Brandon Peddycoart

Saint Paul, Minnesota – A wet Fourth of July in the Twin Cities caused the start of the game to be delayed by 90 minutes. The fans that stuck around got to see an interesting pitching strategy executed by the Saints. However, it would not matter as the Gwinnett Stripers built of Wednesday night. For the second straight night the Saints were destroyed. This time by a score of 11-0 in front of 8,295. The Saints dropped to 42-41 on the season and 4-5 in the second half. You never know what you might see when you show up at the ballpark on any given day. Nacho Alvarez Jr. singled to center to start the game. Next, Drake Baldwin singled. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. struggled to pick up the ball in the wet outfield. That allowed Alvarez to score all the way from first. Louie Varland continued to struggle as the inning went on. Saints’ manager Toby Gardenhire went to the mound to make a unique defensive substitution. After a brief discussion with the umpires Gardenhire signaled for left-fielder Chris Williams, who would come onto pitch while Louie made the run to the outfield. Varland had 42 pitches through 0.2 innings. After last night the Saints bullpen was tired and the team could not afford a short outing from their starter. Williams got the Saints out of the inning when Luis Liberato flew out to right field. In the second, the Saints wanted to reverse the substitution and bring Varland back into pitch. However, the umpire crew insisted that Williams face a minimum of three batters even though he got out of the first inning. Gardenhire would argue, but that would do no good. The umpire crew made the decision and Williams was forced to face two more hitters. Sandy Leon walked and Skye Bolt singled. That was the end of the night on the mound for Williams. With Williams back in left field and Louie Varland back on the mound Alvarez was back at the plate for the Stripers. Alvarez hit a three-run homer to give Gwinnett a 4-0 lead. In the end, this move allowed Varland an opportunity to reset and stay in the game. However, this move costed the Saints the designated-hitter spot, which meant pitchers got the opportunity to take swings at the plate. The Saints would not get much more out of Varland. He worked 2.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits and threw 73 pitches. Varland left the game with his team down 4-0, but the other two runs were charged to Chris Williams. If things were not bad already it really fell apart for Nick Wittgren and the Saints in the fourth. Wittgren worked 0.2 innings and allowed 6 runs. Jeff Brigham would come in and got out of the fourth inning. Gwinnett had a 10-0 lead after four. Brigham finally stopped the bleeding. He worked 2.1 innings and did not allow any runs. Zach Logue dominated the Saints on Thursday night. Logue worked five innings and allowed no runs on five hits. He struck out five Saints batters and walked nobody. Along with the offensive fireworks put up by the Stripers the Saints stood no chance. Brooks Wilson came on and continued the Stripers domination of the Saints. The Stripers pitching staff did not walk a single batter all night. Chris Williams had quite the night. He pitched and made the defensive play of the game. Back in the first inning, Williams robbed Chadwick Tromp of a homer. Williams timed his jump above the wall perfectly to bring the ball back into the park. Payton Eeles made his AAA debut on Thursday. He went 1-for-2 and was hit by a pitch. He tried to steal a base but was caught. The Saints had to cancel the monster food truck rally post-game due to wet grounds; however, CHS Field would be one of the few places in the Twin Cities to still have Fourth of July fireworks. The Gwinnett Stripers and Saint Paul Saints meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. from CHS Field. The Saints are TBA while the Stripers will send LHP Dylan Dodd (2-7, 4.74) to the mound. The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota –Payton Eeles has spent the majority of the 2024 season with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and Cedar Rapids Kernels, which are low level affiliates in the Minnesota Twins organization. However, not no more! Payton Eeles got the call to join the Saints on July 4th. Eeles was born in Scottsdale, AZ, then went onto play college baseball at Costal Carolina. Following his college career Eeles played in familiar territory for the Saints. He spent the 2023 season as a member of the Chicago Dogs, who are an independent baseball team in the American Association. The Saints were in the American Assocation prior to becoming the Twins top affiliate. Eeles appeared in 39 games for the Dogs in 2023 and posted a .311 batting average with 20 RBIs. Chicago made the postseason in 2023 and Eeles helped lead the team. He posted a remarkable .368 average in 10 playoff games; however, Eeles and the Chicago Dogs fell short to the Kansas City Monarchs in the championship series. The Twins signed Eeles as a free agent in May of this season. Combined between Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers he posted a .316 average with 30 RBIs. Eeles comes in at 5-foot-7 and 180 pounds and used his abilities to steal 21 bases in the minors this season. At age 24 he is set to make his Triple-A debut at second base for the Saints. The Saints and Gwinnett Strippers (Atlanta Braves) meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. Louie Varland takes the ball for the Saints. He is a fan favorite/local player; attended college at Concordia-St. Paul and drafted by the Twins in 2019. Varland comes into play tonight with a record of 3-6 and a 6.56 ERA. However, Varland is looking to build off an impressive performance last Friday as Varland helped lead the Saints past the Iowa Cubs.

