St. Louis River Walkers 2021 season: On the rebound

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Record: 43-40, 3rd, 3.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids' Joc Pederson was 3 for 5 with five RBIs, including three off a home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, in the top of the fourth inning that snapped a 5-5 tie and sent the Golden Grapplers onto an 8-5 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
It was wild one early.
Both teams scored once in the second inning and four times in the second, setting the score at 5-all.
But Pederson's blast of Hendricks provided the final runs of the game.
Mark Zagurski stepped for the Grapplers after starting pitcher Mark Cullison allowed five runs on eight hits over the first 2.1 innings.
Zagurski finished off the third inning and held the River Walkers scoreless in the fourth and recorded the first two outs of the fifth to earn his first win of the season.
Tyler Bashlor closed out the fifth and handled a scoreless sixth inning.
Thomas Hackimer was flawless in the eighth and got the first two outs of the ninth.
Ben Bowden retired the only hitter he faced for his second save of 2021.

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Record: 44-40, 3rd, 2.5 GB Cedar Rapids
J.T. Realmuto hit a three-run home run off Cedar Rapids relief pitcher Ben Bowden with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, to help lift St. Louis to a 6-4 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
Coming into the bottom of the eighth trailing 4-3, Bo Bichette led off with a single before being eliminated when Andrew Benintendi hit into a fielder's choice.
Bowden then struck out Rhys Hoskins, but Michael Conforto kept the inning going with a walk bringing Realmuto to the plate.
Realmuto then hit a 3-1 pitch 374 feet over the left-field wall to put the River Walkers in front.
Phil Maton, who had surrendered a solo homer to Dominic Smith in the top of the eighth to put the Golden Grapplers ahead 4-3, earned his third win of the season with an inning of work.
Bobby Poyner got the first out of the ninth. Tommy Kahnle handled the other two for his 15th save.
St. Louis starter Danny Duffy allowed three runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings.

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Record: 44-41, 3rd, 3.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids pounded St. Louis starting pitcher Luiz Gohara for eight runs over the first three innings and held on for an 11-6 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
With the win, the Golden Grapplers took two of three games in the series, and dropped the River Walkers 3.5 games in back of them in the National League South standings.

Springfield sits in second place, two games behind Cedar Rapids.
Joc Pederson hit a three-run homer off Gohara in the first, driving in all of the runs in a three-run outburst.
In the third, Trevor Story got in on the long-ball action with a three-run shot off Gohara. James McCann smacked a two-run job off the struggling left-hander in the same inning.
St. Louis stormed back into it, scoring five times in the bottom of the sixth to pull within 8-6.
Andrew Benintendi and Michael Conforto did much of the damage, both hitting two-run shots off reliever Jacob Rhame.
But the Grapplers added a single run in the eighth -- Pederson with his second homer of the game, a solo shot off Omar Garcia -- and two more in the ninth to extend their cushion.
Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Trevor Bauer allowed three runs on five hits over 5.1 innings, but still earned his sixth win of the season.
Seven relievers followed him to the mound.
Only Thomas Hackimer, who pitched a scoreless seventh, and Danny Grigg, who collected the final five outs of the game, recorded more than one out.
For Grigg, it was his 12th save of the season.

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Record: 45-41, 3rd, 3.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Bo Bichette hit a homer and a bases-loaded double for a total of four RBIs to help power St. Louis to a 9-2 win over Cedar Rapids at Busch Stadium (1997).
Bichette's home run came in the fourth inning snapped a scoreless tie.
His three-run double was part of a six-run seventh inning.
Two other runs in that inning scored on a bases-loaded walks and another on Prairie Fighters third baseman Todd Frazier.
River Walkers starting pitcher Aaron Nola lasted six innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out eight and walked one.
Three relievers -- John Curtiss, Reyes Moronta and Jake Diekman -- all pitched an inning apiece to close out the win.

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MBL news: July 10 -- Final All-Star game fan voting

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MBL news: July 11 -- All-Star game rosters

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Record: 46-43, 3rd, 3.5 GB Cedar Rapids
St. Louis scored six runs in the bottom of the third inning and added what proved to be an important insurance run in the eighth as it held on for a 7-6 win over Springfield at Busch Stadium (1997).
With the win, the River Walkers split the four-game series with the Prairie Fighters.
St. Louis will go into the All-Star break at 46-43, 3.5 games behind first-place Cedar Rapids. The Prairie Fighters sit two games in back of the Golden Grapplers.
The Walkers seemed to grab a comfortable advantage with their six-run third inning.

