Brandon Peddycoart

Saint Paul, Minnesota - It was a combination of offense, defense, and a strong pitching performance from Saints pitchers that lifted the Saints past the Indianapolis Guardians by a score of 4-1 on Thursday night. The Saints improved to 67-49 on the season, which is second place in the International League West standings. The Saints offense got on the board in the first. Brooks Lee walked and Anthony Prato singled, which allowed Lee to advance to third. Next, Kyle Garlick doubled on a line drive to left. This allowed Lee to score, and the Saints took a 1-0 lead. The Saints added on in the second. Gilberto Celestino walked and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled. Later in the inning, Brooks Lee hit a bases clearing double. St. Paul took a 3-0 lead. The score would stay this way until the fifth. Anthony Prato led off the inning with a solo home run. This went to straight center field off the batter's eye. This was his eighth home run of the season and gave the Saints a 4-0 lead. In the eighth, Grant Koch walked with one out for Indianapolis. Canaan Smith-Njigba doubled, which brought home Koch. Kody Funderburk came into the game for the Saints and shut the door the rest of the way. Funderburk picked up his fourth save of the season and the Saints held on for a 4-1 win. The Indianapolis Guardians and St. Paul Saints meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Indianapolis will send RHP Luis Ortiz (4-4, 4.15) to the mound while the Saints are TBA. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - It was not poor pitching nor lack of offense that was the problem for the Saints on Wednesday night. The Saints could not get out of their own way committing four errors in critical times. Indianapolis capitalized on the mistakes and defeated the St. Paul Saints by a score of 4-3 in front of 8,783. The Saints fell to 66-49 on the season. Indianapolis got on the board in the first, and the critical errors started in the first. Ji Hwan Bae (MLB Rehab Assignment) singled to left on the very first pitch of the game thrown by Saints starter Louie Varland. Next, Nick Gonzales singled to right. Bae attempted to go from first to third. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. fielded the ball in right and attempted to throw Bae out at third; however, the ball was overthrown and ended up in the seats. This allowed Bae to score, and the Guardians had a 1-0 lead. In the third, Nick Gonzales hit a solo home run to left. This was his seventh of the season. This gave Indianapolis a 2-0 lead. The Saints would tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Keirsey Jr. singled and Hernan Perez doubled. Andrew Stevenson hit an RBI single to left, which put the Saints within one. Brooks Lee grounded into a double play, but Perez scored to tie the game at two. The Saints would commit another critical error in the fifth. Ji Hwan Bae doubled to left. A throwing error by Saints left fielder Gilberto Celestino allowed Bae to come all the way around the bases to score, Indianapolis took a 3-2 lead. In the sixth, Celestino doubled. Yunior Severino and Austin Martin walked. With the bases loaded and one out, Chris Williams hit a sacrifice fly to center, which allowed Celestino to score. The game was tied at three. The final nail in the coffin for the Saints would come in the ninth. Mason Martin singled, and Bae grounded out to short. Nick Gonzales singled to left. Celestino committed a fielding error, which allowed Martin to score. Indianapolis took a 4-3 lead. The Guardians would hang on and take game two from the Saints. Louie Varland started for the Saints. Varland worked 6.2 innings allowing six hits. Varland allowed three runs (one earned). He struck out five and walked three. Moran came on to relieve Varland. Moran worked 1.1 innings allowing one hit. Ortega took the loss. His first of the season. Ortega worked one inning allowing two hits. He allowed an unearned run. Out of the four runs scored by the Guardians on Wednesday night only one was earned. The Indianapolis Guardians and St. 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. The Guardians will send LHP Cam Aldred (7-5, 5.14) to the mound while the Saints will counter with RHP Blayne Enlow (2-5, 9.58). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - The Indianapolis Guardians (Pittsburgh Pirates) pitching staff silenced the Saints offense most of Tuesday night; however, in the ninth the Saints would bring the tying run to the plate. The Saints were unable to complete a comeback and dropped game one of the series to the Guardians by a score of 8-5 in front of 7,262. The Saints fell to 66-48 on the season. Ji Hwan Bae (MLB Rehab Assignment) led off the game with a double to left. Nick Gonzales followed up with a double of his own, which give the Guardians a 1-0 lead. The Saints would answer in the bottom of the first. Andrew Stevenson led off with a walk. Stevenson stole second base. This was his 39th stolen base of the season. Kyle Garlick doubled on a sharp line drive to left. This allowed Stevenson to score. The Saints tied the game at one. Little did the Saints know that would be the only hit the Saints offense would collect until the sixth. Between the first and sixth it was all Indianapolis. The Guardians scored four in the second and two in the fourth to knock Saints starter Randy Dobnak out of the game. Dobnak worked four innings allowing eleven hits and seven runs (six earned). He struck out four and walked three. In the sixth, Brooks Lee tripled. Trevor Larnach hit a sacrifice fly to right. The Saints trailed 7-2. Indianapolis got a run in the seventh when Vinny Capra walked. Next, Mason Martin doubled, which allowed Capra to advance to third. Dom Nunez was hit-by-the-pitch to load the bases. Gonzales walked to force in a run, and Indianapolis took an 8-2 lead. In the eighth, Gilberto Celestino walked to start the inning. Next, Andrew Stevenson singled, which allowed Celestino to advance to third. Brooks Lee hit a sacrifice fly. St. Paul trailed 8-3. In the ninth the Saints brought the tying run to the plate. Jair Camargo walked, and Austin Martin hit his third home run of the season. The Saints trailed 8-5. Celestino and Stevenson walked to bring Lee to the plate as the tying run with one out. Lee grounded out to shortstop. Finally, Trevor Larnach represented the tying run with two outs. Larnach struck out to end the game. Indianapolis held on for an 8-5 win. Prior to Tuesday's game Carlos Luna was assigned to Wichita from St. Paul. Also, the Minnesota Twins reinstated Royce Lewis from the 10-day IL and placed OF/INF Willi Castro on the 10-day IL with a mild left oblique strain. Royce Lewis spoke with the media at Target field on Tuesday when being reactivated by the Twins. He spoke about his experience rehabbing in St. Paul. Lewis said: "it's basically a Twins game over there. The excitement from the fans over there is just as fun as here. You feed off that. When Louie Varland was pitching... he is the hometown kid and everyone was saying, 'Louuuu!' so cool". The Indianapolis Guardians and St. Paul Saints meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday night at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Indianapolis will send RHP Jared Jones (2-2, 5.44) while the Saints will send RHP Louie Varland (7-0, 4.03) 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 St. Paul Saints were looking to complete a six-game sweep of the Louisville Bats on Sunday afternoon but pitching struggled for both teams. The Bats would come out on top with an 8-6 rain shortened six innings win in front of 7,244. The Saints fell to 66-47 on the season. The Saints offense exploded in the first scoring six runs. It started when Royce Lewis (MLB Rehab Assignment) singled to right and stole second base to put himself in scoring position. Next, Brooks Lee hit an RBI single to right, which allowed Lewis to score, and