Saint Paul, Minnesota – All good things must come to an end. Louie Varland and the Saints were on the wrong end of history for the first time in a few weeks on Sunday. Not only was the win streak snapped, but the Saints allowed the most runs ever in franchise history. The Toledo Mud Hens destroyed the Saints by a score of 20-9 in front of 8,306 fans. The loss dropped the Saints to 38-36 on the season. The Toledo Mud Hens were swinging right out of the gate. On the second pitch of the game, Parker Meadows sent a cutter that was left up in the zone to dead center field. Next, Spencer Torkelson singled. Finally, Dillon Dingler launched a 435-foot shot to left, which gave Toledo a 3-0 lead. That was Dingler’s ninth homer of the season. However, the Saints would have an immediate response. The Saints sent nine men to the plate in the bottom of the frame. Edouard Julien walked to get things started. Next, Diego Castillo singled. Yunior Severino grounded into a double play, but the Saints would not let that hurt the inning. The Saints pushed five runs across with two outs. The ball was flying out of the park. Andrew Navigato picked up right where he left off with a three-run homer in the second. Later in the inning, Dingler came back to the plate. For the second time today, Dillon Dingler took Louie Varland deep. Toledo led 8-5. The Mud Hens would end Varland’s afternoon in the third with another four runs. Varland allowed five homers on Sunday, which was a career high. Varland worked 2.1 innings and allowed 12 runs, which was also a career high. He allowed eleven hits, which ties a career high. Overall, this is an afternoon Varland will want to forget. Ty Madden struggled early but was able to settle down working 4.0 plus innings and allowed nine runs on 10 hits. In the end, neither starter had a great afternoon. Aaron Rozek, who was transferred from Wichita (Double-A) prior to the game relieved Varland. His afternoon did not go well either. In the fourth, Toledo scored another seven earned runs, six charged to Rozek. The Saints were able to give fans something to cheer about in the bottom of the fourth. Anthony Prato singled and scored when Julien doubled. Later in the inning, Julien scored on a wild pitch. Jair Camargo tripled on a ball high off the right-center field wall. The Saints trailed 19-8 at the end of four. It took until the fifth inning, but Scott Blewett entered the game and was able to work a scoreless inning. In the bottom of the fifth, the Saints attempted to build off the momentum from the previous inning. The Saints pushed one across, but left the bases loaded. Saint Paul trailed 19-9 at the end of five. Josh Winder worked a perfect eighth inning. In the ninth, Winder gave up a solo homer to Ryan Vilade. Toledo had a commanding 20-9 lead. If the Saints learned anything from Saturday night, it is that large leads can disappear quickly. Unfortunately for the Saints this lead was a little too large to overcome. In the ninth, Patrick Winkel doubled. He would be stranded on second base. There was no shortage of offensive production. The Mud Hens collected 20 hits and completed six trips through the batting order. The Saints had 13 hits and left 10 men on base. The Saints took five-of-six games against Toledo this week. Fun fact of the game: How many batters were sent to the plate combined? The answer … 100! This concluded the first half of the season. The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday for a 6-game series against the Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs). First pitch from Principal Park is scheduled for 6:38 p.m. Both teams are TBA. The game can be seen on MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN, Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota – The Saints are hot! The Saints were founded in 1993 and have never had an eleven-game single season win streak. That changed on Saturday June 22, 2024. The Saints held off the Toledo Mud Hens for a 9-7 victory, which was the teams eleventh straight win! The streak started on Tuesday June 11th. The Saints started a 6-game series in Louisville. The Saints topped the Louisville Bats by a score of 3-2 in game one. Little did anyone know the run that would come! The highlight of the trip to Louisville came on Thursday June 13th, when the Saints killed the Bats 18-4. Following a six-game sweep of Louisville, the Saints welcomed the Toledo Mud Hens to CHS Field for a 6-game series. The Mud Hens and Saints had played close games all series, including Saturday night. Each game has been decided by no more than two runs. On Saturday, the Saints hit four home runs and jumped out to a 9-0 lead; however, the Mud Hens did not go away quietly. Toledo scored seven runs in the ninth. The biggest blow of the inning came when Andrew Navigato hit a grand slam to straight-away center field. Nick Wittgren was able to shut the door and the Saints made history! Currently, the Saints hold the longest active winning streak this season in the International League! Winning eleven straight