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

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Record: 38-29, 1st, 2 GA Springfield
The long ball powered St. Louis once again, as it hit three home runs to help it down Des Moines 5-3 at LaBatt Park.
It was scoreless into the sixth inning, when Carlos Vidal cranked a three-run homer off Harvesters starting pitcher Kellan Tulio.
St. Louis then went deep twice in the seventh to go up 5-0.
This time it was Andrew Benintendi and Fernando Tatis Jr. with consecutive solo shots off Tulio.
Walkers starter Alex Faedo tossed six scoreless innings before getting knocked around in the bottom of the seventh.
Cody Bellinger opened the inning with a lead-off homer.
An error, walk and single later loaded the bases with one out.
John Lehto then made it 5-3 with a double, leading to Faedo's exit from the game.
In his 6.2 innings, Faedo (9-2) allowed the three runs on five hits. He struckout five and walked a pair.
Williams Jerez took over for Faedo, and got Jackson Miller to fly out to end the inning.
Angel Tiburcio worked a scoreless eighth for the Walkers.
Edwin Diaz allowed a pair of base runners in the ninth, but didn't allow a run for his 12th save.

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MBL news: All-Star fan voting update for June 21

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Record: 38-30, 1st, 1.5 GA Springfield
Nick Pivetta limited St.Louis to one run over six innings and Des Moines overcame an early 1-0 deficit to defeat the River Walkers 4-1 at Labatt Park.
The win allowed the Harvesters to avoid a four-game sweep of the series by St. Louis.
An RBI double by the Walkers Andrew Benintendi in the top of the third off Pivetta staked the Walkers to that 1-0 lead.
By the bottom of the third, that lead was gone.
Carlos David Rodriguez greeted St. Louis starter Adonis Medina with a single to open the inning.
After moving to second on a bunt, John Lehto chased Rodriguez home with a double.
A two-out single from Andrew Foley later plated Lehto.
The Harvesters got their other two runs in the seventh against the St. Louis bullpen.
Rodriguez again got things going drawing one-out walk from Williams Jerez.
A double from Greyson Jenista put runners at second and third and brought John Curtiss into the game.
Lehto greeted Curtis with a single which scored both runners.
Pivetta (6-3) gave up seven hits but just one run in his six innings.
Addison Reed, Bryan Garcia and Omar Benitez both worked a silent inning apiece to close out the win.
For Benitez, the save was his 13th.

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MBL news: Week 10 Awards and standings

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Record: 39-30, 1st, 2 GA Springfield
St. Louis pounded its way to a 9-3 lead then survived a pair of home runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat Kansas City 9-6 at Busch Stadium (1997).
A two-run double from Larry Ernesto off Pit Masters starting pitcher Juan Sandoval in the bottom of the second inning staked the River Walkers to a 2-0 lead.
An inning later, a lead-off homer from Carlos Vidal made it 3-0.
Kansas City's Josh Shuler took Steven Brault deep in the fourth to make it 3-1.
The Walkers doubled their run total in the bottom of the fifth with three runs.
Jared Thomas pretty much made it happen with a two-out, three-run homer off Sandoval.
An RBI single from Logan Tanner in the sixth off Walkers reliever Angel Tiburcio in the sixth made it 6-2.
Pinch-hitter Jayson Gonzalez then made it 6-3 with a solo homer off Luis Palomo to open the seventh.
But the Walkers struck for three more runs in the eighth, Vidal collecting two more RBIs with a double off Austin Hansen.
Vidal later scored on a Rhys Hoskins single.
Still, the Masters made it interesting in the ninth against Tim Hill.
Ryan McMahon hit a solo homer with one out and Blaze Jordan smacked a two-run job with two outs.
But Hill got Carlos Correa to ground out to end it.
Walkers starter Steven Brault (6-3) allowed two runs on five hits over 5.1 innings.
Angel Tiburicio got the final two outs of the sixth.
Five relievers followed those two -- Palomo (0.0 IP), Williams Jerez (0.2),. Jake Brentz (0.2), Edwin Diaz (0.2) and Hill -- as St. Louis put away the win.
Brentz did have to leave the game with an undisclosed injury.

