IL St. Paul Saints

Ober Dominates as Saints Grab 5-1 Win over Indianapolis

Published on April 12, 2023 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - It would be easy to give Bailey Ober a pass for the first two games he pitched this season. Both games were pitched in suboptimal conditions with the cumulative "feels like" temperature barely surpassing Wednesday's lovely 70 degrees at Victory Field. Ober loved the warmth as he tossed 6.0 shutout innings, retiring the first 10 men he faced, in a 5-1 Saints victory over the Indianapolis Indians. The win improves the Saints to 6-4 on the season.

Both starters were stellar through the first three with Ober retiring all nine, five on strikeouts. Meanwhile, Indians starter Luis Ortiz allowed just a two-out first inning single to Mark Contreras and fanned the side in the third.

The Saints finally got on the board in the fourth as Contreras reached on a one out single to right. Ryan LaMarre was hit by a pitch putting runners at first and second. They pulled off a double steal and the throw down to second clipped off LaMarre and went into center field allowing Contreras to score and LaMarre took third, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. Andrew Bechtold made it 3-0 with a two-run homer to right, his second of the season.

Ober gave up his first base runner of the day, an 18-foot single down the third base line with one out in the fourth to Nick Gonzalez. Following the single he retired the next six hitters he faced.

The only other baserunner Ober allowed came in the bottom of the sixth, a one out line drive double to right by Chavez Young. Ober finished his day by getting Travis Swaggerty to ground out and struck out Gonzales. Ober went 6.0 shutout innings allowing two hits while striking out six.

In the seventh the Saints added to their lead with a long ball. Chris Williams led off the inning with a single to left and with one out Andrew Stevenson drilled a two-run homer to right, his first of the season, giving the Saints a 5-0 lead.

Randy Dobnak picked up for Ober and pitched a perfect seventh before the Indians got on the board in the eighth. With one out Chris Owings doubled to right and Grant Koch followed with an RBI single to right. After a walk to Young, Dobnak retired the next two hitters on groundouts to finish off his day.

Trevor Megill ended the game by striking out the side in the ninth.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night at 5:35 p.m. (CT). The Saints send RHP Louie Varland (1-0, 1.80) and the Indians are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from April 12, 2023


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