the Saints were on the board first. Yonior Severino grounded out, which brought Prato to the plate with two outs. Prato singled to right and gave the Saints a 2-0 lead. Jiar Camargo walked, and Gilberto Celestino singled to bring Austin Martin to the plate. Martin hit a three-run home run, which was his second home run of the year, and this put the Saints on top 6-0. A single from DaShawn Keirsey Jr. knocked Ben Lively (MLB Rehab Assignment) out of the game. Casey Legumina came in and struck out Andrew Stevenson to end the inning. Ben Lively lasted 0.2 innings throwing 32 pitches. Lively gave up six hits on six runs while walking one. Casey Legumina picked up his first win of the season working 1.1 innings. Antone is credited with a hold and Phillips with the save. Carlos Luna had a strong first inning, but the Bats started to chip away in the second. Nick Martini singled and Noelvi Marte was hit-by-the-pitch. Jason Vosler walked to load the bases with nobody out. Luna threw a wild pitch, which allowed Martini to score. Next, Jose Barrero hit a sacrifice fly to left. St. Paul had a 6-2 lead. In the third, Curt Casali singled and Matt Reynolds doubled down the line in left. Nick Martini hit his 15th home run of the season. Louisville trailed by one and the bats were just starting to warm up. Marte singled and Jason Vosler doubled. Drew Mount hit his third home run of the season, and Louisville had an 8-6 lead. That would end the afternoon for Carlos Luna. Ronny Henriquez came on in relief. Luna worked 2.2 innings allowing seven hits and eight runs. He struck out three while walking one. Henriquez worked 2.1 innings allowing one hit and striking out four. On August 3rd Brooks Lee was called up to Triple-A. He is the number one prospect in the organization. When called up this was his second time ever stepping foot in the state of Minnesota, with the first being when he signed with the Minnesota Twins. Speaking with Lee prior to the game on Sunday we talked about how his experience has been so far in St. Paul. Lee said: "Wichita has a very nice stadium, but this is unbelievable, a lot more fans". Lee was excited for the opportunity to play with Royce Lewis this past week. "It is really fun playing with him, we like to have fun on the left side. I feel comfortable with him. We are both from California and were young when we got drafted. He has given me a lot of one-on-one time, and he knows I want to ask questions, and he lets me have any advice I can take. That's what a good big leaguer would do". Royce Lewis went 2-for-4 on Sunday with a run scored. He is expected to rejoin the Minnesota Twins when the Twins open a series at Target Field Tuesday night against Detroit. The Saints have Monday off and begin a series against Indianapolis on Tuesday. The Indianapolis Guardians (Pittsburgh Pirates) and St. Paul Saints meet in game one of a six-game series on Tuesday night at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Both teams are TBA. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - The St. Paul Saints did not have a starting pitcher going into Saturday night. It was a bullpen game. Patrick Murphy opened the game and was supported by the offense, working in harmony the Saints secured an 8-4 victory over the Louisville Bats on Saturday night in front of 8,215. The Saints improved to 66-46 on the season. In the second, Noelvi Marte singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, Marte stole third and scored. There were two errors in one play. First, a throwing error by Saints catcher Chris Williams. The ball was thrown into left field. Next, a fielding error by left fielder Trevor Larnach, which allowed Marte to score, and the Bats took a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, Austin Martin and Chris Williams walked. Next, Hernan Perez hit his fifth home run of the season. This gave St. Paul a 3-1 lead. Louisville got three in the fifth, but the Saints answered in the bottom half of the inning. Trevor Larnach walked and stole second base. Next, Yunior Severino doubled, which tied the game at four. This was his first double at the Triple-A level. Martin walked and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was hit-by-the-pitch, which brought Chris Williams to the plate. Williams hit a two-run single to center. This gave St. Paul a 6-4 lead. Things would only spiral downward for Louisville from here. A wild pitch was thrown by Bats pitcher Tony Santillan, which allowed Keirsey Jr. to score, and the Saints took a 7-4 lead. The Saints would add an insurance run in the eighth. It was Bats pitcher Christian Roa that threw a wild pitch, which allowed Brooks Lee to score. St. Paul had an 8-4 lead, and this held for the final score. Patrick Murphy opened for St. Paul. Murphy worked four innings allowing two hits. He gave up an unearned run while striking out five and walking two. Ortega worked the final two innings of the night. He did not give up a hit and struck out three. Prior to Saturday's game the Saints made a handful of roster moves. The Minnesota Twins optioned LHP Brent Headrick to St. Paul. The corresponding move was the Minnesota Twins recalled RHP Cole Sands from St. Paul. Also, Carlos Luna was promoted from Wichita to St. Paul. Carlos Luna, 26, pitched in 19 games with Wichita this season. He posted a 1-7 record with a 5.54 ERA. Luna worked 76.1 innings, which is a team high. Luna was selected to play with Team Panama in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. However, he did not pitch in a game. The Louisville Bats and St. Paul Saints meet in the finale of a six-game series on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2:07 p.m. The Bats will send RHP Ben Lively (4-0, 2.33) while the Saints will counter with RHP Carlos Luna (NR). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - A strong pitching performance led by Saints starter Louie Varland lifted the Saints past the Louisville Bats by a score of 5-0 on Friday night. The Saints improved to 65-46 on the season and 22-15 in the second half. The game started in an hour and thirty-six-minute rain delay, but when the game started Royce Lewis got the Saints on the board with a solo home run. Later in the inning, Trevor Larnach walked and Celestino singled to right. Finally, Jair Camargo doubled on a fly ball to shallow right field. The ball dropped, which allowed Larnach and Celestino to score, and the Saints had a 3-0 lead.In the third, Brooks Lee and Jair Camargo each hit a solo home run. For Lee this was his first home run at the Triple-A level. On the other hand, for Camargo this was his 18th of the season. The Saints had a 5-0 lead and pitching was strong the rest of the way.Varland led the Saints to their first shutout since April 18th. Varland worked 7.1 innings while allowing three hits. He tossed 84 pitches, 54 were strikes (66%). Varland improved to 7-0 on the season. He left the game to a standing ovation and by tipping his cap to the crowd while walking off the mound. Jovani Moran shut the door the rest of the way.The Louisville Bats and St. Paul Saints meet in game five of a six-game series on Saturday night at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Louisville will send RHP Lyon Richardson (0-0, 0.00) while the Saints will counter with RHP Patrick Murphy (5-2, 4.53). