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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Blitz Red Wings with Eight Run First, Cruise to 12-2 Victory

June 8, 2022 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Make it three consecutive games in which the St. Paul Saints offense has scored double-digit runs, a first in franchise history. Jake Cave finished a double shy of the cycle, the Saints pounded out 13 hits, and they dominated the first place team in the East Division, the Rochester Red Wings, for the second straight night, 12-2 on Wednesday night at CHS Field in front of 5,513.

The Saints put the game away in their first at bats of the night, exploding for eight runs in the first inning, tying the largest output of the season. The first six hitters reached as Spencer Steer led off with a walk. Alex Kirilloff singled him to right. Tim Beckham followed with an RBI single to left putting the Saints up 1-0. Cave made it 3-0 with a triple to left-center. Mark Contreras gave the Saints a 4-0 lead with a single to right. Contreras stole second and Curtis Terry reached on a fielding error by third baseman Adrian Sanchez. After the first out was recorded on a strikeout, Michael Helman doubled home Contreras increasing the lead to 5-0. At that point, the Saints knocked out Red Wings starter Sterling Sharp. Elliot Soto reached on a fielder's choice groundball to second as Terry slid home safely on a play at the plate giving the Saints a 6-0 lead. An RBI single from Steer put the Saints up 7-0. The final run scored when Kirilloff's grounder was mishandled by the second baseman Andrew Young as Soto scored and the Saints led 8-0 after the first.

The Red Wings got a pair back in the third on two solo homers by Donovan Casey, his sixth, and Joey Meneses, his 14th, cutting the lead to 8-2. It was the lone mistakes made by Aaron Sanchez, making his first start in the Twins organization since they signed him as a free agent on June 6. Against the team he started the season with, Sanchez went 3.0 innings allowing two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out four.

The Saints got both runs back in the bottom of the fourth as Cave drilled an opposite field solo homer to left, his seventh of the season and the Saints 13th consecutive game with a long ball, making it 9-2. Contreras followed with a double to right center and two batters later Caleb Hamilton knocked him home with a single giving the Saints a 10-2 lead.

The Saints took a 10-run lead in the fifth as Soto led off with a walk and Kirilloff walked with one out. A passed ball advanced the runners and an RBI groundout from Beckham gave the Saints an 11-2 lead. Cave lined a single that scored Kirilloff putting the Saints up 12-2.

Two Saints relievers combined to go 6.0 shutout innings allowing one hit and striking out six. Tyler Thornburg tossed 2.0 scoreless while giving up a hit and striking out three. Mario Sanchez walked the first batter he faced in the sixth and then promptly retired the final 12 batters of the game to pick up the 4.0 inning save as he fanned six.

Over the last three games the Saints are hitting .351, second best in Triple-A, with a Triple-A best 38 runs, 15 more than the next closest team. They have also hit a Triple-A best 11 homers, three more than the next closest team.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night at 7:07 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints send RHP Joe Ryan (NR) to the mound on Major League rehab against Red Wings RHP Logan Verrett (3-4, 5.87). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from June 8, 2022


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