Morales Blasts Two Homers, Saints Win Rain Shortened Game One of Doubleheader 6-4; Game Two Postponed, Doubleheader Saturday

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IL St. Paul Saints

Morales Blasts Two Homers, Saints Win Rain Shortened Game One of Doubleheader 6-4; Game Two Postponed, Doubleheader Saturday

May 2, 2025 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


COLUMBUS, OH - The St. Paul Saints are now one postponement away from reaching double digits. Jeferson Morales hit two home runs for the first time in his career and the Saints won a rain shortened first game of a doubleheader, that ended in the top of the sixth inning, over the Columbus Clippers 6-4 on Friday night at Huntington Park. Game two was postponed due to rain, the Saints ninth postponement of the season, and the two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday.

Three batters into the game the Saints took a 2-0 lead. Ryan Fitzgerald led off with a double to right and with one out Morales drilled a two-run homer to left, his first of the night and third of the season.

The Saints added a run in the second inning when Mike Ford led off with a walk, moved to second on a Will Holland single to left, and scored on a Fitzgerald single to right, increasing the lead to 3-0.

Walks hurt Saints starter Marco Raya in the bottom of the inning as he put the first two hitters on with a free pass. After a ground out moved the runners up, the Clippers got on the board with a sacrifice lineout by Milan Tolentino cutting the Saints lead to 3-1.

Raya's control continued to escape him in the third. Christian Cairo led off the inning with a walk. An infield single to first by Petey Halpin put runners at first and second. Yordy's Valdes cut the Saints lead to 3-2 with an RBI single to left. Will Brennan knotted the game at three with an RBI double to right. Back-to-back walks forced in a run and gave the Clippers a 4-3 lead.

Mike Ford knotted the game at four in the fourth with a leadoff solo homer to right, his sixth of the season and third in four games.

The biggest inning proved to be the top of the fifth because the Saints plated two runs before the rain came. In the fifth Morales did something he had never done in 440 previous Minor League games. He led off the inning with a solo homer to left-center, his second of the game and fourth of the season, putting the Saints up 5-4. It was the first time in his career he homered twice in a game. Emmanuel Rodriguez followed with an infield single to first. A groundout moved him to second and Ford's single to right-center put Rodriguez at third. Anthony Prato made it 6-4 with a single to left.

Travis Adam worked around a two on, two-out jam in the fifth, stranding the tying runs at the corners.

In the sixth, the first two batters were retired when the rain came and the tarp went on the field. After more than an hour delay, the came was called, but it was an official game.

Royce Lewis finished his fifth Major League rehab game 0-4.

The two teams will try for the fourth time this week to play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1:05 p.m. (CT). Both games are scheduled for seven innings with game two beginning approximately 30-minutes at the conclusion of game one. The Saints send RHP Darren McCaughan (1-0, 0.00) to the mound in game one against Clippers RHP Parker Messick (1-1, 3.22). In game two the Saints send RHP Zebby Matthews (2-1, 1.93) to the mound against Clippers RHP Trenton Denholm (0-1, 8.10). Both games can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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