Raya Goes Five Strong Innings, But Late Grand Slam Hurts Saints in 7-3 Loss in Game One of Doubleheader

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IL St. Paul Saints

Raya Goes Five Strong Innings, But Late Grand Slam Hurts Saints in 7-3 Loss in Game One of Doubleheader

June 28, 2025 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Marco Raya continues to develop and get better as the season goes along. He had another solid outing going 5.0 strong innings making just one mistake, but the a grand slam hurt the St. Paul Saints in a 7-3 loss to the Louisville Bats in game one of a doubleheader at CHS Field.

The Bats got on the board in the second inning courtesy of the long ball. Jack Rogers led off the inning with a walk and Ivan Johnson hit a two-run homer to right, his seventh of the season, giving the Bats a 2-0 lead. That was the lone mistake Raya made as he went 5.0 innings allowing two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out four.

The first four hitters reached for the Saints in the bottom of the inning as they cut the lead in half. Payton Eeles led off with a single to left, Aaron Sabato reached on a fielding error by the shortstop Levi Jordan, and Jeferson Morales singled to right. Yunior Severino's single to center scored Eeles getting the Saints to within 2-1. A strikeout and a double play groundout, however, prevented the Saints from tying or taking the lead.

In the sixth, the Bats blew the game open. Edwin Rios led off with a single to center and Jordan followed with an infield single to third. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a base, Johnson walked to load the bases. P.J. Higgins sacrifice fly gave the Bats a 3-1 lead. After a walk to Will Banfield loaded the bases for the second time in the inning, Blake Dunn delivered with a grand slam to left, his first homer of the season, increasing the lead to 7-1.

Severino made it interesting in the sixth. With two outs Jeferson Morales singled to left. That was followed by a two-run, 450-foot blast over the center field batter's by Yunior Severino, his second of the season, getting the Saints to within 7-3. Severino became the ninth player in CHS Field history to homer over the batter's eye, the seventh Saints player, third in Triple-A history, and the first player to accomplish it twice.

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