Festa Dominates, Saints Hit Three Homers in 4-2 Victory over Clippers in Game 1 of Doubleheader

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IL St. Paul Saints

Festa Dominates, Saints Hit Three Homers in 4-2 Victory over Clippers in Game 1 of Doubleheader

April 29, 2025 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


COLUMBUS, OH - David Festa made his first start for the St. Paul Saints since being optioned. He looked like a Major League arm against the Columbus Clippers. He pitched 6.0 stellar innings, the Saints hit three long balls, and they took game one of the doubleheader 4-2 on Tuesday night at Huntington Park.

With two outs and nobody on in the first, Will Brennan singled to right and that was followed by a two-run homer from Jonathan Rodriguez giving the Clippers a 2-0 lead. That would be the last mistake Festa would make all night.

Festa allowed just one other baserunner, a leadoff single in the third, but retired the final 11 batters he faced and 15 of the final 16. He went 6.0 innings allowing two runs on three hits and fanning seven. He threw 68 pitches, 49 for strikes. His changeup was his most devastating pitch getting a 79% whiff rate (11/14) and overall got a swing and miss on 18 of 38 swings.

From the fourth through the sixth the Saints rattled off three home runs over the next three innings to take the lead. Carson McCusker delivered a solo homer to right in the fourth, his seventh of the season, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

In the fifth Anthony Prato tied the game with a solo homer to left, his second of the season and second in three games, making it 2-2.

Mike Ford came through in the sixth as McCusker reached on an infield single to short and Ford destroyed a two-run homer to right, his fourth of the season, giving the Saints a 4-2 lead.

Richard Lovelady finished it off for the Saints with a perfect ninth as the Saints retired the final 14 Clippers hitters.

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