IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Come from Behind on Three Occasions, Win Fifth Straight 6-4 over Red Wings

June 10, 2022 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The Rochester Red Wings were the top team in the International League when they rolled into CHS Field on Tuesday. The key word is "were." The St. Paul Saints trailed on three different occasions Friday night, came back to tie the game twice, and then took the lead for good the third time for a 6-4 victory at CHS Field in front of a season high 9,061. The win was the Saints fifth in a row and 12th in their last 15 games.

Josh Winder got the start on Major League rehab and started off a little shaky giving up a leadoff home run to Andrew Stevenson, his fourth of the season, putting the Red Wings up 1-0. Ildemaro Vargas followed with a double off the center field wall. After a strikeout, Jake Noll doubled down the left field line scoring Vargas making it 2-0. Winder hit Josh Palacios and walked Taylor Gushue to load the bases, but fanned the next two hitters to end the inning. Winder went 1.0 innings allowing two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out three.

On the opposite side, the Saints faced the Washington Nationals number one prospect, Cade Cavalli. He had allowed just one home run all season and had given up just two runs in his last 19.0 innings. The Saints got the two runs back in the second when Caleb Hamilton walked and José Godoy drilled a two-run homer to right, his second of the season. It was the 15th consecutive game the Saints have homered, tying their franchise record from July 13-29, 2021.

Ariel Jurado made his Saints debut after finishing up his rehab from a right elbow UCL repair, taking over for Winder in the second inning. The teams traded solo homers in the third as Josh Palacios and Jermaine Palacios (not related) hit their sixth and fourth home runs respectively for the Red Wings and Saints.

With the score tied at three in the fourth, the Red Wings took the lead for the third time in the game. Lucius Fox led off with a walk. He advanced to third on a hit and run single to left-center, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Donovan Casey putting the Red Wings up 4-3.

Jurado went 4.0 innings allowing two runs on two hits while walking one and striking out two.

As the Saints had done the previous two times they trailed, they tied the game in the fifth. Jake Cave doubled to center, advanced to third on a Jermaine Palacios single off the pitcher Cavalli, and scored on Cole Sturgeon's double making it 4-4. Cavalli went 5.0 innings allowing four runs on six hits, giving up two home runs, while walking four and striking out five.

The Saints took their first lead of the night, and it was for good, in the sixth. With one out, John Andreoli walked for the third time in the game. With two outs, Elliot Soto lined a single into right-center with Andrioli taking third. Soto advanced to second when the center fielder Casey booted the ball. Alex Kirilloff put the Saints up 6-4 with a ground rule double to center. Kirilloff went 2-5 with a double and two RBI.

Tyler Viza tossed 2.0 hitless scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh. Jake Petricka gave up one hit and fanned two in the eighth while Austin Schulfer worked a perfect ninth for his first save with the Saints. Overall, the bullpen worked 8.0 innings allowing two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out five.

The same two teams meet in game five of the six-game series on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-2, 8.82) to the mound against Red Wings RHP Cole Henry (1-0, 0.00). The game can be seen on FOX9+ and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Check out the St. Paul Saints Statistics



International League Stories from June 10, 2022


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central