IL St. Paul Saints

Another Remarkable Triple-A Debut, Winder Carries No-No into Sixth, Saints Win 7-3

Published on July 2, 2021 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Jose Miranda set a high bar for Triple-A debuts. Pitcher Josh Winder took center stage on Friday night at CHS Field for his first start as a Triple-A pitcher. He lived up to the hype and then some. Winder took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and fanned eight during his debut, a 7-3 victory by the Saints in front of the largest crowd on the season, 8,002.

Winder retired the first six hitters he faced, fanning three of the six. He walked the leadoff hitter in the third, before retiring the next three.

Meanwhile the Saints offense gave him enough support early on. The Saints jumped out to the lead in the first when Drew Maggi hit an opposite field home run to right, his second in as many days and fourth of the season, making it 1-0 Saints.

In the second the Saints put up four all with two outs. With two outs and nobody on Jimmy Kerrigan grounded a single into left-center. Keon Broxton then deposited one over the right field wall, his second of the season, putting the Saints up 3-0. David Bañuelos then lined a single into center and scored on an RBI double from Jose Miranda increasing the lead to 4-0. Maggi recorded his second RBI of the night with a double that scored Miranda making it 5-0. Maggi finished the night 3-4 with two doubles, a home run, two RBI, and a run scored.

Winder walked his second batter of the night with one out in the fourth, but got the next two hitters on a strikeout and groundout.

The Saints kept adding on in the fourth when Kerrigan led off with an infield single to short. Kerrigan stole second and scored on a single by Broxton, who advanced on a fielding error by the centerfielder Kyle Isbel, putting the Saints up 6-0. Kerrigan finished the night 3-4 with a double and two runs scored. Broxton moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Miranda sac fly making it 7-0. Miranda went 2-3 with a double, RBI, and a run scored.

After retiring the side in order in the fifth, Winder took the no-hitter into the sixth. He finally gave up a hit with one out in the sixth, a shallow fly ball off the bat of Erick Mejia that dropped in center field for a single. Winder fanned the final hitter he faced, Rudy Martin, for the second out of the inning and was removed from the game in favor of Robinson Leyer. Gabriel Cancel greeted him with a two-run homer to center, his 13th of the season, to make it 7-2. Winder went 5.2 innings allowing one run on one hit while walking two and striking out eight. He threw 71 pitches, 50 for strikes.

The Storm Chasers added an unearned run in the seventh when Bubba Starling reached on a one out error by the shortstop Maggi. A Meibrys Viloria single moved Starling to second and a walk to Angelo Castellano loaded the bases. With two outs Mejia made it 7-3 with an RBI single to center. Yennier Cano came on in relief and got Martin to ground out to first to end the inning.

The same two teams meet in game five of the six-game series on Saturday evening at 6:05 p.m. The Saints send LHP Charlie Barnes (3-2, 3.94) to the mound against Storm Chasers RHP Jackson Kowar (5-1, 1.53). The game can be seen on the Saints Cable Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from July 2, 2021


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