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - A unique start to the game with the first three hits coming in the form of solo home runs. The Saints were able to hang around when Hunter Greene (MLB Rehab Assignment) was pitching before breaking through, scoring five in the fifth to pick up an 8-5 win over the Louisville Bats on Thursday night in front of 8,456. The Saints improved to 64-46 on the season. Matt Reynolds hit his 19th home run of the season, which gave Louisville a 1-0 lead. Trevor Larnach tied the game at one with his 11th home run of the season in the bottom of the first. There are not many games where the first three hits are home runs, but this game that was the case. The third hit of the game came in the second, Noelvi Marte hit his third home run of the season, and this gave Louisville a 2-1 lead. In the third, Alejo Lopez walked with one out. Next, Reynolds singled followed by a single from Nick Martini, which brought home Lopez. Henry Ramos hit a sacrifice fly to give the Bats a 4-1 lead. Andrew Stevenson hit his 14th home run of the season. The Saints got within one in the fourth. Kyle Garlick walked with one out and Jair Camargo doubled to bring home Garlick, and the Saints trail 4-3. The Saints broke the game open in the fifth; however, the Bats pitching did not do them any favors. Royce Lewis, Trevor Larnach, Anthony Prato, and Yunior Severino all walked. This was four straight walks, and this tied the game at four. Next, Kyle Garlick hit a sacrifice fly to center, which gave the Saints a 5-4 lead. Later in the inning, Gilberto Celestino hit his seventh double of the season. This one went off the right field wall and gave St. Paul an 8-4 lead. Henry Ramos hit his ninth home run of the season for the Bats to lead off the sixth, but that is all Louisville would get. The Saints shut the door the rest of the way, which secured an 8-5 win. Michael Boyle picked up his second win of the season for the Saints. Ronny Henriquez is credited with his second hold, and Kody Funderburk picked up his third save. The Louisville Bats and St. Paul Saints meet in game four of a six-game series at CHS Field on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. The Bats will send RHP Levi Stoudt (3-3, 5.13) while the Saints will counter with RHP Louie Varland (6-0, 4.53). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - The breakthrough inning for the Saints came in the fourth and was capped off by a home run off the bat of Jair Camargo, along with a solid outing from starter Randy Dobnak the Saints defeated the Louisville Bats 6-3 on Wednesday afternoon in front of 8,368. The Saints improved to 63-46 on the season and 20-15 in the second half. Andrew Stevenson is in the leadoff spot for a reason. That reason is he has speed and gets on base. He did both to start the game on Wednesday by hitting a leadoff triple down the right field line. Later in the inning, Brooks Lee hit an RBI single, which gave the Saints a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, Yunior Severino tripled. Next, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled, which gave the Saints a 2-0 lead. Jair Camargo hit his 17th home run of the season, which brought home Keirsey Jr., and St. Paul led 4-0. Later in the inning, Lee singled on a sharply hit ball to center. This brought home Stevenson who was hit-by-the-pitch earlier in the inning and gave the Saints a 5-0 lead. This was Lee's second RBI of the afternoon. Louisville would get on the board in the sixth. Jason Vosler hit his 10th home run of the season. This was a solo home run. Louisville trailed 5-1. Next, Henry Ramos singled and Noelvi Marte doubled. Finally, Drew Mount hit a sacrifice fly to shallow left field, which cut the Saints lead down to 5-2. In the eighth, Austin Martin hit a sacrifice fly to right allowing Keirsey Jr. to score. St. Paul took a 6-2 lead. Jose Barrero hit a solo home run to start the ninth. Ortega shut the Bats down after that to secure a 6-3 Saints victory. Ortega picked up his third save of the season. Andrew Bechtold made a pitching appearance on Wednesday afternoon. Bechtold worked an inning allowing one hit. He picked up his first win of the season. The Louisville Bats and St. Paul Saints meet in game three of a six-game series at CHS Field on Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Louisville will send RHP Hunter Greene (0-0, 3.38) while the Saints will send RHP Blayne Enlow (2-5, 9.99) to the mound. Hunter Greene is on an MLB Rehab Assignment. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - Royce Lewis began an MLB Rehab Assignment on Tuesday night. There was no shortage of action when Cincinnati prospect Randy Wynne was ejected for throwing at Severino while the Saints offense exploded for 14 runs in a 14-4 victory over the Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds) in front of 7,638. The Saints improved to 62-46 on the season. Trevor Larnach got the Saints going with a solo home run in the second. This was his 10th of the season. Later in the inning, Kyle Garlick walked, and Anthony Prato hit a bases clearing double. Next, Austin Martin walked, and the Saints pulled off a double steal. This put runners on second and third when DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled to right, which gave the Saints a 4-0 lead. This ended the night for Bats starter Connor Phillips. This was his shortest start of the season. Finally, Royce Lewis hit a sacrifice fly to center, which gave St. Paul a 5-0 lead. In the third, Larnach walked, and Yunior Severino hit his first home run as a Saint. This gave the Saints a 7-0 lead. Lewis hit a solo home run in the fourth, and the Saints led 8-0. Louisville would get on the board in the fifth on a fielding error by Saints second baseman Anthony Prato. The Saints would have another five-run inning in the fifth. It started when Garlick doubled and Severino was hit-by-the-pitch. Tejay Antone would come into the game to pitch for Louisville because plate umpire Edwin Jimenez ejected Randy Wynne. Severino was hit on the first pitch of his at-bat. Originally, umpires would not eject Wynne; however, after meeting at mid-field Wynne would be ejected. The inning would get a lot worse for the Bats. Prato walked and Martin collected an RBI single, which gave the Saints a 9-1 lead. Chris Williams would come to the plate with the bases loaded and hit his 19th home run of the season. This was the 11th grand slam the Saints have hit on the season, which ties the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most in all of baseball. At this point St. Paul led 13-1. Louisville would get three in the sixth. Nick Martini hit a solo home run to right. Later in the inning, Jason Vosler walked, and Drew Mount hit a home run to right. Louisville trailed 13-4 at this point. The Saints wanted to ensure they kept a large lead. Williams hit an RBI single in the sixth, which allowed Prato to score, and the Saints led 14-4. Each of the nine starters for the Saints would collect a hit. Martin led the team as a top performer on Tuesday going 3-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and stolen base. The Louisville Bats and St. Paul Saints will meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday afternoon at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:07 p.m. Louisville will send RHP Alec Mills (0-0, 5.02) while St. Paul will counter with RHP Randy Dobnak (4-5, 4.33). