Paredes Sweeps Way to Fantastic Start, But Saints Can't Finish in 10-5 Loss to Bats
IL St. Paul Saints

Paredes Sweeps Way to Fantastic Start, But Saints Can't Finish in 10-5 Loss to Bats

Published on May 27, 2026 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


LOUISVILLE, KY - Mike Paredes entered his start on Wednesday afternoon throwing his sweeper just 9.0% of the time. He utilized it nearly 50% of the time against the Louisville Bats and had them completely flummoxed. Once he left the game, however, the Bats feasted, scoring nine runs over their final three at bats as the Saints fell 10-5 at Louisville Slugger Field.

Héctor Rodriguez crushed the Saints all game long and it began in his first at bat in the first with an inside-the-park home run. He hit a high fly ball to right-center that hit off the brick wall above the padded wall, the ball kicked back towards the field of play and by the time the ball was thrown home it was too late to get Rodriguez, It was his first of the game and eighth of the season giving the Bats a 1-0 lead.

The Saints wasted little time taking the lead as they plated two in the second. Aaron Sabato led off the inning with a walk and with one out Tanner Schobel smashed a double to left, putting runners at second and third. Kaelen Culpepper took a slider on the outside corner and punched it into center for a two-run single giving the Saints a 2-1 lead.

After the first inning Paredes dominated on the mound utilizing the sweeper. Of his 63 pitches, 31 were sweepers, 22 for strikes, 71%. He got 12 whiffs on 19 swings at the sweeper, a 63% clip. He retired the final seven men he faced going 5.0 innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out a career-tying high seven.

Three extra-base hits added to the Saints lead in the fifth. Gabby Gonzalez led off with a triple off the wall in left. Kyler Fedko knocked him home with a doble to right-center, increasing the Saints lead to 3-1. With one out, Ben Ross delivered a two-run homer to left-center, his third of the season, putting the Saints up 5-1. The Saints collected eight hits as each of the first eight hitters in the lineup collected a hit.

In the blink of an eye the Bats tied it up in the sixth. Alejandro Hidalgo took over for Paredes and after getting the first batter of the inning, gave up back-to-back-to-back solo homers from Rodriguez, his second of the day and ninth of the season, Nolevi Marte, his eighth, and Michael Toglia, his 11th, cutting the Saints lead to 5-4. It was the first time in franchise history the Saints gave up three straight homers. Michael Chavis doubled to left and scored on a single to right by Francisco Urbaez deadlocking the game at five.

Kody Funderburk took over in the seventh, but the lefty didn't have any better luck against the lefty Rodriguez who did it for the third time on the day, hitting a solo homer, his 10th of the season, giving the Bats a 6-5 lead.

The game was blown open in the eighth as the Bats scored four more runs as they loaded the bases with nobody out on a Chavis double, a hit by pitch to Urbaez, and a sac bunt by Austin Hendrick in which he reached on an error when the first baseman Sabato dropped the ball as he went throw it to first. With one out, Garrett Hampson drove home a pair with a single to right-center putting the Bats up 8-5. Edwin Arroyo was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a pitching change, a walk to Rodriguez and a sac fly from Marte gave the Bats their finishing margin of victory, 10-5.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night at 5:35 p.m. (CT) at Louisville Slugger Field. The Saints send RHP Ryan Gallagher (0-1, 9.00) to the mound against Bats LHP Brandon Leibrandt (2-2, 4.29). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96,7 FM.

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International League Stories from May 27, 2026


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