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St. Louis River Walkers reliever Jake Brentz has been diagnosed with a mild abdominal strain and has been placed on the 10-day disabled list.
Brentz, 31, has pitched in 21 games this season, going 2-0 with four saves and boasting a 1.11 ERA.
He's had some bouts of wildness this season, so it was thought best to give him some extended time off.
Left-hander Nick Lodolo will be called up from AAA Memphis, where he was on a rehab assignment after battling forearm tendinitis.
It has not been a good season for Lodolo, while with the River Walkers he pitched in nine games, going 0-1 with a 5.11 ERA.
In his rehab stint in Memphis, he worked in 13 games going 0-2 with a save and an 6.60 ERA.

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Record: 40-30, 1st, 2.5 GA Springfield
St. Louis used three singles and a pair of walks to snap a 3-3 tie an send it to a 5-3 win over Kansas City at Busch Stadium (1997).
The win gave the River Walkers a sweep of the two-game series.
St. Louis put its first four hitters aboard in the seventh inning.
Jean Carmona and pinch-hitter Vidal Brujan both singled off reliever Nick Goody.
Bo Bichette drew a walk to load the bases.
Carlos Vidal took another walk to break the tie.
Andrew Benintendi drove in Brujan with the inning's second run with a sacrifice fly.
The Walkers added an insurance run in the eighth.
They opened the inning with three straight singles -- from Jared Thomas, Jean Carmona and pinch-hitter Edmond Americaan -- off reliever David Berg.
Carlos Vidal later drew a one-out walk from Austin Hansen to score Thomas.
The Walkers had tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of th fifth.
Thomas led off the inning with a double and scored when Pit Masters catcher Logan Tanner who made an errant throw to first while trying to pick off Jean Carmona, who had singled to move Thomas to third.
Walkers starting pitcher Tanner Bibee allowed two runs on three hits over six innings.
Luis Palomo (1-0) would earn his first victory of the season after a scoreless seventh inning.
Argenis Batista worked a scoreless eighth.
Angel Tiburcio handled the ninth to collect his first career save.

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Record: 41-30, 1st, 2.5 GA Springfield
Down 3-0, St. Louis scored four runs over the final three innings to down Chicago 4-3 in the opener of a four-game series between National League Division leaders at Wrigley Field (1979).
RBI doubles off River Walkers staring pitcher Jimmy Lambert from Petey Halpin and Nolan Jones in the bottom of the fifth inning had put the G-Men in front 3-0.
But St. Louis began to make some noise against Chicago starter Jake Mullholland in the seventh inning after being held to one hit through the first six.
It started with two outs, Fernando Tatis Jr. reaching on a double.
He scored when Jean Carmona followed with another two-bagger.
The Walkers tied it in the eighth.
Pinch-hitter Vidal Brujan doubled off Jon Gray with one out.
He scored on a two-out double from Carlos Vidal.
Rhys Hoskins followed with the third double of the inning to even the score.
St. Louis then grabbed the lead in the ninth
Tatis Jr. again got it going with a lead-off single off Tobias Myers.
Jean Carmona then hit a ball back to Myers, but his throw to second was off the mark putting two aboard.
A walk to Larry Ernesto loaded the bases.
Jared Thomas hit into a fielder's choice, Tatis Jr. being retired at the plate.
But JT Schwartz hit a fly ball deep enough into the outfield to score Carmona with what would be the game-winning run.
Lambert allowed three runs on six hits over five innings.
Williams Jerez picked up a big load with two scoreless innings.
Argenis Batista worked a scoreless eighth.
Edwin Diaz whiffed two of the three batters he faced in the ninth for his 13th save.

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Record: 41-31, 1st, 2.5 GA Springfield
Down 2-1, Chicago tied it in the bottom of the fifth inning and took the lead with two runs in the sixth to defeat St. Louis 5-2 at Wrigley Field (1979).
A two-run homer from the River Walkers' Jean Carmona in the top of the fifth had put them on top 2-1.
The G-Men tied it in the bottom of the inning on a two-out RBI double from Petey Halpin off River Walkers starting pitcher Alex Faedo.