is a team effort. Every person on the Saints roster has contributed in one way or another. The Saints swept the International League player of the week awards for the week of June 10th to 16th. Randy Dobnak earned the award of top pitcher and Matt Wallner was awarded top player. Wallner and Dobnak were not the only Saints players to have remarkable weeks. Caleb Boushely, Jair Camargo, Brooks Lee, along with others are red hot! The Saints have an opportunity to add onto the streak on Sunday afternoon. The Saints turn to Saint Paul native, Louie Varland. Valand has bounced back-and-further between the Minnesota Twins and Saints this season. His last start for the Saints was on June 6th against the Mets where he worked 3.0 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits. Since that start he has appeared twice for the Twins. One time out of the bullpen and once start. In them two appearances he worked 9.1 innings and allowed two runs on six hits. Varland comes into play today with a MiLB record of 2-5 with a 5.31 ERA. Louie will be opposed by RHP Ty Madden, who is 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA this season. Madden was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2021 following his college career in Texas. Madden has never appeared in a major league game. He has received multiple non-rosters invites to spring training with the Detroit Tigers. His last appearance was against the Saints on Tuesday night when the Saints got to him. Madden lasted just 1.2 innings and allowed five runs. Louie Varland wants to extend the Saints win streak to twelve. Meanwhile, Ty Madden looks to end the losing streak for the Mud Hens and help his team avoid getting swept in the state capital. First pitch is scheduled for 2:07 p.m. and the game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota – Winning teams find ways to win and losing teams find ways to lose. The Saint Paul Saints demonstrated they were a winning team on Wednesday afternoon. The Saints topped the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) 8-7 in front of 7,248 fans at CHS Field. The Saints improved to 35-35 on the season and 11-5 in the month of June. Ronny Henriquez made his first start of the season on Wednesday afternoon. Henriquez came to the Twins organization in a trade with the Texas Rangers in 2022. Since then, Henriquez had mostly appeared out of the bullpen producing strong results. He made history for the Twins on September 19th, 2022, becoming the first player born in the 2000’s to make his Twins debut. On Wednesday, the second batter of the game, Ryan Vilade, launched a 374-foot homer off Henriquez. This gave Toledo a 1-0 lead. The Saints wanted to tie the game in the bottom of the first, but Vilade used his defense to preserve the Mud Hens lead. With two outs, Lee was on second base and Yunior Severino singled to left field. Ryan Vilade fielded the ball and tossed a bullet to the plate where Anthony Bemboom applied the tag to stop Brooks Lee from scoring and the inning ended. Vilade added to his performance in the third. With two outs he doubled, which allowed Riley Unroe to score, which gave Toledo a 2-0 lead. Ryan Vilade was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2017. Last season, Vilade was with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization where he spent the season in the minor leagues. Following the 2023 season he elected free agency and was acquired by the Detroit Tigers. He has since earned a spot on the Tigers 40-man roster and gone between the big-league club and the minor leagues. The Saints tied the game in the third. Will Holland doubled, and Edouard Julien walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Holland and Julien pulled off a double steal, which put them at second and third respectively, with Lee on his way to the plate. For the second time this afternoon Lee doubled. This time both Holland and Julien scored, which tied the game. The Saints wanted to be sure the story of the game was not Ryan Vilade. Later that inning, Jair Camargo launched a 372-foot home run to right field. The Saints took a 5-2 lead. However, the lead was only temporary. Toledo scored four in the fourth and the Saints trailed 6-5. Eddys Leonard hit a ball 435-feet over the batters’ eye in center field in the sixth. Leonard becomes the sixth player to hit a baseball over the batters’ eye at CHS Field. He is only the second visiting player to accomplish the task. The only other visiting player to hit a ball over the batters’ eye was Joe Dunnigan of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in 2015. Burt Reynolds (2018), Max Murphy (2019), Josh Allen (2020), and Yunior Severio (2023) accomplished this feat for the Saints. CHS Field opened in 2015. In the seventh, Easton Lucas entered the game for Toledo, but the Saints got to him. Julien led off the inning with a walk and Brooks Lee doubled for the third time today. Three doubles in a single game was a career high for Lee, and all three came from the right side of the plate. Next, Matt Wallner walked to load the bases with nobody out. A four-pitch walk to Severino, which forced in a run and the Saints cut the lead to one. Lucas settled down and got Camargo and Alex Isola out prior to giving way to Trey Wingenter. Diego Castillo singled, which allowed Lee to score. Finally, Wallner scored on a wild-pitch and the Saints took an 8-7 lead. The Saints sent six