Andrew Benintendi and Tucker Barnhart both had two-run singles off Springfield starting pitcher Nathan Karns.
Nicky Delmonico also had an RBI single. The other runs scored on a walk and a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded.
Springfield worked its way back into it.
The Fighters tagged St. Louis starting pitcher Danny Duffy for three runs in the top of the fourth.
An RBI double from Todd Frazier off Jake Diekman in the seventh made it 6-5.
The Walkers got that run back in the eighth when Ender Inciarte drew a bases-loaded walk from Triston McKenzie.
St. Louis closer Tommy Kahnle pitched himself into trouble in the top of the ninth.
A Russell Martin RBI single with two outs made it 7-6. A walk to Chris Davis then loaded the bases.
Kahnle struck out Yario Munoz for his 13th save of the season.

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MBL news: Week 10 Awards and standings

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MBL news: All-Star game -- American League 5, National League 3

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MBL news: American League leaders at All-Star break

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MBL news: National League leaders at All-Star break

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Walkers news: Batting, pitching and team statistics at All-Star break

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Record: 46-44, 3rd, 3.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Brandon Lowe's three-run home run off St. Louis starting pitcher Yu Darvish capped a four-run top of the fifth inning which helped carry Green Bay to a 6-5 win at Busch Stadium (1997).
Tied 2-2, Alek Thomas led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch while Darvish was retiring the next two batters.
However, Anthony Rendon drew a walk.
A throwing error on a pick-off attempt at first by catcher J.T. Realmuto allowed Thomas to score, putting the Long Haulers in front 3-2.
Chance Sisco then drew a walk, bringing Lowe to the plate.
He smacked the third pitch he saw from Darvish 355 feet into the left-field seats, making it 6-2.
After holding Green Bay scoreless over the first three innings, Darvish gave up six over the fourth and fifth.
In the fourth, Miguel Cabrera had led off the inning with a homer.

Sisco later singled and scored on a Bobby Gulden single, putting the Haulers ahead 2-1.
St. Louis tied it in the bottom of the fourth on Bo Bichette's RBI single off reliever Robert Gsellman.
The River Walkers would eventually slice the deficit down to a run.
An Adeiny Hechavarria two-run double highlighted a three-run seventh as St. Louis pulled to within 6-5.
However, the Walkers would not score again despite leaving the bases loaded in that inning and again in the eighth, when they didn't score at all.
Nick Burdi pitched around a one-out single from Michael Conforto in the ninth for his 19th save.
The victory went to Gsellman, the first of six Green Bay relievers who took the mound in the game.
Gsellman got the final two outs of the fourth inning after starting pitcher Mike Nikorak left the game with an undisclosed injury.
Gsellman then worked a scoreless fifth.
Tommy Hunter, Andrew Miller and Richard Lovelady all got three outs apiece before Burdi took the mound for the ninth.

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Record: 48-45, 3rd, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Danny Duffy tossed seven shutout innings and St. Louis rocketed out to a 10-0 lead in a win over Green Bay at Busch Stadium (1997).
With the victory, the River Walkers took the final two games of the four-game series for a split with the Long Haulers.
St. Louis won the third game of the series 8-7 when Andrew Miller commited a bases-loaded balk in the 10th inning.
In this game, Rhys Hoskins hit a solo homer off Haulers starting pitcher Lachlan Wells to being the bottom of the second inning and the Walkers never trailed.
St. Louis scored two runs in the third, four in a fifth inning which included a two-run double from Hoskins and two-run homer from Michael Conforto, two in the sixth on a two-run double from Andrew Benintendi and its final one in the eighth to go up by double digits.
Green Bay scored four runs off John Curtiss in the ninth.

Chance Sisco with a lead-off homer and Wladimir Balentin with a three-run blast but it really didn't matter.

In his seven scoreless innings, Duffy scattered six hits while striking out nine and walking one.

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MBL news:Week 11 awards and standings

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Record: 48-46, 3rd, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Greg Bird led off the bottom of the second inning with a homer off St. Louis starting pitcher Luiz Gohara and Addison Russell later added a two-run shot as Milwaukee grabbed a 3-0 lead and cruised to a 9-1 win at County Stadium (1976).
The Keg Lifters added three more runs in the fourth inning -- Russell with an RBI single and pitcher Yeo-San Park reached on an error by third baseman Nicky Delmonico which allowed two to score -- and three more in the sixth -- Kyle Seager, Greg Bird and Clint Frazier with RBI doubles off River Walkers reliever Phil Maton -- to officially make it a blow out.
Park allowed one run on four hits in five innings.
Colin Ponche pitched a scoreless sixth inning while Jennar Gomez followed suit in the seventh and eighth.
A 1-2-3 ninth for Josiah Gray closed out the lopsided win for the Lifters.

