Dave Riggert – Page 453 – St. Joseph Post Archive

St. Louis gets shutout in series finale at Arizona

Posted on April 28, 2016April 29, 2016

PHOENIX (AP) — Rubby De La Rosa struck out a career-high 10 and pitched two-hit ball through seven innings, Chris Herrmann and Brandon Drury homered and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Thursday night.

The Diamondbacks forced a split in the four-game series. De La Rosa (3-3) had been shaky this year and was demoted to the bullpen for a time but turned in his second straight strong start.

Herrmann’s two-run home run — after Drury’s blooper fell between center fielder Stephen Piscotty and shortstop Aledmys Diaz for a double — gave the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead in the second. Drury lined a 2-1 pitch from Michael Wacha (2-1) into the left field seats for a solo shot in the fourth.

It was Drury’s second home run in two days.

— Associated Press —

Royals lose to Angels 4-2, suffer first sweep of the season

Posted on April 28, 2016

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout hit a tying two-run homer, Yunel Escobar put the Angels ahead with a solo shot in the sixth inning and Andrelton Simmons also went deep to power Los Angeles to a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Escobar, the Angels’ leadoff hitter, drove Chris Young’s 3-1 pitch to center field for his third homer of the season leading off the sixth to put the Angels ahead 3-2. He had four hits in Tuesday night’s 9-4 victory.

Simmons ended the scoring in the seventh with his first homer as an Angel. His other 31 came with the Atlanta Braves, who sent the two-time Gold Glove shortstop to the Angels in a trade for Erick Aybar in November.

Fernando Salas (1-1) got the victory in relief and Joe Smith got three outs for his second save in as many chances as the Angels swept the three-game series.

Nick Tropeano pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Angels, allowing two runs and eight hits with six strikeouts.

Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer off the 25-year-old right-hander in the first, extending his hitting streak to a career-best 17 games. Tropeano departed after giving up his third walk of the game with the score tied 2-all.

Salas came in and Paulo Orlando greeted him with a single. Jarrod Dyson followed with a fielder’s choice grounder that put runners at the corners, and Dyson got into scoring position by stealing second. But Alcides Escobar grounded out to third.

Young (1-4) allowed three runs and three hits over 5 2/3 innings. The 35-year-old right-hander has allowed at least one home run in each of his first five starts.

Tropeano, who came in having allowed two home runs in his first 75 1/3 innings in the big leagues, saw his first pitch to Hosmer end up in the rock pile in left-center following a one-out single by Mike Moustakas.

But Trout erased that deficit in the fourth with his fifth homer, driving an 0-2 pitch over the trees in center field after a leadoff single by Rafael Ortega. The 2014 AL MVP is hitting .353 over his last 14 games after starting the season 5 for 27.

SPIKE MARKS

Angels: Nine of Trout’s 37 career hits against Kansas City have been home runs. … The Angels have produced no more than four runs in 17 of the team’s first 21 games. . Tropeano picked off Dyson at first base with runners at the corners to end the fourth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney, whose flexor muscle strain during his first start of the season is the reason Tropeano was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on April 7, will look at other opinions on the slow-healing injury. . LF Daniel Nava will work out in Arizona during the team’s six-game road trip.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Kris Medlen (1-1, 6.00 ERA) gets the assignment for the opener of a three-game series at Seattle. It will be his first appearance against the Mariners, one of four teams the seven-year veteran has yet to face along with the Angels, Rangers and Braves, the club that drafted him in 2006.

Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (2-0) opposes Colby Lewis in the opener of a three-game set at Arlington, Texas. The Angels have won each of Santiago’s last 10 starts including his no-decision on April 7 at the “Big A,” when they pulled out a 4-3 win on Albert Pujols’ bases-loaded walkoff single in the ninth.

— Associated Press —

Wainwright earns first win as Cards rolls past Arizona 11-4

Posted on April 28, 2016

PHOENIX (AP) — Adam Wainwright pitched into the sixth inning for his first win and hit a three-run triple in St. Louis’ fifth straight offensive outburst, lifting the Cardinals to an 11-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

St. Louis scored 18 combined runs in two games to close out a sweep over San Diego and had 15 in splitting the first two against Arizona.

The Cardinals kept bashing, knocking around Patrick Corbin (1-3) and finishing with 14 hits, four by Stephen Piscotty.

