Olivar's First Triple-A Home Run Not Enough in 11-7 Loss to Bats
IL St. Paul Saints

Olivar's First Triple-A Home Run Not Enough in 11-7 Loss to Bats

Published on May 29, 2026 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


LOUISVILLE, KY - Ricardo Olivar was putting up career power numbers at Double-A Wichita, smashing 10 home runs in just 32 games before getting called up to St. Paul. In just his fifth game with the Saints he hit his first Triple-A home run, one of three hit by the club on Friday night, but it wasn't enough in an 11-7 loss to the Louisville Bats at Louisville Slugger Field.

Michael Toglia put the Bats on the board when he led off the second with a homer to right-center, his 12th of the season, making it 1-0.

The first three hitters reached in the third for the Saints as they plated three runs to take the lead. Ben Ross led off with a walk and Olivar doubled off the base of the wall in left-center scoring Ross tying the game at one. Tanner Schobel then reached on a throwing error by shortstop Garrett Hampson putting runners at first and second. Hendry Mendez put the Saints up 2-1 with a single to center. In the process he reached base safely in his first 19 games with the Saints, a franchise record. With two outs Royce Lewis poked an RBI single to right-center increasing the lead to 3-1.

Olivar hit his first Triple-A home run in the fourth. Gabby Gonzalez led off with an infield single to short and with two outs Olivar unloaded on one to left putting the Saints up 5-1. Olivar went 2-4 with a double, home run, three RBI, and two runs scored.

The lead didn't last long as the Bats first four hitters reached base safely in the bottom of the inning. Noelve Marte led off with a single to left and advanced to second on the fielding error by Mendez. Toglia hit his second homer of the game, a two-run blast to left, his 13th of the season, getting the Bats to within 5-3. Francisco Urbaez followed with a double and an infield single to first by Ivan Johnson put runners at the corners. Austin Hendrick's RBI fielder's choice plated Urbaez cutting the Saints lead to 5-4. Will Banfield knotted the game at five with an RBI single to center.

The teams traded runs in the fifth as Kaelen Culpepper led off the inning with a homer to left, his 12th of the season, putting the Saints up 6-5.

In the bottom of the inning, Marte doubled with one out, was balked to third, and with two outs Ivan Johnson drove him home with a single to center tying the game at six.

Each team delivered a home run in the seventh. Ben Ross gave the Saints the lead back in the sixth with a two-out solo homer to left, his fourth of the season, making it 7-6.

In the bottom of the inning Edwin Arroyo hit a fly ball to right that caromed off the padded wall and kicked away from Gonzalez. By the time he tracked it down Arroyo was racing around the bases for an inside-the-park home run, his 11th homer of the season. It was the second inside-the-park home run of the series for the Bats.

For the fourth consecutive inning the Bats scored and for the second time they put up four. The first three hitters reached on singles as Marte, Toglia, and Urbaez, with the latter knocking in a run to make it 8-7. After a pitching change, Trent Baker was able to retire the next two, but then gave up a three-run homer to Banfield, his fourth of the season, extending the Bats lead to 11-7.

Aaron Sabao went 0-4, ending his career-high 13-game hitting streak, the second longest by a Saints hitter this year.

The same two teams meet in game five of a six-game series on Saturday night at Louisville Slugger Field at 6:15 p.m. (CT). The Saints send RHP John Klein (1-1, 6.09) to the mound and the Bats are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from May 29, 2026


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