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IL St. Paul Saints

Grand Finale, Camargo's Walk-Off Slam Sends Saints 12-9 Victory

June 28, 2023 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - That's one way to start the second half of the season. The St. Paul Saints entered the bottom of the ninth inning down a run. They loaded the bases with two outs. Up stepped the youngest position player on the roster, Jair Camargo. The first pitch Camargo saw from reliever Joe Harvey was drilled over the center field wall for a walk-off grand slam as the Saints won 12-9 over the Gwinnett Stripers on Wednesday afternoon at CHS Field in front of 8,355. The win puts the Saints at 1-0 in the second half and 44-31 on the season.

With one out in the ninth, Kyle Garlick ripped a single into left. With two outs, Trevor Larnach and Andrew Bechtold drew walks to load the bases. On the very first pitch of the at bat, Camargo smoked a grand slam to center, his third grand slam of the season and fourth of his career and 12th home run of the season, for the walk-off win. Camargo finished the game 2-4 with a grand slam, six RBI, and a run scored. It was the Saints eighth grand slam of the season, tied for the most in all of baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Saints not only hit the last pitch of the game for a home run, but they also hit the first. Jose Miranda got the Saints off on the right foot hitting the first pitch of the bottom of the first for a solo homer to left-center, his third of the season, making it 1-0.

In the second, Saints starter Louie Varland had trouble with his control that aided the Stripers in scoring four runs. With one out, Brenden Shewmake doubled. Varland then walked Yolmer Sánchez and, with two outs, walked Dominic Miroglio and Eli White, the latter forcing in a run to tie the game at one. With the bases loaded, Forrest Wall cleared the bases with a double putting the Stripers up 4-1.

The Saints wasted little time answering, putting up a couple of runs in the second. The Saints loaded the base with the first three hitters on a Larnach walk, a Chris Williams single, and an error on a ground ball hit by Camargo from the shortstop Vaughn Grissom. Anthony Prato cut the deficit to 4-2 with an RBI single to left and Elliot Soto followed with an RBI fielder's choice to make it 4-3.

The Atlanta Braves number nine prospect, Shewmake got one of the runs back with a solo homer in the fourth, his eighth of the season, to build the Stripers lead back up to 5-3.

The Saints sent nine men to the plate in the bottom of the third to take the lead. Back-to-back singles by Matt Wallner and Garlick to start the inning put runners at first and second. With one out, Larnach walked to load the bases. Williams then walked to force in a run and cut the deficit to 5-4. The next three hitters drove in runs as Jair Camrgo knocked in two with a single, an RBI fielder's choice by Prato, and an RBI single from Soto gave the Saints an 8-5 lead.

Luke Williams cut the Saints lead to two in the fifth with a solo homer to left. His second of the season, making it 8-6.

The Stripers took the lead in the eighth with a three spot. Braden Shewmake started the inning with a hit by pitch. With two outs Daniel Miraglio singled and White walked to load the bases. Wall tied the game with a two-run single to center. That was followed by an RBI single from Vaughn Grissom putting the Stripers up 9-8.

History was made against the Saints in the ninth when Shewmake tripled with one out. The triple gave him the cycle, the first ever cycle hit against the Saints in franchise history, including their time as an Independent Professional Baseball team. Shewmake finished the day 4-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series at CHS Field on Thursday night at 7:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Randy Dobnak (3-3, 5.02) to the mound against Stripers RHP Dereck Rodriguez (2-1, 4.42). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, the Bally Live app (free), and MiLB.TV (subscription), and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from June 28, 2023


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