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IL St. Paul Saints

It Rhymes with Rake, Ernie Yake's Career Night Leads Saints to 8-2 Victory

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


ST. PAUL, MN - One man stole the show on Friday night at CHS Field and his name is Ernie Yake. His career night along with stellar pitching, including a solid start by Dallas Keuchel, sent the St. Paul Saints to an 8-2 victory over the Toledo Mud Hens in front of 8,540.

Keuchel, making his sixth start in a Saints uniform, tossed his sixth strong start and his third straight quality start. After giving up a one out single in the first, he struck out back-to-back hitters to end the inning.

After retiring the side in order in the second, the Mud Hens got to him in the third inning. With two outs and nobody on Nick Solak drew a walk. He moved to third on a single by Justyn-Henry Malloy and scored on a wild pitch giving the Mud Hens a 1-0 lead.

Austin Martin collected his first Triple-A home run in the fourth giving the Saints the lead. With one out Jair Camargo singled and that was followed by a Martin two-run homer to left giving the Saints a 2-1 lead. Martin finished went 3-4 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base.

Malloy answered for the Mud Hens in the fifth with a solo homer to straightaway center, his 16th of the season, tying the game at two. Despite giving up that home run, Keuchel fanned two more in the inning.

Keuchel finished his night with a perfect sixth inning. He went 6.0 innings allowing two runs on six hits while walking one and a season high eight strikeouts. He threw 89 pitches, 59 for strikes and got 12 swings and misses.

The Saints put Keuchel in line for the victory when Mark Contreras led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer to right-center, his 10th of the season, making it 3-2. They weren't done because with one out Martin reached on an infield single and after a pitching change, Chris Williams walked. Yake then hit his first Triple-A home run, a three-run blast to right, putting the Saints up 6-2.

Caleb Thielbar, in his second rehab appearance, tossed 1.0 perfect inning and struck out one. He barely broke a sweat throwing eight pitches, six for strikes.

In the eighth, the Saints put the finishing touches on the game. Yake completed his record setting night with a two-out solo homer to right, his second of the game, making it 7-2. It was the first two homer game of Yake's career and he finished the night with a career-high three hits, going 3-4, two homers and a career high four RBI, with two runs scored, and a stolen base. Andrew Stevenson doubled and back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Gilberto Celestino was hit by a pitch to force in a run.

Oliver Ortega was masterful out of the bullpen for the Saints pitching the final 2.0 innings and allowing one hit while striking out five.

The same two teams meet in game five of a six-game series at CHS Field at 7:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Randy Dobnak (4-4, 4.19) to the mound and the Mud Hens are TBA. The game can be seen on the CW Network, the Bally Live app (free), and MiLB.TV (subscription), and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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