different pitchers to the mound on Wednesday. Koby Funderburk picked up his third save of the season, and Nick Wittgren secured his first victory of the season. The Saints have now won eight straight games! The Toledo Mud Hens and Saint Paul Saints meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Toledo will send LHP Bryan Sammons (4-3, 3.26) to the mound while the Saints will counter with RHP David Festa (2-2, 3.50). The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota – The Saints entered play on Sunday with an opportunity to split the series against one of the top International League teams. Unfortunately for the Saints the Storm Chasers bats put on an offensive production and the combination of quality pitching led by starter Daniel Lynch IV lifted Omaha past Saint Paul by a score of 11-2 in front of 6,046 fans. The Saints dropped to 18-25 on the season. Omaha entered play on Sunday as the seventh best hitting team in the International League and the top pitching team. The first inning was one to forget for the Saints. Omaha sent nine men to the plate and plated six runs on six hits. The biggest blow of the inning came when Ryan Fitzgerald hit a 369-foot three-run shot to right field. Joe Gunkel recovered well after the first inning. He put zeros on the board the next two innings. Gunkel had a short afternoon. In total, he worked 3.0 innings and allowed six runs on eight hits. The Saints capitalized on sloppy play by the Storm Chasers. Omaha committed three errors in the bottom of the second. Chris Williams struck out to start the inning. Next, Tony Kemp reached on a fielding error by Storm Chasers second baseman Ryan Fitzgerlad. The ball went right between his legs. Errors may have been contagious because Anthony Prato grounded to Storm Chasers shortstop Cam Devanney, and the ball went between his legs. The Saints had runners on first and second with no hits and no outs. Patrick Winkel hit a ball down the right field line; however, Omaha had a strong relay to get Winkel sliding into second base. Kemp scored to get the Saints on the board. Will Holland, who is fresh off the injured list singled and brought home Prato. The Saints trailed 6-2 and went to the third. Neither of the runs were earned, but in the end a run is a run no matter how it came across. Josh Winder (MLB Rehab Assignment) worked the fourth. Austin Nola singled and came around to score when Nate Eaton doubled. Winder worked one inning and struck out two. Omaha took a 7-2 lead. In the fifth, Fitzgerald hit his second home run of the afternoon. It was a two-run shot off Saints reliever Jordan Balazovic, which gave Omaha a 9-2 lead. The Storm Chasers chased Balazovic out of the game in the sixth. With one out, CJ Alexander came to the plate with the bases loaded. He hit a two RBI single, which gave Omaha an 11-2 lead. The Saints almost got to Storm Chasers starter Daniel Lynch IV in the seventh. Chris Williams doubled to lead off the inning. However, Omaha brought in Kansas City Royals number five prospect, Anthony Veneziano, who got out of the inning without any trouble. Lynch IV worked 6.2 innings for Omaha and allowed two unearned runs on three hits and struck out six. Michael Helman snapped his consecutive home run streak on Sunday afternoon. Helman held a three consecutive game home run streak and is the second player to accomplish that feat this season. Matt Wallner had a home run in three consecutive games from May 2nd to 4th. Helman went 0-for-3 and struck out twice. On the other hand, Ryan Fitzgerald single handedly killed the Saints. He went 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, a single, three RBI’s and two runs scored. The Saints will have Monday off and embark on a 12-game two city road trip. The first stop is Buffalo, New York. The Saint Paul Saints and Buffalo Bison (Toronto Blue Jays) open a six-game series on Tuesday night at Sahlen Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. (CT). Both teams are TBA. The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota – The Saints entered play on Sunday with an opportunity to win a series for the first time since opening weekend; however, the Louisville Bats had other plans and pounded out 14 hits. The Saints lost 7-6 to Louisville on Sunday afternoon in front of 5,614. The Saints and Bats split the six-game series. The loss dropped the Saints to 13-18 on the season. David Festa was strong early as he had been in all six of his previous starts. In all his previous starts he had taken a no-decision. He faced four batters in the second inning. Three of the four batters Festa struck out. However, Edwin Rios hit a ball that got caught up in the breeze, which propelled the ball into the bullpen in left field. The Bats took a 1-0 lead. Louisville got to him in the third. Austin Wynns singled to start the inning. Next, Hernan Perez doubled off the left-center field wall. The ball just stayed inside the ballpark bouncing off the top of the wall and back into play. This allowed Wynns to come around from first to score. Perez stole third base and scored on an RBI single from TJ Friedl (MLB Rehab Assignment). The Bats continued to hit Festa around and took a 4-0 lead. Lyon Richardson held the Saints hitless until the third when DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled to left. With two outs, Wallner singled to right, which advanced Keirsey to third. On April 16th Matt Wallner