Aledmys Diaz homered, scored three runs and had two RBI for the Cardinals, who have won four of five. Piscotty, Matt Carpenter and Matt Holiday also drove in two runs each.

Wainwright (1-3) gave up homers to Brandon Drury and Paul Goldschmidt but ended his worst start since 2012 behind the Cardinals’ big run support. He allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out five in 5 1/3 innings.

Wainwright has struggled since missing most of last season with an Achilles tendon injury, in part because of an inability to miss bats.

The two-time NL Cy Young Award runner up failed to strike out more than three batters in four straight starts for the first time since 2007. Wainwright, who has never had an ERA over 4.00 in a full season, has allowed at least three runs in every start this season and entered Wednesday’s game with a 7.25 ERA.

Drury certainly didn’t miss a hanging curveball by Wainwright in the second inning, lining it over the left field wall for a two-run homer.

Goldschmidt hit a ball even harder in the fourth inning, sending a towering solo homer to the deepest part of the park to put Arizona up 3-1.

But Corbin had his own struggles.

The left-hander limited the Cardinals to a run after scuffling in the first inning but couldn’t make it out of the sixth. St. Louis scored five runs in the inning — highlighted by Wainwright’s three-run triple over third base — to take a 7-3 lead.

Corbin allowed seven runs on seven hits and walked five in 5 2/3 innings.

Wainwright was pulled after David Peralta’s run-scoring single in the sixth cut the Cardinals’ lead to 7-4.

The Cardinals added to their lead in the seventh on Diaz’s run-scoring single and a two-run single by Carpenter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: RHP Josh Collmenter (shoulder) is scheduled to pitch in an extended spring training game on Thursday before going to Class A Visalia on a rehab assignment.

Cardinals: Holliday was back in the lineup after leaving Tuesday’s game with leg cramps.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last three starts headed into Thursday’s series finale.

Diamondbacks: RHP Rubby De La Rosa has allowed one hit by a right-hander in their last 19 at-bats against him headed into Thursday’s start against the Cardinals.

— Associated Press —

MWSU’s Ong named MIAA Freshman of the Year

Posted on April 28, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – More good news continues to roll in for the Missouri Western Women’s Golf team as three Griffons have been named All-MIAA, including Freshman of the Year Shi Qing Ong.

Ong was named first team All-MIAA and becomes the program’s first Freshman of the Year winner since Natalie Bird in 2010. Ong did not finish below 13th in any of her 10 events this season. She had five top-10 finishes and averaged a 76.6 per round.

Madison Romjue and Celine Lim were named honorable mention All-MIAA. It’s the second All-MIAA honor for both. Lim was a second team selection last year as a freshman. This year, Lim had one top 10 finish and averaged 80.2 per round. Romjue was also an honorable mention selection in 2015. She had two top-10 finishes this season with a fifth place finish at the Lindenwood Fall Invitational and averaged an 80.4 per round.

The team will make its first ever appearance at the NCAA Division II Central Regional May 2-4 at Awarii Dunes Golf Course in Axtell, Nebraska.

First Team All-MIAA
Baylee Price, Northeastern State *Golfer of the Year
Marla Souvannasing, Central Oklahoma
Shi Qing Ong, Missouri Western *Freshman of the Year
Dani Martinez, Central Oklahoma
Ebba Moberg, Northeastern State

Second Team All-MIAA
Madelyn Piccininni, Lindenwood
Charter Lawson, Northeastern State
Grace Shin, Central Oklahoma
Kelsey Lumpkin, Northeastern State
Elizabeth Leath, Central Missouri
Dakota Limkemann, Lindenwood
*= Six Players due to a tie in the voting

Honorable Mention: Taelyn Entriken, Central Missouri, Yolanda Rotzinger, Lindenwood, Celine Lim, Missouri Western, Madison Romjue, Missouri Western, Ana Summers, Nebraska-Kearney, Kaleigh Ashen, Northwest Missouri.

MIAA Coach of the Year: Scott Varner, Northeastern State

— MWSU Athletics —

No. 23 Griffons get no-hit by Northwest Missouri State’s Nikko Pablo

Posted on April 27, 2016April 27, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – The 23rd-ranked Missouri Western baseball team dropped the final game of their season series with Northwest Missouri State Tuesday. The Griffons lost 6-0 as they were no-hit by Northwest’s Nikko Pablo.

