Sports stats

IL St. Paul Saints

Keuchel Stellar in Six Shutout Innings, but Saints Give Up Eight Late, Lose 8-5

July 22, 2023 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


PAPILLION, NE - Dallas Keuchel continues to dazzle each time he takes the ball for the St. Paul Saints. He hurled 6.0 shutout innings and left with a 4-0 lead. The Saints couldn't hold that lead, giving up eight runs over the seventh and eighth in an 8-5 loss to the Omaha Storm Chasers on Saturday night at Werner Park. The loss drops the Saints to 12-8 in the second half.

Jorge Polanco delivered for the Saints in the first with a 423-foot solo homer just to the left of center field making it 1-0. Polanco finished his rehab game 2-3 with a single, homer, RBI, and run scored. With two outs Kyle Garlick singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Mark Contreras RBI single making it 2-0.

The Saints got their second home run of the game in the second. Ernie Yake ripped a double off the top of the wall in right and two batters later Andrew Stevenson drilled a two-run homer to center, his 11th of the season, putting the Saints up 4-0.

Meanwhile, Keuchel was dominant. He never faced more than four hitters in an inning during an impressive start. After a leadoff single in the first, Keuchel retired the next three hitters to end the inning.

He walked a hitter in each of the next three innings, but otherwise retired everyone around those walks. In the fifth, Keuchel allowed a leadoff single, but with one out got a ground ball double play to end the inning.

In his final inning, Keuchel retired the side in order including a strikeout looking of Nick Loftin to end his night. Keuchel went 6.0 shutout innings allowing two hits while walking three and striking out three. He threw 73 pitches, 46 for strikes.

Blayne Enlow took over in the seventh and couldn't hold onto the lead. Nate Eaton led off the inning with a double to left-center. With one out, Brewer Hicklen walked. On a 3-2 pitch with the runners going, José Briceño grounded one into the hole between short and third that Ernie Yake made a diving play on, but Eaton raced around third and beat the throw home making it 4-1. Angelo Castellano cut the Saints lead to 4-2 with an RBI single to left. Samad Taylor finished off the scoring with a two-run double to right-center tying the game at four.

The Storm Chasers grabbed the lead for good in the eighth. With Eaton at first and one out, Enlow threw a pickoff away and Eaton raced around to third. A wild pitch scored him to make it 5-4. Tyler Gentry then walked and he too raced to third on an errant pickoff attempt. After Hicklen was hit by a pitch, Enlow departed for Austin Brice. He was greeted by an RBI single from pinch hitter Clay Dungan that made it 6-4. That was followed by a two-run double from Castellano giving the Storm Chasers an 8-4 lead.

The Saints hit their third home run of the game in the ninth when Jair Camargo hit a solo homer to center, his 14th of the season, but they would get no closer losing 8-5.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. at Werner Park. The Saint send RHP Randy Dobnak (4-4, 4.30) against Storm Chasers LHP Anthony Veneziano (4-0, 3.47). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Check out the St. Paul Saints Statistics



International League Stories from July 22, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent St. Paul Saints Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central