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IL St. Paul Saints

Pitching Dominates as Saints Shut Down Red Wings 5-1

April 27, 2023 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ROCHESTER, NY - Louie Varland was stellar on Thursday morning at Innovative Field. The bullpen was even better and the St. Paul Saints rode a first inning home run by Mark Contreras to a 5-1 victory over the Rochester Red Wings. The win improves the Saints to 15-8.

The Saints grabbed the lead in the first with one big smash. Edouard Julien led off the game with a walk and, with one out, Michael Helman walked. With two outs Mark Contreras muscled the ball just over the wall in right, his fourth of the season, giving the Saints a 3-0 lead. Contreras went 2-3 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored.

From there it was all Varland. He wiggled out of a first and second one out jam in the first by getting a foul out and a fly out.

In the second, Varland allowed a one out double, but struck out all three outs. That started a string of eight consecutive hitters retired.

Varland's only blip came in the fifth as Richie Martin led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a two-out single by Darren Baker cutting the Saints lead to 3-1.

After a one out walk in the sixth, Varland departed for Cole Sands. He slammed the door with the tying runs at the plate, striking out Wilson Garcia and getting Chad Pinder to fly. Varland went 5.1 innings allowing one run on four hits while walking two and striking out eight. He has struck out at least eight in all four starts (including his one start with the Minnesota Twins) this season.

Sands retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Jake Alu with two outs in the eighth. Sands finished off his day with a strikeout of Travis Blankenhorn. He went 2.2 hitless, scoreless innings while walking one and striking out four.

The Saints tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth, once again utilizing the Red Wings inability to throw a strike. The Saints loaded the bases with nobody out on a hit by pitch to Matt Wallner and back-to-back walks to Contreras and Andrew Bechtold. With one out, Tony Wolters made it 4-1 with a bloop single to left. With two outs Julien walked to force in a run giving the Saints a 5-1 lead.

Jorge Alcala finished off the game by retiring the side in order in the ninth and striking out Martin to end the game.

The Saints allowed just four hits, the fifth time this season they've allowed four or fewer hits in a game and the sixth time they've allowed one or fewer runs.

The same two teams meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night at Innovative Field. The Saints send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-2, 9.00) to the mound against Red Wings RHP Cory Abbott (1-3, 8.50). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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