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IL St. Paul Saints

All Good Things Must Come to an End, Saints Win Streak Snapped in 20-9 Loss to Mud Hens

June 23, 2024 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - For 11 games the St. Paul Saints were on top of the baseball world. They had one of the best offenses and pitching staffs in all of baseball for nearly two weeks. The offense did it's job on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field, but it was an historically bad day on the mound as the Saints 11-game winning streak was halted in a 20-9 loss to the Toledo Mud Hens on Sunday at CHS Field.

The 20 runs given up by the Saints were the most in Triple-A franchise history, surpassing the 16 which they had given up twice. They also gave up seven long balls, tied for the franchise record. The 12 runs and five home runs allowed by Louie Varland were also franchise records.

The offensive showdown saw all 18 starters collect a hit, six of nine on each team have an RBI while all nine Mud Hens scored a run and seven of the nine Saints scored a run.

It took three batters for the Mud Hens to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Parker Meadows led off the game with a solo homer to straightaway center, his eighth of the season, making it 1-0. Spencer Torkelson lined a single into left and that was followed by a two-run homer by Dillon Dingler, his ninth of the season, giving the Mud Hens a 3-0 lead.

Deficits haven't seemed to bother the Saints in the series against the Mud Hens and it showed in the bottom of the inning as they took the lead sending nine men to the plate. The Saints loaded the bases with the first three hitters as Edouard Julien led off with a walk, Diego Castillo singled to left, and Matt Wallner walked. Yunior Severino grounded into a double play that scored a run getting the Saints to within 3-1. Jair Camargo made it 3-2 with an RBI double to right-center. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. ripped an RBI single to right tying the game at three. Will Holland gave the Saints a 4-3 lead with an RBI double to left and that was followed by an RBI double off the wall in right by Patrick Winkel making it 5-3.

That's where the good times ended for the Saints as the Mud Hens poured it on. Riley Unroe led off the second with a double to left and moved to third on a hustle double to right-center by Alvaro Gonzalez. Andrew Navigato drilled a three-run homer to center, his 10th of the season, giving the Mud Hens a 6-5 lead. Meadows then reached on a fielding error by Julien at second and two batters later Dingler hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot to left, his 10th of the season, giving the Mud Hens an 8-5 lead.

The Mud Hens added four more in the third as Unroe belted a one out solo home run to right, his first of the season, making it 9-5. Gonzalez and Navigato reached on back-to-back singles and Meadows made it 10-5 with a fly ball double to right. Varland departned for Aaron Rozek. With two outs Dingler's two-run single to center increased the lead to 12-5. Varland went 2.1 innings allowing 12 runs (11 earned) on 11 hits, giving up five home runs, and striking out five.

In the fourth, 10 men came to the plate for the Mud Hens as they put up seven more runs. Eddys Leonard reached on an infield single to third and scored on a Vilade RBI double making it 13-5 as Vilade took third on the throw home. Unroe's infield single put runners at the corners and that was followed by a walk to load the bases. Another walk to Navigato forced in a run increasing the lead to 14-5. Meadows was then hit by a pitch forcing in a run giving the Mud Hens a 15-5 lead. With one out a sacrifice fly from Dingler made it 16-5. After a pitching change to Scott Blewett, Bligh Madris delivered a three-run homer to right, his 10th of the season, increasing the lead to 19-5. Rozek, who was called up from Double-A before the game, allowing six runs on four hits while walking two in 1.1 innings.

The Saints offense continued to swing it in the bottom of the fourth. Anthony Prato led off with an infield single to second and went to third on a double by Julien. With one out an RBI single to right by Wallner made it 19-6. A wild pitch scored Julien got the Saints within 19-7. Camargo delivered an RBI triple off the wall in right-center making it 19-8.

The Saints made it 19-9 with a run in the fifth. Holland led off with an infield single to third, took second on a walk to Winkel, and scored when Prato's groundball went through the legs of the shortstop Unroe.

Vilade made it 20-9 with a solo homer to left in the ninth, his eighth of the season.

The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday as they begin the second half of the season in game one of a six-game series at Principal Park against the Iowa Cubs at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send RHP Adam Plutko (2-1, 4.79) against I-Cubs RHP Kyle McGowin (0-0, 5.79). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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