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - A critical fielding error from Wenceel Perez allowed Alex De Goti to hit a three-run home run, which helped the Saints pull away from the Mud Hens. Toby Gardenhire secured his 200th victory as a Triple-A manager on Sunday afternoon in a 7-2 Saints win over the Toledo Mud Hens in front of 8,212 fans. The Saints won four-of-six games on the homestand and improved to 59-42 on the season. In the first, Trevor Larnach and Kyle Garlick hit back-to-back home runs, which gave the Saints a 3-0 lead. In the third, Austin Martin singled with two outs. Next, Ernie Yake reached on a throwing error by Mud Hens second baseman Wenceel Perez, which allowed Martin to move to second. Finally, De Goti hit a three-run home run to left, which gave the Saints a 6-0 lead. Toledo would get on the board in the fourth when Parker Meadows hit a solo home run. Joe Rizzo hit a solo home run in the eighth off Andrew Bechtold. Bechtold has been used out of the bullpen recently for the Saints; however, he is listed/considered an infielder on the Saints roster. This was Bechtold's sixth pitching appearance this season. In the bottom of the inning Anthony Prato doubled. Later in the inning Garlick hit an RBI single, which gave the Saints a 7-2 lead. The Saints would win by that score. Louie Varland started for St. Paul. Varland worked six innings allowing one run on two hits. He struck out seven, and picked up the win, his fifth of the season with the Saints. Cole Sands worked a scoreless inning while allowing one hit. Bechtold and Boyle made appearances for the Saints on Sunday, but Ronny Henriquez pitched a perfect ninth to close out the game. Once again, the Saints left a ton of men on base. On Sunday afternoon 23 Saints players were left stranded on the base paths. Prato went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and two walks. His average improved to .345. The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday night. The St. Paul Saints and Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians) will play game one of a six-game series at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. (CT). St. Paul will send LHP Brent Headrick (3-1, 4.13) to the mound while Columbus will counter with RHP Zach Plesak (2-4, 6.18). The game can be seen on MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - If you are coming out to the ballpark on a Saturday night you never know what you may see. Kyle Garlick had a home run overturned and Saints manager Toby Gardenhire was ejected all in the first inning. The Saints would still find a way to get a few runs across in the first, but in the end, it would be the Mud Hens that would get the last laugh in a 7-3 win over the Saints in front of 9,364. The Saints fell to 58-42 on the season. Anthony Prato and Trevor Larnach both singled with one out in the first. Next, Kyle Garlick would hit a ball high and far down the left field line. Originally, it was called a fair ball and a home run; however, after an umpire review, the call was overturned to a foul ball and the home run is off the board. This caused upset from the Saints and would end in a Gardenhire ejection. It appeared the call of a foul ball was the correct call. Garlick would have to get back into the box, and he would end up striking out. Finally, Gilberto Celestino hit a two-run single to right, which gave the Saints a 2-0 lead. In the second, Tyler Nevin singled and Wenceel Perez walked. Donny Sands grounded into a force out. Saints second baseman Austin Martin made a throwing error, which allowed Sands to reach and Nevin scored. Toledo trailed 2-1. In the third, Prato walked and Trevor Larnach singled. Garlick would hit a sacrifice fly to left, which gave the Saints a 3-1 lead. Toledo scored the next six runs unanswered. In the fourth, Joe Rizzo hit a two-run home run to tie the game at three. Tyler Nevin would hit a solo home run in the sixth, which gave Toledo a 4-3 lead. Finally, Toledo would put the Saints away when scoring three runs in the eighth. Randy Dobnak started for St. Paul. He worked five innings allowing three runs on four hits. Also, he struck out five while walking two. The Saints would have a lot of missed opportunities. On Saturday night the Saints left 17 men on base. The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints will meet in the finale of their six-game series on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2:07 p.m. The Mud Hens will send LHP Bryan Sammons (0-2, 6.00), while the Saints will send RHP Louie Varland (4-0, 5.44) to the mound. The game can be seen on the CW Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - A combination of offense and pitching helped lift the Saints past the Mud Hens 8-2 on Friday night. Dallas Keuchel, Caleb Thielbar, and Oliver Ortega all had strong performances. On the offensive side the Saints put on a show to all 8,540 fans in attendance with four home runs. St. Paul improved to 58-41 on the season. In the third, with two outs, Nick Solak walked, Justyn-Henry Malloy singled, which allowed Solak to advance to third. On a wild pitch by Dallas Keuchel, Nick Solak scored due to a throwing error by Saints catcher Jair Camargo. Toledo took a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, Camargo singled and Austin Martin hit his first home run of the season. Also, this was his first AAA home run. This gave the Saints a 2-1 lead. In the fifth, Malloy hit a solo home run to center, which tied the game at two. The breakthrough inning for the Saints would come in the sixth. Mark Contreras led off the inning with a solo home run. This gave the Saints a 3-2 lead. Later in the inning, Austin Martin singled, and Chris Williams walked. Ernie Yake hit his first AAA home run. This one went to right and gave the Saints a 6-2 lead. In the eighth, Yake hit his second home run of the night. This was his first career game where he had multiple home runs. The game started after a short weather delay, but that did not slow Keuchel down. He came out of the gate firing and would work six innings allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out eight. Keuchel would pick up the win, and this would be his first win as a Saint. Thielbar continued his MLB Rehab Assignment on Friday night. He worked one inning while recording a strike out. Thielbar threw eight pitches, six were strikes. Finally, Ortega worked the final two innings. Ortega allowed one hit and struck out five. Martin and Yates had exceptional nights at the plate. Martin went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, along with a home run. Yates went 3-for-4 with a career high four RBI and two runs scored along with two home runs. The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints will meet in game five of a six-game series at CHS Field on Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07p.m. Toledo is TBA while the Saints will send RHP Randy Dobnak (4-4, 4.19) to the mound. The game can be seen on the CW Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - Mark Contreras stepped to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win the game. With the winning run on second the Saints were unable to complete a comeback. Contreras flew out to right, which ended the game, and the Saints fell 5-4 to Toledo. The Saints fell to 57-41 on the season. In the third, Parker Meadows walked and stole second base. Justyn-Henry Malloy singled, which allowed Meadows to score. Toledo took a 1-0 lead. The Saints answered with a run of their own. Kyle Garlick hit a sacrifice fly to left, which brought home Ernie Yake, and we were tied at one. In the seventh, Meadows singled, and Malloy walked. Next, Colt Keith singled to load the bases. Wenceel Perez singled up the middle. These were his first AAA RBIs, and he gave Toledo a 3-1 lead. The Saints would once again answer with two of their own. With two outs, Alex De Goti singled and Andrew Stevenson walked. Anthony Prato doubled to left to tie the game at three. The Saints made three errors on Thursday evening. A big one came in the eight. Grant Witherspoon singled to start the inning. Later in the inning Parker Meadows reached on a fielding error by second baseman Ernie Yake, which allowed Witherspoon to score. Toledo took a 4-3 lead. Toledo would get another in the ninth. However, the Saints would not go quietly into the night. With two outs Stevenson singled followed by a walk from Prato. Kyle Garlick doubled to right, which allowed Stevenson to score. Prato advanced to third and Garlick was on second base, representing the winning run. Mark Contreras flew out to end the game. A major issue for both teams was men left on base. Toledo left 27 on base, while St. Paul left 16 on base. Andrew Bechtold made a pitching appearance on Thursday night. Bechtold worked one inning allowing no runs on one hit. The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Toledo is TBA while St. Paul will send LHP Dallas Keuchel (0-0, 0.69) 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 - It would