Saints Climb (Rich) Hill, But Can't Summit (Dick) Mountain in 6-3 Loss to Storm Chasers

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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Climb (Rich) Hill, But Can't Summit (Dick) Mountain in 6-3 Loss to Storm Chasers

June 1, 2025 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


PAPILLION, NE - The St. Paul Saints faced their oldest opposing pitcher in franchise history, 45-year-old Rich Hill. They took two mighty swings against him, but couldn't manage much more in a 6-3 loss to the Omaha Storm Chasers on Sunday evening at Werner Park. For a season-high ninth straight game the Saints hit a home run. With one out Mickey Gasper blooped a single to right off a patented Hill curveball. The next hitter, Jose Miranda, got a fastball from Hill that he crushed over the left field wall, his first of the season, putting the Saints up 2-0.

The Storm Chasers grabbed the lead in the bottom of the second. MJ Melendez led off the inning with a single to right. Melendez stole second and with one out Diego Castillo doubled just over the glove of center fielder Anthony Prato that scored Melendez making it 2-1. Brian O'Keefe then reached on a throwing error by shortstop Armando Alvarez putting runners at second and third. Nick Pratto's two-run double to center gave the Storm Chasers a 3-2 lead.

Hill pitched out of a first and second out jam in the third, but in the fourth Jeferson Morales tied the game at three for the Saints with a solo homer to left in the fourth, his sixth of the season. Hill finished his first game at Triple-A this season going 5.0 innings allowing three runs on five hits while walking one and striking out five. He threw 69 pitches, 42 for strikes. He would wind up being the winning pitcher because of what happened in the bottom of the fifth.

The Storm Chasers got a long ball of their own to take the lead. In the fifth Jac Caglianone led off with a single to left. With one out Melendez hit a two-run homer to left, his seventh of the season and third in the last two games, giving the Storm Chasers a 5-3 lead.

In the seventh, the Storm Chasers added an insurance run. Cam Devanney led off the inning with a double to left-center, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice lineout to left by Peyton Wilson making it 6-3.

The Saints sent the tying run to the plate in the ninth. Back-to-back singles to start the inning by Patrick Winkel and Morales put runners at the corners with nobody out. Pitcher Jacob Bosiokovic was forced to hit because they Saints had no healthy players on the bench and lost Yunior Severino earlier in the game. They were forced to put their designated hitter Winkel into the game. Bosiokovic, who was drafted as a position player, took a couple of mighty hacks at fastballs, but came up empty and then chased a slider in the dirt for the strikeout. Diego Cartaya then bounced into a double play to end the game.

The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday night at CHS Field at 7:07 p.m. against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (New York Yankees). The Saints send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (2-0, 2.25) to the mound against RailRiders LHP Brandon Leibrandt (1-0, 3.08). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, MiLB.TV, MLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from June 1, 2025


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