IL St. Paul Saints

Blank You Very Much, Saints Shut Out Railriders 6-0

Published on April 18, 2023 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - In 2022 the St. Paul Saints didn't record their first shutout until the 102nd game of the season. They nearly had their first shutout in game 12 last week, carrying a shutout into the ninth inning with two outs before Indianapolis put up two runs. They didn't have to wait long to finally blank an opponent earning a 6-0 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Tuesday night at CHS Field in front of 3,629. The win improves the Saints to 9-6 on the season.

The Saints jumped on the New York Yankees number nine prospect, Randy Vásquez in the first inning. Matt Wallner led off with a walk and Alex Kirilloff delivered a one out single to right-center putting runners at first and second. Chris Williams' single to left loaded the bases for Mark Contreras. He clubbed a grand slam to right, his third home run of the season and second grand slam of his career, putting the Saints up 4-0. With the home run Contreras extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games.

From there, it was all Bailey Ober and the pitching staff. He retired the side in order in the first and fourth and didn't face more than five batters in any one inning. He only allowed two runners to reach second, in the third on a single and a walk, and the fifth on an infield single and subsequent throwing error. Ober went 5.0 shutout innings allowing three hits while walking one and striking out six. He hasn't allowed a run in his last two starts spanning 11.0 innings.

The Saints put the finishing touches on the game in the fifth when they added to their lead. With one out, Wallner doubled to left and with two outs Kirilloff knocked him home with a single to right increasing the lead to 5-0. After a pitching change, Williams walked putting runners at first and second. Contreras followed with an RBI single off the wall in right, giving the Saints a 6-0 lead. Contreras finished 2-4 with a grand slam, a career tying high five RBI, and a run scored.

Four relievers combined to finish off the shutout as Patrick Murphy, Cody Laweryson, Dereck Rodríguez, and Brock Stewart finished it off. Stewart loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth, but struck out back-to-back hitters before getting Wilmer Difoe to ground out to end the game.

Jorge Polanco went 0-4 with a walk and Kirilloff was 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored in their first Major League rehab games with the Saints.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday night at 6:37 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints send RHP Aaron Sanchez (0-0, 3.55) to the mound against RailRiders RHP Ryan Weber (0-2, 9.26). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, the Bally Live app and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from April 18, 2023


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