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IL St. Paul Saints

All About the Lefties, Thorpe Dazzles, Saints Hang on for 7-5 Win

August 13, 2021 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


INDIANAPOLIS, IN - On National Left Handers Day, Lewis Thorpe showed off his left-handed pitching arm. The switch hitting Tomás Telis, from the left side of the plate, delivered a two-run homer, and the left-hand hitting Ben Rortvedt also collected an RBI. The righties got in on the action too as the St. Paul Saints hung on for a 7-5 victory over the Indianapolis Indians on Friday night at Victory Field. The win was the Saints third in a row and they are now a season high seven games over .500 at 47-40.

The Saints built a 7-1 lead and had to hang on as the game got too close for their liking. The Indians mounted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning and it started with nobody on and two outs against reliever Robinson Leyer. Christian Bethancourt singled to left and Phillip Evans walked. An RBI double by Hunter Owen cut the Saints lead to 7-2. Taylor Davis smacked a two-run single making it 7-4.

Yennier Cano took over in the ninth pitching for the first time since he gave up the two-run, walk-off homer on Tuesday night. He was greeted with back-to-back singles by Phillip Evans and Hunter Owen to put runners at first and second. A fielder's choice by Taylor Davis erased the runner at second and put runners at the corners with one out. Tucupita Marcano delivered an RBI double off the base of the wall in right to cut the Saints lead to two. Cano, however, would battle back and strike out Chris Sharpe and Jared Oliva to end the game and pick up his first save of the season.

Thorpe, making his second start since coming off the injured list, was magnificent. Over the first 3.0 innings he allowed just a two-out walk in the first to Oliva.

On the other side the Saints offense faced knuckleballer Steven Wright. The last time they faced him was out of relief and he struck out eight over 3.0 innings. They were able to get their revenge on Friday and used the troubles with the knuckle ball to their advantage in the third. With two outs Mark Contreras singled to right. He then stole second and scored on Gilberto Celestino's single to right. The throw home skipped by the catcher Davis and that allowed Celestino to take third. A passed ball allowed Celestino to score making it 2-0 Saints. Rortvedt then struck out, but advanced to first on a passed ball. Jimmy Kerrigan followed by crushing a two-run homer to right-center, his 16th of the season and third in three days, putting the Saints up 4-0.

The Saints scored two more runs with two outs in the fourth as Jose Miranda singled to center. Miranda finished the night 3-5 with a run scored. Tomás Telis followed with a two-run homer to right, his seventh of the season and first since June 18, giving the Saints a 6-0 lead. Telis went 2-5 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored.

Thorpe, who didn't allow a hit over the first 3.2 innings finally got beat with two outs in the fourth when Michael Chavis took a 3-1 pitched and deposited it over the left field wall, his 10th of the season, making it 6-1 Saints.

Thorpe came out for the sixth and gave up a leadoff double to Davis, but retired the next two hitters before departing. He went 5.2 innings allowing one run on two hits while walking one and striking out five. He threw 78 pitches, 50 for strikes.

The Saints made it 7-1 in the seventh when Celestino doubled off the wall in left-center and scored on a single from Rortvedt.

The same two teams meet in game five of the six-game series on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m. central at Victory Field. The Saints send RHP Beau Burrows (2-1, 4.85) to the mound against Indians RHP Beau Sulser (5-5, 4.41). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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