be in the seventh inning when the Saints would break the game open on Wednesday afternoon against the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers). It would be Kyle Garlick that would hit the go-ahead grand slam for the Saints and Ronny Henriquez would shut the Mud Hens down on the mound, so the Saints take game two by a score of 9-7 in front of 7,511. The Saints improved to 57-40 on the season. Toledo would come out of the gate swinging. Parker Meadows led off the game with his 15th homerun of the season to give the Mud Hens a 1-0 lead. Next, Justyn-Henry Malloy walked, and Colt Keith hit his third homerun of the season. This one was to right field and Toledo had a 3-0 lead before the Saints got an out. Both Meadows and Keith's homeruns came on 0-2 counts. In the third, Nick Solak hit a solo homerun to give Toledo a 4-0 lead. The Saints would answer when Anthony Prato singled and with two outs Andrew Stevenson doubled, which allowed Prato to score, and the Saints trailed 4-1. In the sixth, Stevenson and Polanco started the inning with singles. Next, Kyle Garlick singled, which brought home Stevenson. Chris Williams doubled, and the game was tied at four. Later in the inning Prato hit an RBI single to give the Saints a 5-4 lead. Toledo would not waste any time tying the game. Corey Joyce and Meadows both singled. Keith singled to center to tie the game at five. This is where the Saints were able to break the game open. Alex De Goti and Andrew Stevenson walked. Jorge Polanco (MLB Rehab Assignment) singled and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Garlick hit a grand slam to right field to give the Saints a 9-5 lead. This is the tenth grand slam the Saints have hit this season. The St. Paul Saints are the first International League team in at least two decades with ten grand slams in a season, and there is still plenty of season left to go. Toledo would not go quietly in the ninth. With two outs Keith walked and Tyler Nevin hit his seventh homerun of the season and Toledo trailed 9-7. Next, things got interesting Nick Solak is hit-by-the-pitch and Wenceel Perez doubled. The tying run was on second base. However, Michael Papierski lines out sharply to center field, which would end the game. Jorge Polanco completed his MLB Rehab Assignment on Wednesday afternoon. He went two-for-five. Polanco is expected to rejoin the Minnesota Twins in Kansas City on Friday night. Each team would leave a lot of men on base. Toledo left 17 on while St. Paul left 14 runners stranded. The Toledo Mud Hens and St. 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 is TBA while the Saints will send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-5, 6.18) 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 - It was hot and humid at CHS Field on Tuesday night. However, the bats were hot too. The Saints collected fourteen hits in a 14-7 win over the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers) in front of 7,109. The Saints improved to 56-40 on the season. Louie Varland started for St. Paul. Varland worked 3.2 innings allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits while striking out four. While that is not the most impressive final line, one thing that was impressive was his command of the strike zone. He threw 85 pitches and 63 of them were strikes (74%). Also, Caleb Thielbar was on an MLB Rehab Assignment. He worked 1.0 inning throwing 14 pitches. The Saints offense would pick Varland up. In the second, Gilberto Celestino hit his third homerun of the season and the Saints took a 1-0 lead. In the third, Justyn-Henry Malloy led off the inning with a single. Next, Colt Keith struck out swinging and Tyler Nevin singled. A double from Joe Rizzo would tie the game at one. Finally, Donny Sands hit his fourth homerun of the season. This went to left field and Toledo took a 4-1 lead. Alex De Goti started the bottom of the third with a walk. Andrew Stevenson singled and Jorge Polanco (MLB Rehab Assignment) walked, and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Chris Williams hit a sacrifice fly to left field, which allowed Stevenson to score. In the fourth, Parker Meadows singled and with two outs Colt Keith singled. With runners at first and second Saints catcher Jair Camargo attempted to pickoff Keith at first; however, the ball went down the right field line and both runners advanced. Tyler Nevin singled to right, which brought home Malloy and Keith, and Toledo led 6-2. Just as the Saints have done all night, they once again have an answer. Austin Martin singled and with two outs De Goti walked. Andrew Stevenson hit his 12th homerun of the season. At this point the Saints trailed 6-5. Gilberto Celestino started the fifth with a walk. Next, Anthony Prato doubled, which allowed Celestino to score, and this tied the game at six. Finally, De Goti singled and Prato scored, and the Saints took a 7-6 lead. Toledo would tie the game at seven when Rizzo doubled, and Grant Witherspoon picked up an RBI single in the seventh. These teams would keep going back and forth until the Saints were able to have a breakout inning to pull away. Prato started the inning with a solo homerun to left centerfield. Stevenson, Polanco, and Williams all walked, and the bases were loaded. Celestion doubled, which drove in Stevenson and Polanco. Tony Wolters walked, and Mark Contreras hit an RBI single to take a 12-7 lead. Finally, Prato would get his second hit of the inning, which allowed Wolters to score. St. Paul took a 13-7 lead. The Saints would add an insurance run an inning later. Stevenson led off with a double. Kyle Garlick and Chris Williams are both hit-by-the-pitch. Tony Wolters walked, which forced in Stevenson. The Saints would hold on to a 14-7 lead to secure the win. Stevenson and Prato both finished a triple shy of the cycle. The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday afternoon at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:07 p.m. Toledo is TBA while the Saints will send LHP Brent Headrick (3-1, 3.76). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, the Bally Live app, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - A tie game going into the ninth inning, but just like Friday night the Saints ran into some trouble in the ninth and would drop the series finale to the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) by a score of 5-3. The Saints fell to 53-36 on the season. With two outs in the first inning the Bulls would be the first to get on the board. Curtis Mead singled followed by a single from Austin Shenton, which Shenton's single allowed Mead to advance to third. Next, Greg Jones reached on a fielder's choice to second baseman Austin Martin. Martin would bobble the ball, and this allowed Mead to score, which gave Durham a 1-0 lead. The Saints would respond in the second with a solo homerun from Chris Williams. This was his seventeenth of the season and tied the game at one. In the sixth, Austin Shelton would hit his first homerun of the season. This ball went to rightfield and gave Durham a 2-1 lead. Next, Greg Jones reached on a throwing error by Saints third baseman Anthony Prato. Blake Hunt grounded out to first, this allowed Jones to advance to second. With a runner in scoring position Tristan Gray singled to rightfield, which brought home Jones to give Durham a 3-1 lead. In the seventh, Mark Contreras doubled. On a wild pitch Contreras moved to third. Anthony Prato would end up at third due to a fielding error by Durham centerfielder Kameron Misner. Next, Alex De Goti singled to tie the game at three. The game was tied at three going into the ninth, but Durham would end up plating two runs. Gray walked to start the inning. Next, Ruben Cardenas and Misner singled and the Bulls had the bases loaded with nobody out. Vidal Brujan worked a walk, and this gave Durham a 4-3 lead. That would end the afternoon for Ronny Henriquez. Kody Funderburk would