Mike Ford Plays Hero with Three-Run Walk-Off Homer in Ninth in 8-7 Saints Victory

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IL St. Paul Saints

Mike Ford Plays Hero with Three-Run Walk-Off Homer in Ninth in 8-7 Saints Victory

May 7, 2025 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The most veteran hitter on the St. Paul Saints roster came up with the biggest clutch hit of the season. Down two in the bottom of the ninth, Mike Ford drilled a walk-off homer to send the Saints to their fourth straight victory, an 8-7 walk-off victory over the Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday night at CHS Field in front of 4,302.

The Saints were four outs away from victory before the Bisons grabbed the lead in the eighth. In the bottom of the ninth, Edouard Julien singled to right off left-handed pitcher Josh Walker. Carson McCusker worked a walk to put the tying runs aboard. That brought up Mike Ford, playing in his 843rd Minor League game. On a 2-2 pitch, Ford took a high and inside curve ball and crushed it over the right field wall for a walk-off three-run homer, his seventh of the season. It was the first walk-off win of the season and 30th walk-off win in Saints history. It was the seventh walk-off homer in franchise history, the first since Jair Camargo's walk-off grand slam on June 28, 2023.

The walk-off dramatics were necessary because the Bisons came back from a deficit in the eighth. Two long balls gave the Bisons the lead in the inning. With two outs and nobody on Kody Funderburk walked Stefanic. Loperfido gave the Bisons the lead with a two-run homer to right, his fourth of the season, making it 6-5. Funderburk then did something he had not done in 174 previous outings, he gave up two home runs in an outing. Davis Schneider followed with a solo homer to left, his first of the season, giving the Bisons a 7-5 lead.

The Bisons plated a pair of unearned runs in the third. With one out Michael Stefanik reached on a fielding error by the second baseman Julien. A walk and a double steal put runners at second and third. With two outs, Will Wagner singled to left driving in both runs giving the Bisons a 2-0 lead.

The Saints got one back in the fourth. Jeferson Morales reached on a one out single to left-center and scored on a two-out double to center by Will Holland cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Ryan Fitzgerald knotted the game at two in the fifth leading off the inning with a solo homer to right, his third of the season. Mickey Gasper followed with a walk. He then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher Christian Bethancourt. With one out McCusker ripped an RBI double down the third base line putting the Saints up 3-2. McCusker extended his hitting streak to 10-games.

The teams traded two run innings in the sixth. The Bisons loaded the bases on a base hit and two walks. A two-out single to left by Joey Loperfido put the Bisons up 4-3.

The Saints wasted little time regaining the lead in the bottom of the inning. With one out Fitzgerald doubled to right. He finished the night 3-5, a triple shy of the cycle, with an RBI, and two runs scored. That was followed by a walk to Gasper. Edouard Julien lined an RBI single into left and a fielding error by the left fielder Davis Schneider allowed Gasper to score putting the Saints back up 5-4. The top three hitters in the order of Fitzgerald, Gasper, and Julien went 7-13, with two doubles, a home run, two RBI, and five runs scored.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night at CHS Field at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send RHP Cory Lewis (1-2, 9.00) to the mound against Bisons LHP Trenton Wallace (0-1, 4.95). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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