MWSU had two base runners on in the first, but didn’t get another one until the eighth as Pablo – the reigning Co-MIAA Pitcher of the Week – retired 21 straight Griffon batters over that stretch. The game was originally scheduled to be played in Maryville on Wednesday, but was then moved to Tuesday at Northwest Missouri State. Poor field conditions in Maryville Tuesday forced the game to be moved to St. Joseph. The game was delayed for around 45 minutes in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Missouri Western was only able to get on base through a Northwest Missouri State error and a walk by Pablo in the first inning. The only other batter to reach base was in the eighth when Pablo hit Kody Matthews with two outs.

On the mound for the Griffons, Tyler Tuepker went the first three innings, giving up seven hits and three runs. David Anderson faced two batters and allowed one run. Preston Bailey pitched two innings, giving up three hits and two runs. Conner Schwienenbart pitched two and a third of perfect baseball with two strikeouts, but did not re-enter after the rain delay.

The loss dropped Missouri Western to 31-13 overall and 23-10 in the MIAA. The Griffons won the season series with the Bearcats, two games to one. Missouri Western has not lost a season series since dropping two of three to Lindenwood April 1-3. Next up is Central Missouri in Warrensburg. The games are scheduled for Friday-Sunday, but could change due to weather.

— MWSU Athletics —

Kansas City drops second straight game against Angels

Posted on April 27, 2016

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Johnny Giavotella drove in three runs with his first homer of the season, Mike Trout and Carlos Perez had two-run singles, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 9-4 Tuesday night.

Jered Weaver (3-0) allowed four runs and nine hits over six innings and struck out four. The Angels scored one more run than they totaled in the right-hander’s first three starts this season.

Edinson Volquez (3-1) gave up eight runs and 12 hits in in five innings. The right-hander, facing the Angels for the first time since 2007, was coming off a 4-0 win over Detroit in which he allowed five hits through seven innings.

Mike Moustakas homered and Jarrod Dyson hit a pair of RBI doubles for the defending World Series champions, who had six two-base hits altogether — all against Weaver. The franchise record is 11, set on Aug. 11, 2003 against the Yankees.

— Associated Press —

Martinez wins fourth, Cardinals handle Diamondbacks 8-2

Posted on April 27, 2016

PHOENIX (AP) — Carlos Martinez gave up three hits in eight scoreless innings, Brandon Moss and Stephen Piscotty homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 on Tuesday night.

Martinez (4-0) won for the fourth time in four starts. The 24-year-old right-hander held the Diamondbacks without a hit until David Peralta’s one-out single in the fourth.

Moss had four hits, including a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Piscotty added a two-run shot in the seventh.

Former Cardinal Shelby Miller (0-2) threw four scoreless innings before St. Louis broke through for five runs in the fifth.

Still, it was a small step forward for Miller, who had battled control issues and hadn’t made it past the second inning in his previous two outings.

Jake Lamb and Yasmany Tomas homered for Arizona off reliever Tyler Lyons in the ninth.

Martinez struck out four, walked one and hit a batter. Besides Peralta’s single, the other hits off him were Jean Segura’s sixth-inning single and Tomas’ seventh-inning double.

Chris Owings, an infielder shifted to the outfield with A.J. Pollock’s injury, showed his inexperience in center in the Cardinals’ big fourth inning. With runners at first and second and one out, Owings broke the wrong way, then made a diving attempt to catch Piscotty’s fly ball. The ball bounced off of Owings’ glove and rolled away for an RBI double.

Randal Grichuk followed with an RBI sacrifice fly, then Moss hit Miller’s 1-0 pitch into the right-field seats, his fifth home run of the season, and it was 5-0.

Miller went five innings, allowing five runs and five hits. He struck out six and walked four.

POWER SURGE

St. Louis and Arizona entered the game tied with the most home runs in the majors at 30 apiece. Only they kept it up on Tuesday.

They each have 32 homers, the Cardinals through 20 games, the Diamondbacks through 22.

Nine St. Louis batters have homered this year, led by Moss and Jeremy Hazelbaker with five apiece. Ten Diamondbacks have homered, led by Paul Goldschmidt’s five.

Arizona has home runs in seven straight games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday was out of the lineup as a precaution after leaving Monday night’s game with a right leg cramp.