come on in relief. Funderburk would get Osleivis Basabe to strike out looking. However, another run came in when the ball got past Jair Camargo. Cardenas would be the runner to score, and Durham took a 5-3 lead. The Saints would go down quietly in the bottom of the ninth. Chris Williams popped out to start the inning. Contreras walked on four-pitches, but Jair Camargo would ground into a game ending double play. Durham secured a 5-3 win and took two of the three games this series. The Saints would leave eleven men on base. Polanco and Contreras had a multi-hit game. Jorge Polanco went two-for-three with a double, single and a walk. This was his first game in an MLB Rehab Assignment. The Saints collected eight hits on the afternoon. Out of the five runs Durham scored only two of them were earned. The Saints made two critical errors. Dallas Keuchel started for St. Paul. Keuchel worked 6.0 innings allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits. He struck out six but did not walk any. Keuchel tossed 94 pitches and 62 of them were strikes (66%). Ronny Henriquez took his second loss of the season working 1.0 inning allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits. Kody Funderburk worked 1.0 inning allowing no runs on no hits while striking out two. Funderburk threw 14 pitches and 10 were strikes (71%). Jacob Lopez started for Durham. He worked 5.0 innings allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven. Justin Sterner would pick up his third win of the season for the Bulls and Michael Mercado picked up his second save of the season working a scoreless ninth. The Saints have Monday off before beginning a series with the Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals) in Omaha, Nebraska on Tuesday. Game one of a six-game series between the St. Paul Saints and Omaha Storm Chasers is at Werner Park at 12:05 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. Both teams are TBA. The game can be seen on MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - On Friday night the Saints took a two-run lead to the ninth and pitching struggled to close the game; however, on Saturday night the exact opposite happened. The Saints once again took a two-run lead into the ninth, but this time pitching was dominate and the Saints secured a 4-2 win over the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) to tie the three-game series at one game apiece. In fact, Saints pitching dominated all evening, which was a major reason for the Saints' success. The Saints improved to 53-35 on the season and played this game in front of 8,652 fans in a quick two hours and twelve minutes. In the second, Mark Contreras is hit-by-the-pitch to start the inning. Next, Jair Camargo doubled, which allowed Contreras to advance to third. Finally, Anthony Prato grounded out to second base but is credited with an RBI as Camargo scored to give the Saints a 1-0 lead. The score would stay that way until the sixth. Vidal Brujan singled to start the inning. Simeon Woods Richardson attempted to pick Brujan off at first base; however, the throw gets by and goes down the rightfield line. Brujan advanced to third. Curtis Mead flied out on a sacrifice fly to deep leftfield and Brujan scored to tie the game at one. In the seventh, Ryan Thompson came into the game to pitch for the Bulls. The very first pitch he threw was put out of the ballpark by Anthony Prato. This was his sixth homerun of the season, and this gave the Saints a 2-1 lead. Next, Alex De Goti doubled, and Andrew Stevenson grounded out to second, but De Goti was able to advance to third. Finally, Austin Martin reached on a fielding error by Durham shortstop Osleivis Basabe, which allowed De Goti to score and gave the Saints a 3-1 lead. In the eighth each team would get a run. Nick Dini hit a solo homerun to left centerfield for the Durham Bulls. This was his seventh homerun of the season. For the Saints it would be Jair Camargo. This homerun was the thirteen for Camargo on the season. Camargo hit the ball over the berm in leftfield and gave the Saints a 4-2 lead. In the ninth, Kody Funderburk came in to close the game. Curtis Mead would lead off the inning with a single. Next, Austin Shelton grounded into a force out, Greg Jones struck out swinging, and Tristian Gray grounded out to third to end the game. The Saints held on for a 4-2 win. Funderburk is credited with his second save of the season. Brent Headrick started for St. Paul. He worked 3.0 innings allowing no runs on three hits. Also, he struck out four. Woods Richardson came in to relieve Headrick's. Woods Richardson tossed 5.0 innings allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits. For the second time this season the Saints pitching staff allowed zero walks over the course of nine innings. Each team collected six hits. Jair Camargo is the only Saints player to have a multi-hit game on Saturday night. Camargo went two-for-four with 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K. On the other hand, the Saints left seventeen men on base. The Durham Bulls and St. Paul Saints will meet in the finale of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2:07 p.m. The Durham Bulls are TBA while the Saints will send LHP Dallas Keuchel (0-0, 0.64). The game can be seen on the CW Network, the Bally Live app, and MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - When you take a two-run lead into the ninth inning and give up five runs that is one of the more painful ways to lose a game. On Saturday night the Saints will look to rebound and will send LHP Brent Headrick (3-1, 4.05) to the mound. Brent Headrick was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2019. He was drafted in the ninth round and was the 269th overall pick. Headrick made his MLB Debut earlier this year on April 19th in Boston. He worked 1.0 inning allowing one run on one hit while picking up the save. Over the course of his MLB career Headrick's has posted a record of 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA. He has appeared in eight MLB games and worked 15.0 total innings. Most recently, he appeared on July 8th in Iowa working 2.0 innings allowing no runs on two hits while striking out four. At the Major League level Headrick appears out of the bullpen, but for the Saints he is used as a starter/opener. His arsenal consists of a four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup. In the past Headrick has relied on his fastball approximately half the time and it tops out at speed of 91 MPH. When using his changeup or slider he takes 10 MPH off with the changeup and slider coming in around 81 MPH. At the time of writing Durham is still officially TBA for a starting pitcher on Saturday night. However, it is expected that RHP Anthony Molina (2-5, 4.54) will get the nod. He has appeared in 16 MiLB games this season and all appearances were as a starter. This season he has worked 71.1 total innings. Molina was born in Venezuela in 2002 and was a non-roster invite to spring training by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023. Molina was recently promoted to Durham where he made his first start on July 7th working 5.0 innings while allowing two runs on six hits. Recently, the week of May 21, 2023, Molina earned the award of SOU Pitcher of the Week with the Montgomery Biscuits. Following the Minnesota Twins game last night in Oakland the Twins placed INF Jose Miranda on the 10-day IL with a right shoulder impingement. This morning the corresponding roster move is the Twins have recalled OF Matt Wallner from Triple-A St. Paul. Game two of a three-game series between the Durham Bulls and St. Paul Saints can be seen on the CW Network, the Bally Live app, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. at CHS Field.