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Record: 48-47, 3rd, 4.5 GB Cedar Rapids
Jose Antonio Gomez doubled off St. Louis closer Tommy Kahnle in the bottom of the ninth to score Austin Hedges with the game-winning run as Milwaukee won 6-5 at County Stadium (1976).
Hedges led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and Gonzalez hit the first pitch he saw into left field to chase him home.
With the win, the Keg Lifters took their third straight from the River Walkers and are poised for a four-game sweep.
A two-run double from Andrew Benintendi and an RBI single from Rhys Hoskins off Milwaukee reliever Josiah Gray in the top of the eighth had put St. Louis in front 5-3.
But the Lifters got solo homers from DJ LeMahieu and Josh Ockimey, both off Grant Dayton, in the bottom of the inning to tie it.
Arquimedes Caminero handled the top of the ninth for the Lifters, earning his third win of the season.
Milwaukee starter Andrew Triggs allowed two runs in five innings.
Sean Wymer and Trevor Gott both tossed a scoreless inning apiece before Gray allowed the two runs in the eighth.
St. Louis starter Yu Darvish gave up three runs in six innings.

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Record: 49-41, 3rd, 4 GB Cedar Rapids
Down 2-0, St. Louis scored four times in the top of the fifth inning and went on for a 6-3 win over Milwaukee at County Stadium (1976).
With the win, the River Walkers avoided getting swept in the four-game series.
J.T. Realmuto led off the fifth with a double off Keg Lifters starting pitcher Sean Hijelle.
A one-out double from Ender Inciarte scored Realmuto. Andrew Benenteidi then tied it with a two-out double.
Rhys Hoskins landed the big blow of the outburst with a two-run homer off Hijelle.
Its lead trimmed to 4-3 after Kyle Seager hit a solo homer off Walkers starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks in the bottom of the fifth.
St. Louis got that run back in the sixth on a home from Adeiny Hechavarria.
The Walkers linked on an insurance run in the ninth on an Inciarte run-scoring single off Colin Poche.
Hendricks earned the win for St. Louis, allowing three runs on four hits in six innings.
John Curtiss pitched a scoreless seventh inning and got the first out of the eighth.
Bobby Poyner handled the final two outs of that inning.
The ninth belonged to Grant Dayton and Reyes Moronta, who got one and two outs, respectively.

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With an eye toward the future and looking to shake things up, the St. Louis River Walkers have completed an eight-player trade with the Evansville Big Bossemen.
Going from St. Louis to Evansville are, minor-league (Class AAA) outfielder Will Benson, starting pitcher Luiz Gohara, minor-league (Class AAA) right-handed relief pitcher Sarkis Ohanian, minor league (Class A) catcher Cole Jackson and minor league (Class A) second baseman Xavier LeGrant.

In return, the River Walkers receive right-handed major league pitcher Alex Faedo, major league shortstop Andrellton Simmons, right-handed minor-league (Class AA) relief pitcher Luis Alberto Pena.
The big losses for St. Louis are Gohara, Benson and Ohanian.
Gohara is in his fourth season as part of the River Walkers rotation, but after going 22-9 over his first three seasons, he has gone 6-9 with a 6.75 ERA in 2021.
Seen as a possible starter in the outfield, with Michael Conforto likely to test free agency in the outfield, Benson has played most of this season at Memphis where he is hitting .294 with 13 homers and 47 RBIs.
The emergence of outfielder Tyler Esplin, he is hitting .270 with 20 homers and 71 RBIs for Memphis, helped make Benson seem expendable.
The 27-year-old Ohanian looks like he might be ready for the majors in 2022, after a solid season at Memphis this year. He is 2-4 with 17 saves and a 3.55 ERA this season for the Redbirds.
Jackson and LeGrant are low-level prospects at best.

Coming from Evansville, the big piece is Faedo who his ranked as the 10th best pitching prospect in baseball.
This season, the 25-year-old right-hander has gone 5-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 16 starts for the Bossemen.
The 25-year-old Pena has split his season between A and AA Mobile.
In 19 games at AA, Pena has gone 1-2 in 19 appearances posting a 1.29 ERA and five saves.
The acquisition of Simmons was primarily a moneydrop for the Bosseman, although the 31-year-old shortstop still plays gold-glove caliber defense.
In 2021, Simmons is batting .248 with four homers and 23 RBIs.
Since Adeiny Hechavarria and Simmons can only play shortstop, the Walkers may look to make another deal in the days leading up to the trade deadline.

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Walkers news: Players going to Evansville