was optioned to the Saints because he had struggled at the plate for the Twins. This week Wallner had found his swing. He hit a home run in three of the last four games. This is the second time in his career he has carried out that feat. The only Saint to hit home runs in four consecutive games was Drew Maggi in 2021. Finally, Michael Helman got the Saints on the board when he doubled down the left field line. Next, Alex Isola picked up his pitcher with a blast to tie the game at four. David Festa came back out to work the fourth with a clean slate. The game was tied at four. Louisville took a 5-4 lead when Perez hit a ball almost to the exact same spot in the fourth. This time the ball was a few feet deeper and just out of the reach of Keirsey. That was the knockout punch for Festa. Festa lasted 3.1 innings and allowed five runs on seven hits. He struck out eight Bats players on Sunday afternoon. Ronny Henriquez came on in relief and allowed an additional run. Louisville led 6-4. The Saints were down 7-4 when Justin Topa (MLB Rehab Assignment) entered the game in the sixth. Topa worked a solid inning. He allowed zero runs on one hit and stuck out one. Wallner was unable to join the elite club of Saints to hit a home run in four consecutive games; however, he was close. In the seventh, he hit a towering ball down the right field line; however, it was a foul ball by a matter of a few feet. The Saints tried to rally late but were unable to complete the comeback. The Saints will have Monday while traveling to Toledo, Ohio to begin a six-game series against the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) on Tuesday night. First pitch from Fifth Third Field is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. (CT). Both teams are TBA. The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM. The Saints return home on Tuesday May 14th to start a series against the Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals).

Saint Paul, Minnesota – This was the second time in this series mother nature did not want to cooperate with the Saint Paul Saints. The Saints and Red Wings were rained out on Friday which forced a doubleheader on Saturday. On Sunday rain struck again and the Saints and Red Wings were postponed. This game will be made up when the Saints visit Rochester, and the date will be announced later. If fans purchased tickets online or over the phone, they will receive a voucher within 72 hours. Fans who purchased tickets in-person can exchange your tickets at the box office for any regular season game in 2024. The Saints are off on Monday and will return to action on Tuesday at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 11:07 a.m. The Saints will welcome the Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds). Both teams are TBA. The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota – It was not pretty but the Saints got it done. With assistance from a breakthrough moment from Diego Castillo and strong performances from Jordan Balazovic and Caleb Thielbar, the Saints got past the Iowa Cubs 5-2 in front of 3,028. The Saints improved to 6-5 on the season. David Festa took the ball for the Saints. This was his third start of the season, and the Cubs got to him early. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Next, Crow-Armstrong stole third, which was his fifth stolen base of the season. Patrick Wisdom (MLB Rehab Assignment) walked to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Finally, David Peralta made sure his Cubs debut was rememberable. Peralta singled to right, which drove in Crow-Armstrong, and the Cubs had a 1-0 lead. Chris Clarke did not give up a hit in the bottom of the first, but he worked in and out of trouble. Michael Helman walked followed by a walk from Patrick Winkel. Clarke got out of the inning without any additional trouble. In the second, Cubs shortstop Luis Vazquez got ejected. The argument started in the first when Helman stole second base and Vazquez thought the Cubs caught Helman stealing; however, third base umpire Evin Johnson thought differently. Vazquez was displeased and continued to argue through the inning. When Vazquez singled in his part of the inning he attempted to steal second base; however, he was caught stealing and now very displeased. This time his argument got him the boot. Not long after Vazquez got ejected, Cubs manager Marly Pevey got ejected too. Peralta continued his good day at the plate for the Cubs. In the third, Peralta walked and advanced from first to third on a throwing error by Saints pitcher David Festa. Festa went onto walk Owen Caissie before being replaced by Jordan Balazovic. Festa worked 2.2 innings and allowed three hits, one run, four walks, and four strikeouts. Balazovic got the Saints out of the inning. The Saints put runners on the basepaths in the third. Yoyner Fajardo singled followed by a single from Dashawn Keirsey Jr. Helman walked and the Saints had the bases loaded with nobody out. The double play ball killed the Saints once again. Patrick Winkel grounded into a 1-2-3 double play. However, the Saints did not give up. Jair Camargo walked with two outs to reload the bases. Severino flew out to left field and the Saints left the bases loaded. Iowa had a 1-0 lead after three. Things settled down thanks to Jordan Balazovic. Balazovic worked 2.1 innings and allowed no hits and struck out four. He gave way to Caleb Thielbar, who is on