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - The Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) made their first ever trip to CHS Field to play the St. Paul Saints on Friday night and 8,643 were on hand to watch. Durham is defending the championship crown from last season, and on Friday night the Bulls demonstrated their ability to fight. Trailing by two in the ninth inning the Bulls plated five runs and took game one of a three-game series 8-5. St. Paul fell to 52-35 on the season. Durham got on the board first and it started when Tristan Gray reached on a fielding error by Matt Wallner. Next, Niko Hulsizer tripled, which allowed Gray to score. Greg Jones would hit a soft infield single towards the direction of Elliot Soto; however, by the time Soto was able to get to the ball Hulsizer scored and the Bulls led 2-0. Jones stole second base, which was his eleventh stolen base of the season. This put him in scoring position. Curtis Mead singled to left and Jones scored. The Saints answered in the bottom of the second. With two outs Jair Camargo singled and Anthony Prato hit his fifth homerun of the season. This one went to leftfield and cut the Bulls lead down to 3-2. The Saints tied the game in the third. Andrew Stevenson hit his tenth homerun of the season. First you must tie the game then you can take the lead and that is exactly what the Saints did in the fourth. Prato doubled followed by a single from Stevenson to give St. Paul a 4-3 lead. The Saints would add some insurance in the seventh, Stevenson and Austin Martin both singled. Wallner grounded out to first, but both runners advanced. Gilberto Celestion grounded out, however, Stevenson scored and that gave St. Paul a 5-3 lead. Generally, a two-run lead would be enough, but the Saints ran into some trouble in the ninth. The inning started when Kameron Misner struck out. Next, Jones hit a solo homerun to leftfield. This put the Bulls within one. Next, Mead, Osleivis Basabe, and Austin Shenton all singled. When Shenton singled Stevenson had a hard time picking up the ball in centerfield, which was scored as an error and both Mead and Basabe came into score. Durham led 6-5. This was Austin Shenton's first game at the Triple-A level. Also, this go-ahead single was his first hit in Triple-A. Later in the inning, Ruben Cardenas hit a bases clearing triple. This gave Durham an 8-5 lead. The Saints sent the top of the lineup in the bottom of the ninth to the plate; however, Wallner is the only Saints player that would get aboard. In the end, Durham was able to hang onto an 8-5 lead. Durham would collect fifteen hits on the night while the Saints would collect eleven. Seven out of the nine batters would collect a hit for each team. Stevenson would go three-for-five with 2 RBI and 2 R. Also, Prato would go two-for-four with 2 RBI, 2 R. Louie Varland started for St. Paul on Friday night. Varland was cursing along until the second inning where all three of the runs he gave up would score. None of the runs were earned. On the night Varland worked 4.0 innings allowing eight hits and three runs (zero earned) while striking out seven. Varland tossed 87 pitches while 56 were strikes (64%). Josh Winder worked 2.2 innings allowing no runs on two hits. Also, Boyle picked up his first "hold" of the season working 1.0 inning. Patrick Murphy would be credited with the loss. Murphy pitched 1.0 inning allowing five runs on four hits. The Durham Bulls and St. Paul Saints meet in game two of a three-game series on Saturday night at CHS Field with first pitch scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Durham is TBA, and the Saints will send RHP Brent Headrick (3-1, 4.05) to the mound. The game can be seen on the CW Network, the Bally Live app, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Thanks for reading!

Saint Paul, Minnesota - The way series are set up a sweep does not happen very often. However, the Saints overcame the odds-on Monday evening in a come from behind win to sweep the Gwinnett Stripers in front of 9,028 fans. The Saints improved to 49-31 on the season and 6-0 in the second half. Hometown pitcher Louie Varland started for St. Paul. Varland worked 5.0 innings allowing three runs on seven hits. He threw eighty-eight pitches with fifty-six being strikes (64%). Kody Funderburk would pick up his second win of the season working the final 2.0 innings without allowing any hits. Laweryson and Boyle also pitched for the Saints. On the other hand, for the Gwinnett Stripers Allan Winans got the start. He pitched 5.0 innings. He did not allow a hit during them five innings, but he did allow two walks. The rain would start falling in St. Paul and after a fifty-eight-minute delay Winans would not come back out. Winans tossed seventy-seven pitches and forty-six of them were strikes (60%). Moran would come into the game to relieve Winans. Moran pitched one innings, allowing four runs on four hits. The former Saint, Dereck Rodriguez would take his third loss working the final two innings allowing two runs on two hits. The first runs of the game would come in the fourth. Braden Shewmake and Vaughn Grissom both singled. Jesus Aguilar doubled, which brought home Shewmake and Grissom to give Gwinnett a 2-0 lead. In the fifth, Joshua Fuentes doubled and Shewmake continued his good day at the plate with an RBI single. This gave Gwinnett a 3-0 lead. Joe Dunand would hit a solo homerun to left field, which gave the Stripers a 4-0 lead. First goes the no-hitter and then goes the shutout. Alex De Goti would get the first hit of the evening for the Saints. De Goti singled on a line drive to rightfield. Next, Andrew Stevenson collected a bunt single. Later in the inning with two outs Trevor Larnach singled on a soft groundball to third, which allowed De Goti to score. Kyle Garlick would hit a homerun to left centerfield, which tied the game at four. In the seventh, Braden Shewmake led off the inning. The 2-0 pitch was inside and Shewmake thought the ball hit him. However, Homeplate umpire Jennifer Pawol thought differently. Her call was the ball did not hit him. Shewmake was very unhappy with the call and Stripers manager Matt Tuiasosopo came out to argue the call. In the end, Tuiasosopo would be ejected and instead of Shewmake getting to take his base he had a 3-0 count. The next two pitches were called strikes; however, in the end Shewmake would get to take his base due to being hit-by-the-pitch on a 3-2 count. This ball clearly hit him, and he was awarded first base. The game would stay tied until the bottom of the eighth. Stevenson would start the inning with a walk. Next, Martin grounds into a double play. With two outs, Matt Wallner walked and Larnach hit his sixth homerun of the season to right-centerfield. This gave the Saints a 6-4 lead, and then Funderburk would come back out to pitch the ninth and secure a 6-4 win for the Saints. This completed a six-game sweep of the Gwinnett Stripers. Many games this series the Saints scored double digits runs and collected ten plus hits. However, that was not needed on Monday night. The Saints collected six hits. Larnach and Garlick were the only two Saints players with multiple hits. Also, Larnach and Garlick were the only Saints players to collect an RBI, each got three respectively. The Saints would go two-for-six with runners in scoring position and leave three men on base. The Saints have one more series to play before the All-Star Break. Overnight the St. Paul Saints will travel to Des Moines, Iowa to begin a six-game series with the Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs). The St. Paul Saints and Iowa Cubs will meet in game one of a six-game series at Principal Park at 7:08 p.m. on Tuesday night. The Saints will send RHP Randy Dobnak (4-3, 4.62) to the mound while Iowa will counter with RHP Adrian Sampson (0-0, 8.64). Sampson is on an MLB Rehab Assignment. The game can be seen on MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM. The Saints will return home to play the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) on Friday July 14th at 7:07 p.m. at CHS Field.