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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Crack the Double-Digit Hit Mark, But Doubled-Up by I-Cubs 4-2

August 24, 2022 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


DES MOINES, IA - The St. Paul Saints had gone a Triple-A season high 15-consecutive games without collecting 10 ore more hits going into their afternoon tilt on Wednesday. They eked out their 10th hit in the ninth, a leadoff infield single by Jermaine Palacios, but the offense didn't do much with the 10 hits, eight singles and a couple of solo homers, in a 4-2 loss to the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park.

The I-Cubs grabbed the lead in the third with a pair of runs. With one out, Darius Hill dropped a fly ball single into left. With two outs Alfonso Rivas lined a single into left-center moving Hill to second. Narciso Crook made it 1-0 when he hit a bouncing ball away from the shift into right field that scored Hill. Matt Mervis did the same thing, with the infield shifted around to the right he dropped a looping low pop up to the left side for an RBI single making it 2-0.

In the fourth, the I-Cubs took a 3-0 lead courtesy of a solo homer from John Hicks, his 14th of the season. Saints starter Jordan Balazovic went 4.0 innings allowing three runs on six hits while walking two and striking out three.

The Saints got on the board in the seventh, courtesy of a pair of solo homers. Braden Bishop led off with a solo homer to left-center, his fourth of the season, and with two outs Michael Helman deposited one over the left field wall, his 11th, getting the Saints to within 3-2.

In the bottom of the eighth, however, the I-Cubs added an insurance run courtesy of a leadoff homer from Matt Mervis, his fourth of the season, making it 4-2.

Kyle Garlick, with the Saints on Major League rehab, went 1-4 with a single.

Aside from the two solo homers, the Saints never had a runner reach third base.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night at 6:38 p.m. at Principal Park. The Saints send RHP Louie Varland (1-0, 1.64) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Hayden Wesneski (6-9, 4.22). The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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