an MLB Rehab assignment. The lone run Thielbar allowed came on a solo homerun off the bat of Ali Sanchez. Thielbar worked 2.0 innings and allowed one run, one hit, and struck out four. Thielbar appeared to be ready to rejoin the Minnesota Twins. Patience paid off for the Saints. The Saints acquired Diego Castillo from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations on April 5th, 2024. His first big moment for the Saints came in the sixth. Castillo launched a three-run home run to left, which gave the Saints a 3-1 lead. In the seventh, the Saints hit another homerun. Keirsey Jr. launched his second homerun of the season, this time to dead center field. The Saints took a 4-2 lead. Later in the inning, the Saints added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly from Winkel. The Saints had a 5-2 lead after seven, and that is how it would stay. The Saints offense has been slow out of the gate; however, pitching has kept the Saints competitive. For the second consecutive night the Saints struck out fifteen batters, marking it the third time this season the Saints struck out fifteen or more batters. The Saints have 124 strikeouts this season, and eighty-three had been swinging. The Iowa Cubs and Saint Paul Saints meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:37 p.m. The Cubs are TBA while the Saints will send RHP Joe Gunkel (0-0, 7.71) The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - Thomas Pannone vs Randy Dobnak headlined the game. Entering play tonight neither pitcher had taken a loss this season. On top of a solid performance from Cubs starter Thomas Pannone, the Saints had to face one of the best relief pitchers in the MiLB so far this season, Riley Thompson. Pannone, Thompson, and the Cubs defeated the Saints 4-1 at CHS Field in front of 3,145. The Saints fell to 5-5 on the season. Randy Dobnak was on his third start of the season for the Saints. His first two starts were polar opposites. On March 31st Dobnak started against Columbus and retired the first 10 men he faced; however, four days later in Nashville he lasted 3.2 innings, which was his shortest start since August of 2023. The Saints got the dominate Dobnak on Wednesday night. The sinker, slider, and changeup caused seven Cubs to go down swinging, but Dobnak ran into trouble in the fifth. Jacob Slaughter singled and Ali Sanchez walked, which put runners on first and second. With two outs, Patrick Wisdom (MLB Rehab Assignment) launched a no doubt three-run home run to right-center field. Iowa took a 3-0 lead. Next, Dobnak hit Matt Mervis with the pitch, and that ended his night. Matt Bowman came on in relief and a few batters later got Owen Caissie to strike out. On the other hand, Thomas Pannone dominated, and stayed that way through the night. He worked five innings, struck out six, and allowed three hits. The only time the Saints got anything going off Pannone was in the sixth. Michael Helman doubled off the right field wall and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. walked. Next, Pannone exited, and Riely Thompson came in for the Cubs. Yunior Severino singled to left and Helman scored, and the Saints trailed 3-1. Thompson got himself into additional trouble quickly when he walked Alex Isola to load the bases. With one out, Anthony Prato grounded into an inning ending double play. Iowa hung onto a 3-1 lead after six. Thompson worked himself into a jam in the seventh, but he got himself out. Chris Williams picked up his second hit of the night to start the inning. Next, Diego Castillo flied out to left. Will Holland singled to put runners on first and second with one out. The double play ball once again killed the Saints. Helman grounded into an inning ending double play. In the eighth, Alexander Canario led off the inning with a solo home run, which was his second of the season. Next, Caissie doubled to left-center field. Castillo got out of the inning without any more damage. Colten Brewer got the Saints to go quietly in the ninth. Jair Camargo had been difficult to deal with for the Iowa Cubs over the past year. On Tuesday, Camargo hit his sixth career home run against the Cubs. However, he had not only been hard for the Cubs to manage. Camargo earned Minnesota Twins' minor league player of the week last week. He hit .273 (6-for-22) with two doubles, a home run, three RBI, three walks and an .885 OPS over six games. The Cubs kept him quiet on Wednesday. Camargo went 0-for-4. The Iowa Cubs and Saint Paul Saints meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night at CHS Field. First pitched is scheduled for 6:37 p.m. The Cubs will send RHP Chris Clarke (0-0, 1.42) to the mound while the Saints will counter with RHP David Festa (0-0, 1.59). The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - The St. Paul Saints had three players on MLB Rehab Assignments in the lineup on Sunday afternoon. Byron Buxton sent a ball to the warning track in the bottom of the ninth but in the end, it was dominant Mud Hens pitching that helped Toledo get past the Saints 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in front of 6,003. The Saints finished the 2023 season with a record of 84-64. In the second, Nick Maton walked. Next, Justice Bigbie singled, which moved Maton to second. Ryan Kreidler hit an RBI single to left and Matson scored, which gave Toledo a 1-0 lead. In the third, Colt Keith doubled on a sharp drive to center