Emmanuel Rodriguez' Inside-The-Park Grand Slam Helps Saints to 8-6 Victory

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St. Paul Saints

Emmanuel Rodriguez' Inside-The-Park Grand Slam Helps Saints to 8-6 Victory

September 7, 2024 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Emmanuel Rodriguez is no stranger to inside-the-park grand slams, hitting a walk-off one at High-A Cedar Rapids in 2023. He can add another memorable one to his impressive ledger as his first Triple-A home run was an inside-the-park grand slam as part of a six-run second inning that helped the St. Paul Saints to an 8-6 victory over the Iowa Cubs on Saturday night at CHS Field in front of 7,122.

The Saints sent nine men to the plate in the second. With one out and Jair Camargo at first, Chris Williams walked putting runners at first and second. Patrick Winkel lined an RBI single into right giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. Rylan Bannon followed with an RBI double high off the wall in right making it 2-0. After a fielder's choice cut down Winkel at the plate, Diego Castillo walked loading the bases. That brought up Rodriguez who hit a high fly to deep right-center that Kevin Alcántara and Owen Caissie collided on and that allowed Rodriguez to race around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam, his first home run at Triple-A, making it 6-0. It was the fourth inside-the-park grand slam in franchise history and first at CHS Field.

A leadoff walk in the third came around to score for the I-Cubs as Chase Strumpf drew the free pass. With two outs Caissie singled to center moving Strumpf to second. That was followed by an RBI single from Alcántara cutting the Saints lead to 6-1.

Payton Eeles got the run back for the Saints in the fourth with an opposite field home run to left, his fifth of the season, making it 7-1.

The bottom of the order got the I-Cubs a run in the fifth. Matt Mervis led off with a double to center. With one out Caleb Knight's infield single to third followed by the throwing error on the play by Rylan Bannon scored Mervis making it 7-2.

In the bottom of the sixth Bannon drilled a triple to right-center and scored on a single back up the middle by Eeles making it 8-2. Eeles went 3-5 finishing a triple shy of the cycle with two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base.

Mervis made it 8-3 with a solo homer to right in the seventh, his 14th of the season. Saints starter Aaron Rozek pitched well going 6.0+ innings allowing three runs on six hits while walking two and striking out seven.

Matt Shaw added a solo home run for the I-Cubs in the eighth, his fourth of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 8-4.

Things got tight in the ninth as the first three hitters all singled with Hayden Cantrelle, Caissie, and Alcántara, the latter scoring a run making it 8-5. With one out a sacrifice fly from Moises Ballesteros made it 8-6. With Brennan Davis the tying run at the plate, he flew out to end the game.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Travis Adams (0-0, 5.40) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Riley Thompson (5-4, 6.68). 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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