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IL St. Paul Saints

Dobnak Becomes Saints' First 10-Game Winner, Offense Explodes in 14-6 Thrashing of RailRiders

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


ST. PAUL, MN - The St. Paul Saints offense made sure Randy Dobnak became the first 10-game winner in franchise history. All Dobnak needed to do was complete five innings. He was strong for the first four before running into an arduous fifth inning. Despite facing eight batters and throwing 28 pitches, he got out of the inning and became the pitcher of record in a 14-6 thrashing of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Friday night at CHS Field in front of 8,103.

Three batters into the game and the RailRiders took a 1-0 lead. With one out back-to-back doubles by Jasson Domínguez and Jorbit Vivas got the RailRiders on the board.

From there it was all the Saints offense. All nine hitters collected a hit before the sixth inning was over. All nine scored a run and seven of the nine collected an RBI. The Saints pounded out 14 hits with four doubles, a triples, a home run, and five stolen bases.

The Saints tied their season-high for most runs in the first inning when they put up a seven spot in the bottom of the inning. Diego Castillo led off with an infield single to third. Major League rehabber Alex Kirilloff doubled to right moving Castillo to third. Kirilloff finished the night 1-5 with a double and run scored. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled to right-center bringing both runners home giving the Saints a 2-1 lead. With one out Michael Helman ripped a single off pitcher Josh Maciejewski putting runners at the corners. Jair Camargo's RBI single to left increased the lead to 3-1. After a fielder's choice put runners at the corners, Payton Eeles singled down the left field line scoring Helman making it 4-1. The ninth man to come to the plate, Rylan Bannon, capped the scoring with a three-run homer to left, his second with the Saints and 17th at Triple-A, giving the Saints a 7-1 lead.

An unearned run scored in the top of the third for the RailRiders. Caleb Durbin led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error from the third baseman Castillo. After a fielder's choice, Jasson Domínguez stole second and, with two outs, scored on a single by T.J. Rumfield cutting the lead to 7-2.

The Saints once again answered in the bottom of the inning. Helman reached on a squibber up the third base line, stole second and Camargo was hit by a pitch. On a back pick to first by the catcher Carlos Narvaez, the throw went into right field scoring Helman and sent Camargo to second as the Saints took an 8-2 lead. With two outs, Bannon walked putting runners at the corners. Bannon then stole second and that was followed by a two-run single from Castillo giving the Saints a 10-2 lead.

The runs kept coming for the Saints in the fourth. With one out Yunior Severino doubled into the left field corner. Helman reached on a throwing error by shortstop Kevin Smith. Camargo made the RailRiders pay for the error as he smoked a two-run double to left-center giving the Saints a 12-2 lead. Camargo went 3-4 with a double, three RBI, and a run scored.

That's when Dobnak ran into trouble. The first five men reached in the fifth as the RailRiders sent eight men to the plate and plated four runs. Durbin led off with an infield single to short. Domínguez followed with a two-run homer to right, his fourth of the season, getting the RailRiders within 12-4. After a walk to Vivas, Rumfield singled to center putting runners at the corners. Carlos Narvaez' RBI single into right-center cut the Saints lead to 12-5 and put runners at the corners. The final run of the inning scored on a ground ball double play by J.C. Escarra making it 12-6. Dobnak went 5.0 innings allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits while walking three and not striking out anyone, the longest start of his career without a strikeout. Despite the rough fifth inning, he left with the lead.

Keirsey Jr. led off the bottom of the sixth inning for the Saints with a triple to right-center, tying a single-season franchise record with his seventh of the season. With one out Helman singled to left scoring Keirsey Jr., increasing the lead to 13-6. Helman went 3-5 with an RBI, stolen base, and four runs scored. Wynton Bernard became the final player to collect a hit roping a two-out double to left that scored Helman making it 14-6.

The bullpen locked it down from there as Ryan Jensen tossed 2.0 shutout innings while fanning three. Nick Wittgren finished it off with 2.0 perfect innings and striking out two. The same two teams meet in game five of a six-game series at CHS Field on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Andrew Morris (0-0, 4.00) to the mound against RailRiders LHP Tanner Tully (2-6, 6.78). The game can be seen on the CW Network, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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