IL St. Paul Saints

How the Turn Tables, Saints Blank Bats 1-0

Published on August 6, 2021 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - A night after the St. Paul Saints lost 1-0 to the Louisville Bats they returned the favor on Friday night at CHS Field. Starter Chandler Shepherd was magnificent, and Sherman Johnson crushed an eighth inning solo homer for a 1-0 victory in front of 8,136.

With two outs in the eighth, left-handed pitcher Brandon Finnegan squared off against the left-hand hitting Johnson, who was 4-17 with one extra base hit against lefties this season. On a 2-2 pitch, Johnson drilled a solo homer to right, his third of the season, for what proved to be the game winning run.

It was a pitcher's duel for the second consecutive night as Shepherd was strong all night long. With two outs in the second he gave up a double to Alfredo Rodriguez, but got Braxton Lee to ground out to end the inning.

Shepherd retired 11 consecutive hitters until a one out infield single to Jan Hernandez in the sixth. With two outs, Jose Barrero singled Hernandez to second, but Shepherd got Major League rehabber Alex Blandino to hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning. Shepherd went 6.0 shutout innings allowing four hits while striking out three.

Meanwhile, the Saints had trouble against Bats starter Michael Mariot. They nearly scored in the first as Jose Miranda led off the inning with a single to left-center. With Miranda at second and one out, Tomás Telis singled to left and Miranda tried to score, but the left fielder Lee threw out Miranda at the plate.

The Saints would add just three more singles against Mariot and never had another runner reach second in his time on the mound. Mariot went 7.0 shutout innings allowing five hits.

The Saints bullpen did their job, but not without some tense moments. In the seventh, Yennier Cano came out of the bullpen, but he walked the first batter he faced and then hit the second. A groundout moved the runners up, but Cano fanned Lee and Chris Okey to end the inning.

Kyle Barraclough tossed a perfect eighth before Nick Vincent took over in the ninth. He walked Blandino to lead off the inning, but struck out Alejo Lopez. TJ Friedl then singled to left putting runners at first and second. A groundout by Rodriguez moved the runners to second and third, but Vincent earned his sixth save by striking out Lee to end the game.

The same two teams meet in game five of the six-game series on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Ian Hamilton (2-1, 2.61) to the mound against Bats RHP Bo Takahashi (2-6, 5.25). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, and MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from August 6, 2021


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