Houghton Hits First Triple-A Homer, Pitching Dominates in 4-1 Saints' Victory

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IL St. Paul Saints

Houghton Hits First Triple-A Homer, Pitching Dominates in 4-1 Saints' Victory

June 7, 2025 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Maddux Houghton has played 227 Minor League games in his career since he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Twins in 2023 out of Lipscomb. All, but five have been spent at Low-A Fort Myers. On Saturday night he broke a scoreless game with his first Triple-A home run. The pitching did the rest in a 4-1 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at CHS Field in front of 7,210.

Like the night before the starting pitchers were locked in a battle. Saints starter Darren McCaughan pitched out of two big jams. The first came in the third inning when he loaded the bases with nobody out on a walk, single, and walk. McCaughan wiggled out of the trouble with a fly out to shallow right, a groundout to first that erased the runner at the plate, and then a comebacker in which he calmly threw home to end the inning.

In the fifth, Jose Rojas led off with a single to right. With one out Andrew Velazquez singled to center, putting runners at first and second. A double steal put runners at second and third. McCaughan then got Jesús Rodriguez to hit a medium fly to right. Carson McCusker made the catch and came up firing to the plate and he nailed Rojas for the double play and end the inning. McCaughan went 5.0 scoreless innings allowing four hits while walking two and striking out one.

That momentum carried into the bottom of the inning as Houghton, whose only five games outside of Fort Myers came last season when he played for the Saints. He crushed a one out solo homer to left, his first Triple-A home run, making it 1-0.

Michael Tonkin made his first Major League rehab appearance since being shut down after his May 8 rehab appearance with the Saints. Tonkin went 1.0 scoreless inning allowing one hit, walking one, and striking out one.

In the sixth the Saints added another run. Jose Miranda led off with an infield single to third and took second on the throwing error by Jorbit Vivas. With two outs Edouard Julien made it 2-0 with an RBI single to right-center.

The RailRiders finally broke through in the seventh. Rojas led off with a double to right and with two outs Jesús Rodriguez singled to center scoring Rojas cutting the Saints lead to 2-1.

In the bottom of the inning the Saints got the run back. Tanner Schobel led off with a double to left. Diego Cartaya followed with a single to center, moving Schobel to third. With one out Payton Eeles fielder's choice scored Schobel giving the Saints a 3-1 lead.

They scored in their fourth consecutive inning in the eighth when Miranda led off with a double to left, moved to third on a passed ball, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Anthony Prato to make it 4-1.

Richard Lovelady picked up his fifth save of the season with a perfect ninth inning.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (2-0, 4.24) to the mound against RailRiders RHP JT Brubaker (0-0, 15.00). The game can be seen on the CW Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.'

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