standings

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Record: 55-52, 3rd, 11.5 GB Des Moines
Argneis Batista worked six shutout innings and St. Louis took a shutout into the ninth inning as it downed Dayton 6-1 at Busch Stadium (1997).
Batista scattered five hits in his time on the mound. He struck out seven and walked one.
John Curtiss worked a scoreless seventh inning and recorded the first two outs of the eighth.
Wilferdo Jimenez finished off the eighth inning.
The River Walkers jumped in front in the bottom of the second after Rhys Hoskins led off with a homer off Fighter Pilots starting pitcher Lenny Torres.
Andrew Benintendo reached on a error by Dayton first baseman Rowdy Tellez in the fourth and later scored on a Michael Toglia sacrifice fly.
The St.Louis lead reached 3-0 in the sixth, Toglia leading off with a homer off Torres.
The Walkers added two more runs in the seventh, Benintendi with an RBI double while Toglia plated the other with a fielder's choice.
J.T. Realmuto hit a solo homer off Jake Thompson in the eighth, making it 6-0.
The Pilots got their lone run in the ninth, Tellez doubled with one out offf Eduardo Jimenez and scored on a two-out single from Buster Posey.

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Record:55-53, 3rd (Tied/w. Quad City), 12.5 GB Des Moines
Dayton pummeled St. Louis starting pitcher Jimmy Lambert for eight runs in the opening four innings and cruised to a 12-2 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
An Andrew Benintendi solo homer in the bottom of the first off Dayton starter Brandon Waddell staked the River Walkers to an early 1-0 lead.
But it didn't last.
Bryson Stott hit a three-run homer off Lambert in the second to put Dayton up 3-1.
Stott homered again in the fourth, this time a two-run shot off Lambert, the first two runs of a five-run outburst against Lambert.
Jeremy Eirman later had a two-run double.Kameron Misner also drove in a run with a double.
Stott finished the game 4 for 4 with a double, two homers, three runs scored and six RBIs.
Waddell (3-8) worked five innings allowing two runs on two hits.
Andrew Perez (1.1 IP), David Amador (1.2) and Drew Smith (1.0) combined to keep the River Walkers off the scoreboard the remainder of the ninth.

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Record: 55-54, 4th, 13.5 GB Des Moines
Kameron Misner hit three-run homer off St. Louis starting pitcher Brandon Spagnuolo in the top of the first, and that was all Dayton would need to post a 3-1 win over the River Walkers at Busch Stadium (1997).
With the victory, the Fighter Pilots took the final two games of the three-game series.
After a two-homer gamer in a 12-2 win the previous day, Bryson Stott got the Pilots going in the top of the first with a lead-off single.
Dylan Carlson followed with another single.
Then, after a strike out, Misner smacked 1-1 pitch from Spagnulo a whopping 463 feet into the right-center field seats to put Dayton up 3-0.
Michael Toglia had an RBI double off Dayton starter Dustin Eggert in the top of the fourth, making it 3-1.
But that would be all the scoring for the Walkers.
Eggert worked five impressive innings, allowing one run on one hit. He struck out four and walked same number.
Craig Kimbrel kept the Walkers scoreless in the sixth inning.
Matt Sarullo recorded six outs without allowing a baserunner.
Akeel Morris retired St. Louis in order in the ninth for his second save.

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Record: 56-54, 4th, 13.5 GB Des Moines
Aaron Nola allowed two runs over seven innings and St.Louis too the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to defeat Kansas City 4-2 at Busch Stadium (1997).
The Pit Masters took leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before the River Walkers went in front for good in the fifth on two-out RBI singles from Juan Gill and Christian Arroyo off Kansas City reliever Nathan Karns.
Andrew Benintendi added an insurance run for the Walkers in the seventh with a homer run off reliever Dario Alvarez.
Nola (8-6) worked seven innings allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked one.
Brad Hand handled all of the eighth inning and got the first two outs of the ninth.
Bill Warson came on with a runner aboard and got Mookie Betts to ground, earning himself his first save.

