IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Drop Game One of Doubleheader 9-7

April 8, 2023 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - For the second time in three days, the St. Paul Saints and Iowa Cubs played a back-and-forth affair. For the second time, the Saints came up on the wrong end of the scoreboard losing game one of a doubleheader 9-7 on Saturday afternoon at CHS Field.

The I-Cubs struck first in the top of the third inning as Dom Nuñez led off with a walk. Christopher Morel then doubled to left moving Nuñez to third. Major League rehabber, Seiya Suzuki, made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly to center as Morel took third. Matt Mervis increased the lead to 2-0 with an RBI groundout to first.

The Saints got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning when Elliot Soto reached on a two-base error as Brennen Davis dropped a fly ball in shallow left. After a walk to Edouard Julien, Jair Camargo grounded into a double play that sent Soto to third. He would come into score on a wild pitch getting the Saints to one at 2-1.

Walks aided the Saints in the bottom of the fourth as they took their first lead of the game. Mark Contreras and Andrew Stevenson started the inning with back-to-back walks. Ryan LaMarre capitalized with a two-run double to left giving the Saints a 3-2 lead.

In the top of the fifth, the Saints pitching staff repaid the favor. Darius Hill led off the inning by being hit by a pitch. Nuñez followed with a walk putting runners at first and second. After a pitching change, José De León struck out Morel, but then walked Suzuki to load the bases. A wild pitch scored the tying run. Mervis then singled down the first base line scoring a pair of runs giving the I-Cubs a 5-3 lead.

The theme of the game continued in the bottom of the fifth as the Saints utilized ineffective pitching by the I-Cubs to regain the lead. They loaded the bases courtesy of two walks and a hit by pitch. Following a pitching change, a passed ball got the Saints to withing a run at 5-4. LaMarre continued his torrid game with a two-run double to right-center giving the Saints a 6-5 lead. He finished the day 3-3 with two doubles, four RBI, and a run scored. Andrew Bechtold made it 7-5 with an RBI single to right-center.

The I-Cubs tied it in the sixth courtesy of a two-run home run from Nuñez, his first of the season.

In the seventh, the I-Cubs grabbed the lead for good. Mervis led off with a walk and Nelson Velázquez singled him to second. After a sacrifice bunt, Brennan Davis walked to load the bases. After a flyout to shallow right held the runners, Darius Hill lined a two-run single in and out of the glove of a leaping Soto at short that proved to be the difference in the game.

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International League Stories from April 8, 2023


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