Diamondbacks: RHP Josh Collmenter (right shoulder tightness) threw one inning (11 pitches) in an extended spring training game on Monday, then pitched another inning in the bullpen. He is to pitch in another extended spring training game on Thursday before going to Class A Visalia on a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (0-3, 7.25 ERA) takes the mound for St. Louis still looking for his first win of the season.

Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin (1-2, 3.51) makes his fifth start of the season, in the third game of the four-game series with the Cardinals.

— Associated Press —

Tigers rout Missouri State 17-9 in series finale

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball (21-21) topped Missouri State (28-11), 17-9, on Tuesday night (April 26) thanks to a pair of two-run bombs over the left field wall by Shane Benes (Town and Country, Mo.) and Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.). It was a team effort on offense as all nine Missouri players recorded a hit in the game, including six players with at least two hits, as Mizzou scored a season-high 17 runs.

RHP Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) took the ball for Mizzou for his second start of the season and earned his third win of the season. Bartlett kicked off a strong showing on the mound, retiring the first seven batters face and limiting Missouri State to just two hits, one run and one walk through five innings pitched. He finished the night with a career-high four strikeouts.

Lavy led the Mizzou offense with three hits and six RBI, the most for a Tiger since Eric Garcia on March 20, 2010, against Purdue. He also finished a triple shy of the cycle. Benes added three hits and five RBI of his own, including a two-run homer, good for his fifth home run this season. Marquise Doherty (Kansas City, Mo.) and Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) each contributed to the offensive effort with two hits apiece, Doherty with his first career multi-RBI game.

A pair of walks by Missouri State put two runners on base early in the second for Mizzou. Doherty capitalized with a RBI single to the right side, the second of his career. Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) followed up with a line shot to right, scoring Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) and Doherty and giving Mizzou the 3-0 lead to end the second.

Lavy continued the offensive dominance for Missouri in the third with a rip to right field for a RBI double, tallying his 17th on the season. Benes followed up with a grounder to left center, scoring Lavy. Doherty recorded his second hit of the game with a liner to center putting Missouri up, 6-0.

A solo home run by Spencer Johnson in the fourth put Missouri State on the board but Mizzou responded with an explosive bottom half-inning. Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) and Howard rounded up a pair of singles to kick off the fourth inning and Lavy knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field. A Harris single up the middle set Benes up for a two-run blast over the bullpen, putting Mizzou ahead 10-1.

Missouri State threatened in the sixth with a four-run rally after a triple to right field by Steinmetz got the ball rolling. Jake Burger, Justin Paulsen and Jeremy Eierman all tallied RBI singles to bring MSU to within five. Mizzou answered with three runs in the sixth inning off a hard hit single by Benes and two in the seventh inning after a two-run shot by Lavy.

Paulsen tallied the fifth home run of the game with a two-run ball over the left center wall. Missouri State closed out the game with a three-run ninth inning but could not match Mizzou’s offensive production.

Mizzou begins a three game series with Tennessee on Friday at Taylor Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

MWSU’s Gawley earns weekly MIAA baseball honor

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – The No. 23 Missouri Western baseball team has claimed MIAA Hitter of the Week honors for the third consecutive week. Nick Gawley claimed Co-Hitter of the Week honors, Tuesday, after David Glaude received the distinction two weeks in a row.

A junior outfielder, Gawley batted .529 through four games last week with 12 RBIs. He began the week with a 4-for-4, seven-RBI performance against Northwest Missouri State. He went 9-for-15 at the plate with five extra base hits and five runs scored. Gawley also swiped two bases and recorded 10 putouts in center field.

Missouri Western went 3-1 in the games, with a run-rule victory over Northwest Missouri State and two wins of three games with Nebraska-Kearney.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest’s Pablo named MIAA Co-Pitcher of the Week

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior Nikko Pablo has been named the MIAA/AstroTurf Co-Pitcher of the Week for his performance in two games last week. Pablo went 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA with seven strikeouts in 8.1 innings for the Bearcats. Pablo becomes the third Northwest player to earn the conference’s weekly honor this season, joining Anthony Caenepeel and James Holler back on April 5.

Pablo pitched 3.2 inings of relief back on April 19 at Missouri Western. He allowed just three hits in 3.2 innings, giving up just one unearned run. He did not issue a walk and struck out two. On Saturday, Pablo picked up the win, going 4.2 innings of relief. He allowed three runs but only one was earned. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.

— Northwest Athletics —