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Record: 57-54, 3rd, 13.5 GB Des Moines
St. Louis scored once in the second inning and added four more runs in the fourth to send it to a 6-3 win over Kansas City at Busch Stadium (1997).
Pit Masters starting pitcher Dinelson Lamet exited the game with a shoulder injury with one out in the second inning and the River Walkers quickly struck against reliever Kyle Nelson.
Jean Carmona doubled with two outs and scored when Romy Gonzalez followed with a single.
St. Louis took total control two innings later with its four-run fourth.
Andrew Benintendi got it started with a lead-off homer off Nelson.
Three singles later loaded the bases for the Walkers and Gonzalez drove two of them in with a double.
Pitcher Alex Faedo plated the inning's final run on a ground out.
Faedo (8-8) earned the win, allowing two runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Thad Ward recorded the final out of the sixth inning, striking out Brian Mundell with runners at second and third.
Wilson Jimenez worked a scoreless seventh and Bill Warson got the first two outs of the eighth before walking Joey Gallo to put runners at second and third.
Jake Brentz took over and struck out Travis Blankenhorn to quell the threat.
Although, Brentz allowed run in the ninth, he still came away with his third save.

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Record: 58-54, 3rd, 13.5 GB Des Moines
Argenis Batista tossed eight innings of shutout ball and MIchael Toglia launched two home runs and St. Louis completed a three-game-sweep of Kansas City with a 9-2 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
Batista was dominant allowing just three hits while striking out nine and walking one in his eight innings.
The Pit Masters got their two runs in the top of the ninth, Joey Gallo doing the honors with a homer off reliever Thad Ward but by that time St. Louis led 9-0.
Toglia got the scoring started for the Walkers when he led off the second with a homer off Kansas City starter Chance Adams.
The lead grew to 5-0 an inning later.

Toglia inflicted much of the damage with a three-run shot off Adams.
Byron Buxton made it a back-to-back following with a solo shot.
Jean Carmona had an RBI single in the fourth off reliever Nathan Karns and Rhys Hoskins drove in one with a sacrifice fly, as the Walkers went up 7-0.

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MBL news: Week 17 Awards and standings

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Record: 58-55, 3rd, 15 GB Des Moines
Conner Capel hit a two-run homer and Miguel Gomez a solo shot in the top of the ninth inning to help Quad City snap a 1-1 tie and go on for a 4-2 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium (1997).
The first career homer from rookie Romy Gonzalez off Thunder starting pitcher Evan Steele in the bottom of the fifth staked the River Walkers to a 1-0 lead.
Quad City evened it against Brendan Spagnuolo in the seventh when Miguel Gomez singled with two outs and scored when Shane Shifflett followed with a double.
In the ninth, Bill Warson allowed a lead-off double to Luken Baker before turning the bal over to Brent Suter.
Making his first apperance for the Walkers, Capel greeted Suter with a two-run homer.
After Suter got Mike Moustatakas to ground out, John Curtiss took the mound for St. Louis.
Gomez greeted him with a homer, making it 4-1.
Rhys Hoskins hit a homer off Thunder closer Jimmy Herget in the bottom of the ninth, but it was not nearly enough as Herget posted his 25th save.
Steele lasted five innings for QC, allowing one run on four hits.

Joe Kelly, Brendan Hanifee, J.D. Hammer and Herget all went an inning apiece to close out the game.

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Record: 59-55, 3rd,14.5 GB Des Moines
St. Louis put up 10 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to wipe out a 1-0 deficit to pave the way for a 10-1 win over Quad City at Busch Stadium (1997).
With the win, the River Walkers split the two-game series with the Thunder.
A Miguel Gomez home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Jimmy Lambert provided the game's only scoring until the Walkers busted loose in the eighth.
The highlight of the inning was a grand slam by rookie third baseman Romy Gonzalez.
Jean Carmona drove in the final two runs with a homer. Byron Buxton plated two with a triple.
Lambert turned in a strong start.
The only hit he allowed in six innings was the homer by Gomez. He struck out three and walked one.
John Curtiss (0.2 IP) and Wilmer Jimenez (0.1) combined on a scoreless seventh inning.
Bill Warson and Brent Suter handled the eighth and ninth, respectively.