Lewis Homers Twice, But Storm Chasers Homer in Ninth Costs Saints in 7-6 Loss
IL St. Paul Saints

Lewis Homers Twice, But Storm Chasers Homer in Ninth Costs Saints in 7-6 Loss

Published on May 23, 2026 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The process for Royce Lewis to get back to the Minnesota Twins began in game one when he was optioned and reported Thursday. He homered in his first at bat on that night. On Saturday night he added two more long balls bringing his total to three in three games. The Omaha Storm Chasers, however, got a long ball of their own in the ninth and the St. Paul Saints fell 7-6 at CHS Field in front of 6,670.

With the game tied at five in the ninth inning the Storm Chasers sent up the bottom third of the order. Gavin Cross led off with a single to right-center. With one out Dustin Dickerson picked the perfect time for his first Triple-A home run, taking a change up in off the plate and turning on it for a two-run homer to left giving the Storm Chasers a 7-5 lead.

The Saints threatened in the bottom of the ninth as Lewis and Hendry Mendez started the inning with back-to-back walks. On a strikeout of Kyler Fedko the ball skipped away and the runners advanced 90 feet. Matt Wallner's ground out plated a run getting the Saints to 7-6. With the tying run at third and the winning run at the plate Aaron Sabato struck out swinging to end the game.

A night after Kaelen Culpepper left the game when he split his lip open, he took the first pitch of the bottom of the first off Major League rehabber Cole Ragans and crushed it over the center field wall, his 10th of the season, making it 1-0. It was Culpepper's fourth home run to lead off the game and sixth home run to lead off an inning this season. That was all the Saints could do against Ragans who went 4.1 innings allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out three.

The lead didn't last long as the Storm Chasers plated two in the second. Brett Squires led off by getting hit by a pitch and that was followed by a single to left from Luca Tresh putting runners at first and second. Cross attempted a sacrifice bunt, but popped it up and pitcher Mike Paredes came charging in, slid, and made the catch then fired to first for a double play. After a walk to Abraham Toro, Dickerson smacked a two-run double to right giving the Storm Chasers a 2-1 lead.

Major League rehabber Cody Laweryson made his third appearance for the Saints and took over in the sixth. Drew Waters led off with a double to left and with one out Tresh homered to straightaway center, his fifth of the season, giving the Storm Chasers a 4-1 lead. Laweryson went 2.0 innings allowing two runs, on two hits, while striking out two.

Lewis, in his third game since being optioned, led off the sixth inning with a solo homer to left, his first of the night, second since being optioned, and fourth with the Saints, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Three straight walks loaded the bases and with two outs Ricardo Olivar singled to right driving home a pair tying the game at four.

Lewis came calling again in the seventh when he delivered his second homer of the night, a solo blast to center his third since being optioned and fifth with the Saints, making it 5-4. It's the seventh time Lewis has homered twice in a game, the last coming September 8, 2025, with the Minnesota Twins at the Angels. Lewis finished 2-4 with two home runs, two RBI, and three runs scored.

The lead didn't last long as the Storm Chasers got the run back in the eighth. Kameron Misner led off with a walk, stole second, and with two outs Tresh singled to left scoring Misner tying the game at five.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday evening at CHS Field at 5:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Ty Langenburg (1-0, 3.00) to the mound against Storm Chasers LHP Ryan Ramsey (2-4, 5.90). The game can be seen on the CW Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MLB+, and the Bally Sports Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from May 23, 2026


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