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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Drop Tough One to Indianapolis, 8-5 in 11

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


ST. PAUL, MN - The St. Paul Saints had to endure four extra-inning walk-off losses on their most recent 12-game roadtrip. They had the chance to reverse their fortune at home on Tuesday morning against the Indianapolis Indians. Instead, the Indians scored three in the 11th as the Saints lost for the 13th time in 14 games, 8-5 in 11 innings at CHS Field in front of 7,392.

It looked promising in the 10th when Saints reliever Juan Minaya got back-to-back strikeouts and a lineout to end the inning. With the top of the order due up for the Saints in the bottom of the inning, and the placed runner at second, the Saints had to feel pretty good about their chances. Royce Lewis struck out and Alex Kirilloff flew out to start the inning. Spencer Steer was intentionally walked and Jake Cave flew out to right to end the inning.

It unraveled in the 11th all with two outs. After the placed runner was cut down at the plate on a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning, a walk to Cole Tucker put runners at first and second. Juan Minaya, after working 2.2 solid innings of relief, departed for JC Ramírez. He walked the pinch hitter Bligh Madris to load the bases. Ramírez tried to play a comebacker behind his back, but had the ball glance off his glove for an infield single scoring a run putting the Indians up 6-5. Back-to-back walks forced in two more runs for the final three-run margin.

The Saints went down in order in the bottom of the 11th and failed to collect a hit from two outs in the fifth through the end of the game.

For the third consecutive game the Saints jumped out to a 4-0 lead. In the second, the Saints loaded the bases and capitalized. Curtis Terry and Jermaine Palacios reached on back-to-back one out singles. With two outs, Caleb Hamilton walked. Roy Morales then worked the count full and lined a bases clearing double off the glove of a diving right fielder, Jared Oliva, to put the Saints up 3-0.

The Saints loaded the bases again in the third on back-to-back singles from Alex Kirilloff and Spencer Steer, his first Triple-A hit, to start the inning. Jake Cave reached on a fielder's choice, which loaded the bases when his ground ball to first was thrown to second to cut down the middle runner, but shortstop Oneil Cruz dropped the ball. A sacrifice fly by Curtis Terry increased the Saints lead to 4-0.

Cole Sands, in his first game since returning from the injured list, worked 3.0 shutout innings allowing one hit while walking one and striking out three. His lone hit came with two outs in the third.

Danny Coulombe took over in the fourth on Major League rehab. After retiring the first two hitters, he gave up a solo homer to Mason Martin, his ninth of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 4-1. After a double by Cannan Smith-Njigba, Coulombe fanned Oliva to end the inning.

The Saints built back up their four-run lead with an unearned run in the fifth. Royce Lewis led off by reaching on a fielding error by the third baseman Hoy Park. Kirilloff followed with a single that moved Lewis to third. Steer's double play groundout scored Lewis making it 5-1.

The Indians, however, would storm back over the next two innings to tie it. In the sixth, Travis Sawggerty led off with a double to left-center. Ji-Hawn Bae walked putting runners at first and second. Swaggerty and Bae pulled off a double steal and catcher Caleb Hamilton's throw to third went into left field allowing Swaggerty to score and sending Bae to third. An RBI groundout from Cannan Smith-Njigba made it 5-3.

In the seventh Carter Bins walked with one out. With two outs, the left-handed Jovani Moran came out of the bullpen to face the left-hand hitting Cruz. Cruz hit a two-run homer to right, his fifth of the season, tying the game at five.

The same two teams meet in a doubleheader on Wednesday with game one beginning at 5:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-1, 8.38) to the mound in game one against Indians RHP Jared Eickhoff (2-2, 4.78). Game two will begin approximately 30 minutes at the conclusion of game one and the Saints will go with LHP Devin Smeltzer (1-2, 3.86) while the Indians are TBA. Both games are scheduled for seven innings. Both games 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.

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