field. Eddys Leonard hit a home run, which gave Toledo a 3-0 lead. Keider Montero picked up his fifth win of the season for Toledo. Montero pitched five strong innings and allowed two runs on two hits. The two runs for the Saints were scored in the fifth. Michael Helman led off the inning with a single. Later in the inning, Jair Camargo came to the plate with an opportunity to tie the franchise single season home run record. Camargo launched the ball 448-feet to center field for home run number 21 on the season. The Saints trailed 3-2. Camargo and Chris Williams ended the season with 21 home runs each. Toledo took a 3-2 lead to the bottom of the ninth. Aneurys Zabala entered the game to pitch for the Mud Hens. Zabala got Yunior Severino and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to strikeout. With two outs Byron Buxton (MLB Rehab Assignment) stepped to the plate. The entertainment staff brought CHS Field to its feet and Buxton worked a full count. Buxton sent the ball 447-feet to the warning track in left field, but Nick Maton settled under the ball to make the catch. Toledo hung on for a 3-2 win over the Saints. Patrick Murphy started for the Saints. Murphy worked four innings and allowed seven runs on three hits. The Saints did not allow Toledo to get a hit the final three innings of the game. Mud Hens pitching kept even rehab players quiet. The Saints only collected two hits all afternoon. Byron Buxton went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Nick Gordon went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk while Joey Gallo went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. The 2023 season has concluded, and it is time to look forward to the 2024 season. For the first time in franchise history the Saints will play a home game in March. The 2024 season will begin on March 29th, 2024, at CHS Field. Game times will be announced later.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - Rain, rain, go away. The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints wanted to play on Saturday night, but mother nature had other plans. The Saints and Mud Hens game was canceled due to rain. With Sunday being the last day of the season, this game will not be made up. The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints conclude the 2023 season on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 12:07 p.m. The Mud Hens are TBA while the Saints will send LHP Brent Headrick (4-2, 4.81) to the mound. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM. If you purchased tickets online or over the phone, you will receive vouchers in your account equal to the amount you spent. That voucher can be used in 2024.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - The Saints had a seven run second inning that included a grand slam from Michael Helman. The Saints have 14 grand slams on the season, and this helped the Saints get past the Toledo Mud Hens 10-6 in front of 7,517. The Saints improved to 41-32 in the second half and 84-63 on the season. In the second, Nick Maton was hit-by-the-pitch and Justice Bigbie singled. Next, Ryan Kreidler hit a 360-foot home run to right field. Toledo had a 3-0 lead. The Saints answered with a seven-run bottom of the second. With one out, Hernan Perez singled to center. Next, Anthony Prato hit his ninth home run of the season. The Saints were not done yet. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled followed by a single from Chris Williams. Next, Tony Wolters was hit-by-the-pitch to load the bases. Austin Martin hit a deep sacrifice fly to left field. Nick Solak made the catch, but Keirsey Jr. came in and scored. The game was tied at three. Nick Gordon (MLB Rehab Assignment) walked, and once again the bases were loaded. Michael Helman hit a 419-foot grand slam to straight center field. The ball went off the batters' eye and gave the Saints a 7-3 lead. It was a home run type of night. In the third, Anthony Prato hit a solo home run, which gave the Saints an 8-3 lead. With two outs in the fourth, Michael Helman singled and Yunior Severino hit his 11th home run of the season. The Saints had a 10-3 lead. No more runs were scored until the ninth. Eddys Leonard doubled, and Nick Maton walked. Next, Justice Bigbie hit a home run off the foul pole in right. Toledo trailed 10-6. Blayne Enlow started for St. Paul. Enlow worked three innings while allowing three runs on two hits. He struck out four. Brock Stewart (MLB Rehab Assignment) worked an inning and struck out two. Stewart had a fastball that averaged 96.8 mph and touched 97.6 mph. Jorge Alcala (MLB Rehab Assignment) worked two innings and struck out four. Schulfer and Boyle made pitching appearances for the Saints on Friday night. In total Saints pitchers struck out 13 Mud Hen batters. Nick Gordon went 0-for-3 with a walk, strikeout and run scored. The modern stats era goes back to 2005. No team has hit more grand slams since 2005 than the 2023 St. Paul Saints, who have hit 14 so far this season. There are still two games remaining in the 2023 season. The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints meet in game four of a six-game series on Saturday night at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:37 p.m. Toledo will send LHP Sean Guenther (2-1, 5.04) while the Saints will counter with RHP Patrick Murphy (6-3, 3.54). