Saints Attempt To Play Spoiler With 7-4 Win Over Clippers

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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Attempt To Play Spoiler With 7-4 Win Over Clippers

September 10, 2024 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


COLUMBUS, OH - The St. Paul Saints are 16-games under .500 at Huntington Park in their franchise history. But for the next six days they have a chance to play spoiler to the best team in the second half as the Columbus Clippers entered the day 4.0 games up on three teams with 12 games to play. For one night consider it mission accomplished. Behind a six-run third inning and 5.0 strong innings from Randy Dobnak out of the bullpen, the Saints took down the Columbus Clippers 7-4 on Tuesday night.

Brent Headrick started for the Saints, his second since returning from a left forearm strain. He made just one mistake in his 2.2 innings of work and that came in the second when the Clippers jumped on the board first courtesy of a two-run homer to right by Estevan Florial, his seventh of the season, making it 2-0.

The Saints sent 10 men to the plate in the third and plated six runs to grab the lead. With one out Diego Castillo drilled a solo homer to center, his eighth of the season, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Saints loaded the bases with the next three hitters as Yunior Severino singled to right and Emmanuel Rodriguez and Carson McCusker walked. Chris Williams tied the game at two with a single to left. An RBI fielder's choice by Jeferson Morales that erased Williams at second put the Saints up 3-2. Rylan Bannon clubbed an RBI double into left-center putting the Saints up 4-2. The final runs came across with a two-run double to right by Anthony Prato increasing the Saints lead to 6-2.

In the fourth, the Saints added another run when Severino doubled into left and McCusker knocked him home with an RBI single into left-center making it 7-2.

Kody Funderburk made his first Major League appearance and tossed a perfect fourth inning striking out one.

Randy Dobnak would get the bulk innings and was solid. He retired the side in order in the fifth. With two outs and nobody on in the sixth, the Clippers got a run off Dobnak. Micah Pries singled into right-center, moved to second on a Johnathan Rodriguez walked, and scored when Myles Shaw singled into right cutting the Saints lead to 7-3.

The Clippers made it a three-run game in the eighth when Angel Martinez led off with a double into the right field corner and scored on a one out single to right-center by Pries narrowing the Saints lead to 7-4. Dobnak pitched the final 5.0 innings allowing two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out four as he picked up his 12th win of the season, tied for seventh most in the Minor Leagues, one behind six others with 13.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday night at 5:15 p.m. (CT). The Saints send RHP Caleb Boushley (9-5, 4.95) to the mound against Clippers LHP Ryan Webb (2-0, 1.38). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from September 10, 2024


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