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - The temperature was not the only thing hot at CHS Field on Sunday afternoon. The Saints bats were once again on fire gliding past the Gwinnett Stripers 11-5 in front of 7,475. The Saints improved to 48-31 on the season. In the bottom of the first, Trevor Larnach hit his fifth homerun of the season. This one was to rightfield and gave the Saints a 1-0 lead. Joe Dunand started the second with a single. He stole second base, which was his first stolen base of the season. Next, Yolmer Sanchez doubled, which tied the game at one. A game changing inning would come in the bottom of the second for the Saints. Jair Camargo singled followed by walks from Anthony Prato and Elliot Soto. Next, Andrew Stevenson hit a grand slam to right field. The Saints took a 5-1 lead. In the third Gwinnett would plate two. Eli White walked and Forrest Wall singled. Vaughn Grissom doubled, which brought home White. Wall was unable to score because he was picked off first base by Saints pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson. Next, Dunand doubled, which allowed Grissom to score. The Saints still lead 5-3. In the bottom of the third, Chris Williams walked, and Jair Camargo doubled. This gave the Saints a 6-3 lead. Elliot Soto singled and Stevenson reached on a fielder's choice in the fourth. Trevor Larnach singled on a soft ground ball to second base, which allowed Elliot to score. The Saints took a 7-3 lead. Soto would continue his good day at the plate in the sixth. Soto doubled to lead off the inning. Gilberto Celestino walked. Larnach hit an RBI single which brought home Soto. In the seventh, Andrew Bechtold hit his seventh homerun of the season. This one was to rightfield. The Saints took a 9-3 lead. In the eighth, Sanchez walked followed by a double from Daniel Roberston. Roberston doubled allowed Sanchez to score. The Saints once again would answer. Giberto Celestino tripled, and Chris Williams hit a sacrifice fly. Mark Contreras hit a homerun to right-centerfield. This gave the Saints an 11-4 lead. Forrest Wall started the ninth with a walk. Grissom singled to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Dunand would ground out but both runners would advance. Luke Williams hit a sacrifice fly to center, which brought home Wall. St. Paul still led 11-5. Sanchez would fly out to end the game and the Saints would secure the 11-5 victory. Sunday was another very good day offensively for the Saints. Seven out of the nine players in the starting lineup collected at least one hit. Larnach, Camargo, Bechtold, and Soto all had multi-hit games. Also, each person in the starting lineup came around to score a run. Soto led the way, scoring three times. Simeon Woods Richardson picked up his first win of the season on Sunday. Woods Richardson worked 5.0 innings allowing three runs on six hits. Ronny Henriquez pitched 1.0 innings allowing one run on one hit. Brice and Murphy also pitched for the Saints. Luetge was the only pitcher for the Stripers who had much success. Luetge pitched 1.2 innings allowing zero runs on two hits. AJ Smith-Shawver started for Gwinnett. He is the top prospect in the Atlanta organization. He worked 3.1 innings allowing seven runs (six earned) on five hits. He took his second loss of the season. The Gwinnett Stripers and St. Paul Saints meet in game six of a six-game series on Monday night at CHS Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:07 p.m. Gwinnett will send RHP Allan Winans (6-3, 2.94) to the mound while St. Paul will counter with RHP Louie Varland (2-0, 6.66). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Saint Paul, Minnesota - Dallas Keuchel made his second appearance with the Saints on Saturday night and first appearance at CHS Field. The 35-year-old worked 4.1 innings allowing zero runs on three hits in a 10-6 Saints victory over the Gwinnett Stripers at CHS Field in front of 8,715. The Saints maintained a perfect 4-0 record in the second half of the season and improved to 47-31 on the season. Keuchel was not the only pitcher who performed well for the Saints Saturday evening. Keuchel lowered his ERA to 1.08 with the Saints over two appearances. Michael Boyle came into relief Keuchel in the fifth. Boyle worked 0.2 innings allowing no runs on no hits. He is credited with the win. Also, Cole Sands appeared in an MLB Rehab Assignment. His rehab assignment is from a right shoulder injury. Sands worked 2.0 innings allowing one hit while striking out five. He threw thirty-seven pitches of which twenty-two were strikes (60%). There would be no score until the fourth. Trevor Larnach singled on a soft ground ball to the pitcher Jared Shuster. Larnach flies down the baseline to beat it out. Jair Camargo doubled to rightfield. Finally, Chris Williams hit a sacrifice fly to centerfielder, Eli White. Larnach came into score and Camargo tried to go from second to third, but Camargo was caught. First baseman Joshua Fuentes cut off the throw White had intended to go to the plate and Fuentes threw the ball to Daniel Robertson at third to get Camargo. The Saints would have a big inning in the fifth. Anthony Prato hit his third homerun for the Saints. This ball went to right-centerfield. Elliot Soto would hit a homerun to centerfield. This was Sotos' first homerun of the season. Prato and Soto went back-to-back. This would give the Saints a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning with two outs, Kyle Garlick and Larnach singled. Next, Camargo hit a ground-rule-double down the leftfield line. Garlick scored and if it would not have been a ground-rule double Larnach would have scored, but due to the ruling Larnach was forced back to third. In the end it would not matter. Chris Williams doubled, which allowed Larnach and Camargo to score and the Saints took a 6-0 lead. The Saints would add on in the sixth. Prato walked and Soto singled. Both runners advanced on a passed ball. Gilberto Celestino singled, which brought home Prato. Garlick singled allowing Soto to score. Larnach hit a 2 RBI double, Celestino and Garlick scored, and the Saints have a 10-0 lead. In the seventh, Vaughn Grissom flies out to deep centerfield and Celestino made a running catch colliding with the centerfield wall. The catch saved multiple runs and ended the inning. Robertson walked in the eighth. Chadwick Tromp singled. This time it was the Stripers that would hit back-to-back homeruns. Joe Dunand hit his twelfth homerun of the season and right after that Yolmer Sanchez would hit a homerun to right-centerfield. St. Paul still leads 10-4. The Saints would run into a little more trouble in the ninth. Grissom is hit-by-the-pitch and Jesus Aguilar walked. Next, Robertson singled, which brought home Grissom. Later in the inning Sanchez grounded into a force out. Sanchez would pick up an RBI as Aguilar scored. St. Paul would close the game and secure a 10-6 victory. Eight of nine batters for the Saints collected a hit on Saturday evening. Prato went 2-for-3 and Garlick and Larnach both went 3-for-5. Overall, the Saints went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base. The Saints collected sixteen hits. Jared Shuster started for the Stripers on Saturday. He is the number four prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization. He worked 4.2 innings allowing six runs on ten hits. The Gwinnett Stripers and St. Paul Saints will meet in game five of a six-game series at CHS Field on Sunday afternoon at 2:07 p.m. Gwinnett will send RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (0-1, 3.00) to the mound while St. Paul will counter with RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5, 7.47). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

It is amazing how many advanced analytics come into play now.

It is great to see Lewis back with the Twins. I remember watching him in St. Paul earlier this year thinking he is ready to go!