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - Bryan Sammons tossed six dominant innings for the Mud Hens. A costly Toledo error in the seventh inning helped the Saints score four unearned runs. The Saints defeated the Toledo Mud Hens 4-2 on Thursday night in front of 6,547. The Saints improved to 83-63 on the season. Toledo got on the board in the first. Randy Dobnak had a rocky start. On the first pitch of the game Dobnak hit Nick Solak with the pitch. Next, Justyn-Henry Malloy walked. Colt Keith doubled, which allowed Solak to score. Toledo had a 1-0 lead. Dobnak settled down and got Eddys Leonard and Nick Maton to strike out swinging. Finally, Justice Bigbie flew out to right field to end the inning. Dobnak pitched well the remainder of the way. Dobnak worked six innings while allowing one run on three hits. He struck out seven and walked four. Andrew Bechtold came on in relief to pitch the seventh. Bechtold walked Dillon Dingler. Next, Michael Papierski singled and Solak walked to load the bases. Justyn-Henry Malloy hit a sacrifice fly to right field, which allowed Dingler to score. Toledo took a 2-0 lead. Bechtold got Colt Keith to ground out to second to end the inning. Andrew Bechtold picked up his third win of the season. He pitched one inning and allowed one run on one hit, while striking out one. Bryan Sammons worked six innings and allowed no runs and four hits for the Mud Hens. Andrew Vasquez entered the game in the seventh for Toledo. However, things fell apart for the Mud Hens, and it was not Vasquez's fault. Brooks Lee singled to lead off the inning. Later in the inning, Kyle Garlick reached on a fielder's choice. Mud Hens third baseman Justyn-Henry Malloy threw the ball into right field, which allowed Lee to come all the way from first to score and Garlick advanced to third. Next, Jair Camargo is hit-by-the-pitch. Gilberto Celestino stepped to the plate. Vasquez threw a wild pitch, which allowed Camargo to move to second and Garlick to score. The game was tied at two. Hernan Perez hit an RBI single to left, which allowed Camargo to score. The Saints took a 3-2 lead. Michael Helman singled, which knocked Vasquez out of the game. Garrett Hill entered the game and Hill allowed an RBI single to Byron Buxton (MLB Rehab Assignment). Buxton was replaced by Chris Williams, who was used as a pinch-runner. Joey Gallo walked before Brooks Lee grounded out to second to end the inning. St. Paul had a 4-2 lead. All four runs scored by the Saints on Thursday night were unearned. Joey Gallo (MLB Rehab Assignment) went 0-for-3 with a walk and strikeout. Byron Buxton went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and an RBI. The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints will meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:37 p.m. The Mud Hens are TBA while the Saints will send RHP Blayne Enlow (2-5, 7.87) to the mound. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - The Saints and Mud Hens started the final series of the regular season on Tuesday night. The Saints carried a shutout into the ninth inning. In fact, the Saints were one out away from a shutout, but Dillon Dingler had other plans. In the end, the Saints shut the door and secured a 4-2 win over the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) in front of 6,741. The Saints improved to 81-63 on the season. The Saints got on the board in the second. Yunior Severino walked to lead off the inning. Later in the inning, Jair Camargo hit his 20th home run of the season. St. Paul took a 2-0 lead. In the fifth, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled and Nick Gordon (MLB Rehab Assignment) was hit-by-the-pitch. Later in the inning, Joey Gallo (MLB Rehab Assignment) hit an RBI single, and the Saints took a 3-0 lead. Next, Trevor Larnach singled to center, which brought home Gordon and the Saint had a 4-0 lead. The score stayed like that until the ninth inning with two outs. Dillon Dingler stepped to the plate with a runner on first. Dingler hit a 355-foot home run to right field, which was his third of the season. Toledo trailed 4-2. Alvaro Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the game. The Saints had seven pitchers pitch on Tuesday night. McMahon, Schulfer, Boyle, Stewart, Alcala, and Balazovic each pitched an inning. Jorge Alcala (MLB Rehab Assignment) took seven pitches to get through his inning of work. Alcala had his fastball touch 97.6 mph while his fastball averaged 96.2 mph. Out of his seven pitches tossed, six were strikes. The bulk of the work went to Chris Paddack (MLB Rehab Assignment). Paddack worked three innings while striking out five. Paddack had an 11-mph variance between his average fastball and changeup. Also, Paddack had a fastball clocked at 98.2 mph, which if he had been pitching in the major leagues that would have been his hardest pitch ever thrown. Currently, the Minnesota Twins have five players completing rehab assignments in St. Paul. The Twins will look to have everybody healthy while making the final push for the playoffs, but pitching will be critical. Paddack and Alcala will continue to rehab this week. The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday night at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:37 p.m. Toledo will send RHP Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 7.50) while the Saints will counter with RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (6-6, 4.92). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.