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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Earn Gritty 11-7 Victory over Red Wings for Sixth Straight Win

June 11, 2022 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - From 10-games under .500 on May 25 to .500 in 15 games. The St. Paul Saints have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the last two weeks and are hitting home runs at an historic pace. They hit three more on Saturday night, two by Alex Kirilloff, as the Saints took down the Rochester Red Wings 11-7 in front of 8,364. The win was their sixth consecutive victory and a franchise record sixth straight at home. They are now 29-29 on the season.

The Saints pounded out a season high 17 hits, seven for extra bases, as eight of nine hitters collected a hit. Seven of nine had an RBI and seven of nine scored a run.

With the Saints down 1-0 in the bottom of the first, they wasted no time tying the game and setting a franchise record. Kirilloff led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer to left-center, his seventh of the season, tying the game at one. The home run set a franchise record for most consecutive games with a long ball at 16. It's also one shy of the longest streak in all of baseball, 17, by the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.

The Red Wings regained the lead with their own long ball. With two outs in the third, Jake Noll doubled to right-center. Josh Palacios followed with a two-run homer to right, his third consecutive game with a home run and seventh of the season, making it 3-1.

The first five hitters reached for the Saints in the bottom of the inning as they took their first lead of the game. Curtis Terry led off with a single to right-center. Kirilloff singled to center putting runners at first and second. A walk to Jake Cave loaded the bases. Tim Beckham got the Saints to within 3-2 with a check swing single to right that scored Terry. Mark Contreras put the Saints up 4-3 with a two-run single off the wall in right.

With the game tied at four the Saints offense continued to stay red hot as Caleb Hamilton gave the Saints the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff homer to right, his sixth of the season, making it 5-4. Curtis Terry doubled to the gap in right-center and, with two outs, Beckham made it 6-4 with a single in between short and third.

In the fifth, the Saints added an insurance run to lead by three. Michael Helman led off with a single to right. He stole second and advanced to third when Cole Sturgeon reached on a fielder's choice to the shortstop Fox who threw the ball to third, but threw it away. With one out, Terry walked to load the bases. With two outs a wild pitch scored Helman making it 7-4.

The Red Wings got to within one in the sixth when Josh Palacios led off with a walk and Richard Urena followed with a two-run homer to right, his second of the season, making it 7-6.

The Saints continued their torrid June with their third homer of the game and second of the night from Kirilloff, a solo shot to right, his eighth of the season, putting the Saints up 8-6. The home run gives the Saints 26 in the month of June, the most among all Major and Minor League teams. Kirilloff finished the night 3-5 with two homers, two RBI, and three runs scored.

With the score 8-7 in the bottom of the eighth the Saints added three insurance runs as Beckham collected his fourth hit of the night with a single to right. He finished 4-5 with two RBI and a run scored. With one out, three consecutive hits produced runs as Jermaine Palacios doubled in a run, Helman doubled home a run, and Cole Sturgeon tripled home a run to make it 11-7. Helman went 3-5 with a double, RBI, and two runs scored.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Jake Faria (0-2, 7.12) to the mound against Red Wings RHP Joan Adon (NR). The game can be seen on 45TV and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN, 100.3 FM.

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International League Stories from June 11, 2022


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