It scored Cory Acton, who had singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Chicago grabbed the lead an inning later.
The G-Men's first three batters reached against Faedo to add an insurance run -- Cruz Calderon singled and Shohei Ohtani drew a walk. Nolan Jones scored Carlderon with a single -- Steven Williams then scored Ohtani with a fly ball to left.
Calderon connected for an RBI single off Williams Jerez in the seventh, putting Chicago up 5-2.
G-Men starting pitcher Jake Junis lasted five innings, givingup two runs on three hits.
Bedrosian handled the sixth inning.
The seventh and eighth belonged to Jon Gray.
Tobais Myers struck out two of three batters he faced in the ninth for his 19th save.

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Record: 41-32, 1st, 2.5 GA Springfield
Matt Wallner hit a two-run homer off St. Louis starting pitcher Adonis Medina in the bottom of the first to highlight a three-run outburst which carried Chicago to a 3-1 win at Wrigley Field (1979).
Petey Halpin drew a lead-off walk from Medina but was eliminated when Luis Tuero hit into a fielder's choice.
After Jarred Kelenic ground out, Cruz Calederon put the G-Men in front with a single which scored Tuero.
Wallner followed with his ninth homer of the season to make it 3-0.
The River Walkers got their lone run in the fourth on a double by Jared Thomas off G-Men starter Josh Hader.
Hader (3-3) allowed one run on four hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked none.
Four relievers -- Jario Loubourt, Cam Bedrosian, Hansel Robles and Luis Ramon Silva -- all pitched an inning apiece.
Silva earned his first save.

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The game between the St. Louis River Walkers and Chicago G-Men scheduled for June 28 at Wrigley Field (1979) has been postponed by rain.
Since this was the final game of a four-game series, it will be made up later in the season.
The G-Men won the final two games of the three which were played.

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MBL news: All-Star fan voting update for June 28

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MBL news: Week 11 Awards and standings
(Due to glitch, standings are from games of June 29)

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Record: 42-32, 1st, 3 GA Springfield
Andrew Benintendi's two-out single in the bottom of the 12th inning scored Bo Bichette to give St. Louis a 4-3 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
Bichette had reached on a one-out double off Lighting relief pitcher James Carney.
Carlos Vidal then drew a walk, after which Taylor Widener took over on the mound for Rockford.
Rhys Hoskins struck out of the second out.
But Benintendi lined a 3-1 pitch to left-center field, scoring Bichette with the game-winning run.
Down 3-2, the River Walkers had tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on Rhys Hoskins second home run of the game.
Both his homers came off Lightning starter Yeo-San Park. His first homer had come in the first inning, and staked St. Louis to a 2-1 lead.
Walkers starter Steven Brault worked seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out seven and walked none.
Williams Jerez worked the eighth inning and got the first out of the ninth.
Angel Tiburcio finished the ninth and worked a scoreless 10th.
Nick Lodolo (1-2) took care of what would be the final two innings, and earned his first win of the season.

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Record: 43-32, 1st, 3 GA Springfield
Rockford starting pitcher Luis Servino took a shutout into the bottom of the seventh inning, but St. Louis busted loose for four runs to wipe out a 2-0 deficit and carry the River Walkers to a 4-2 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
A two-run homer from Rece Hinds in the third inning of St. Louis starting pitcher Tanner Bibee had given the Lightning that 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Severino went into the bottom of the seventh having allowed just one hit.
Rhys Hoskins changed that when he led off the inning with a homer.
Severino struck out the next two, before allowing a double to Larry Ernesto.
That was the end of Severino's outing.
The rest of the damage came against the Rockford bullpen.
The first pitcher reliever Erasmo Pinales threw eluded catcher Jake Holland moving Ernesto to second.
Jared Thomas scored Ernesto with a single.
Jean Carmona quickly snapped the tie with a two-run home run.
Bibbe didn't get a decision but still was strong allowing just two runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked none.
Argenis Batista, Tim Hill and Edwin Diaz all worked a scoreless inning.
Diaz struck out the side in the ninth for his 14th save.

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MBL news: Players and Pitchers of the Month for June 2026

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MBL news: Rookies of the Month for June 2026 and standings

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MBL news: American League leaders for June 2026

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MBL news: National League leaders for June 2026

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Walkers news: Individual statistics for June