IL St. Paul Saints

Kirilloff's Two Home Runs, Dobnak's Stellar Start Lead Saints to Fourth Straight Win, 8-5 over RailRiders

Published on April 23, 2023 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Alex Kirilloff is a little over the halfway point of the maximum amount of days he can spend on Major League rehab. On day 13 of potentially 20 days, he showed the wrist feels good. Kirilloff clobbered two home runs, Randy Dobnak was masterful in his 4.0 innings of work and the Saints defeated the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 8-5 on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field in front of 4,048. The win was the fourth consecutive for the Saints and they improved to 13-7 on the season.

The Saints jumped out to a lead in the first inning courtesy of Alex Kirilloff. Edouard Julien led off with a walk and Kirilloff followed with a two-run homer to left-center, his first, giving the Saints a 2-0 lead.

Dobnak, meanwhile, allowed a one out single in the first before retiring seven in a row. He walked the leadoff man in the fourth to end the string, but after a strikeout, he picked off Jamie Westbrook and then got Andrés Chaparro to ground out ending his day. Dobnak went 4.0 shutout innings allowing one hit while walking one and striking out three.

The bottom of the order got in on the scoring action for the Saints in the fourth. With one out, Ryan LaMarre walked. Hernán Pérez reached on an infield single to second that put runners at first and second. With two outs, number nine hitter Elliot Soto singled to right in between the first base line and the first baseman which scored LaMarre putting the Saints up 3-0.

Kirilloff wasn't the only Major League rehabber to play on Sunday as Josh Winder came out of the bullpen in the fifth. He made one mistake courtesy of a leadoff solo homer from Jake Bauers, his seventh of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 3-1. Winder went 3.0 innings allowing one run on two hits while striking out three.

Kirilloff came calling again in the seventh. Soto led off with a triple to center and Julien walked. Kirilloff crushed a 390-foot home run to right-center, his second of the game and second of the season, giving the Saints a 6-1 lead. Kirilloff finished the day 2-4 with two home runs, five RBI, and two runs scored.

Jorge Alcala made his Saints debut in the eighth and loaded the bases with nobody out on two singles and a walk. He got out of the jam unscathed with a strikeout and two pop outs.

The Saints put the finishing touches on the game with a two spot in the eighth. LaMarre started the inning with an infield single to third. Pérez followed with a single to right, putting runners at first and second. LaMarre and Pérez pulled ff a double steal putting runners at second and third. Soto then fouled out to first in front of the Saints dugout, 60 feet away from home plate, but with the first baseman, pitcher, and catcher going for the ball no one covered home and LaMarre charged home to score giving the Saints a 7-1 lead. It was the shortest sacrifice fly at any level in the Statcast era (2015). Julien then hit a grounder to second that was mishandled by Westbrook allowing Pérez to score increasing the lead to 8-1.

The Saints needed those runs as the RailRiders hit two, two-run homers in the ninth by Baurs, his second of the game and eighth of the season, and Michael Hermosillo, his fourth of the season.

The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday as they begin a six-game series the Rochester Red Wings at Innovative Field at 5:05 p.m. (CT). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from April 23, 2023


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