Gut Punch Loss, Saints Fall 10-9 to I-Cubs in 11

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St. Paul Saints

Gut Punch Loss, Saints Fall 10-9 to I-Cubs in 11

August 4, 2024 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


DES MOINES, IA - The St. Paul Saints had all the momentum. A game-tying homer in the ninth. An out at the plate to end the bottom of the ninth. A four-run top of the 10th. The Saints, however, couldn't close the deal and fell in excruciating fashion 10-9 in 11 innings to the Iowa Cubs on Sunday afternoon at Principal Park.

With the Saints down one in the ninth and one out, Payton Eeles delivered with a solo homer to right, his third of the season, tying the game at four.

In the bottom of the ninth Darius Hill led off with a single to left. Caleb Knight laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved Hill to second. After a groundout moved Hill to third, Saints reliever Jeff Brigham threw a pitch that went to the backstop. It took the perfect carrom to catcher Alex Isola who grabbed the ball, raced to the plate and tagged out Hill to end the inning.

The Saints exploded for four runs in the 10th inning. With two outs and Yunior Severino at second, Wynton Bernard came through with an RBI single to right-center putting the Saints up 5-4. Isola made it 6-4 with an RBI single to left. Diego Castillo then doubled putting runners at second and third which was followed by a two-run single from Eeles giving the Saints an 8-4 lead. Eeles finished 3-4 with a home run, a career-high four RBI, and a run scored.

In the bottom of the 10th, however, the Saints couldn't close it out. With one out and the placed runner at second, Owen Caissie's RBI double cut the Saints lead to 8-5. After a groundout for out number two, the Saints went to their bullpen for Scott Blewett. Trayce Thompson ripped an RBI double to left making it 8-6. Chase Strumpf tied it with a two-run homer to left, his ninth of the season.

The Saints loaded the bases in the 11th with nobody out, but managed just one run on a sacrifice fly from Severino making it 9-8.

In the bottom of the inning the I-Cubs would win it as Knight delivered a two-run homer to right-center, his second of the season. The game was a tight one throughout as the Saints got on the board first in thew fourth as Bernard extended his hitting streak to eight with a leadoff triple to right. Isola got the Saints on the board with a sacrifice fly making it 1-0. Diego Castillo followed with a double to right-center, Payton Eeles singled him to third, and Dalton Shuffield made it 2-0 with a safety squeeze. Castillo finished 3-5 with two doubles and two runs scored.

It took four batters for the I-Cubs to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. Caissie led off with a solo homer to center, his 11th of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 2-1. Back-to-back doubles by Moises Ballesteros and Thompson tied the game at two. Strumpf gave the I-Cubs a 3-2 lead with a bloop single down the left field line.

An error proved beneficial for the Saints in tying the game in the sixth. Isola reached on a two baser error in left by Hill. Isola moved to third on a single to right by Castillo and scored on a sacrifice fly from Eeles tying the game at three.

The Saints committed a costly error of their own to give the I-Cubs a lead. Hill led off the seventh inning with a single to right-center. Knight laid down a sacrifice that was fielded by the pitcher Zack Weiss. His throw to first bounced in the dirt and skipped off Severino's glove towards shallow right as Hill took third. With one out Miles Mastruoboni lined a single into center scoring Hill giving the I-Cubs a 4-3 lead.

The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday night in game one of a six-game series against the Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians) at CHS Field at 7:08 p.m. The Saints send RHP Adam Plutko (6-1, 3.81) to the mound and the Guardians are TBA. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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