Saints Fall Short Despite Rodriguez' Grand Slam, 5-4 to WooSox
IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Fall Short Despite Rodriguez' Grand Slam, 5-4 to WooSox

Published on April 1, 2026 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The St. Paul Saints were trying to get the bad taste of Tuesday's loss out of their mouth on Wednesday afternoon at CHS Field. They took a three-run lead into the final three innings, but gave up four runs over those three innings and lost 5-4 to the Worcester Red Sox in front of 2,617.

With the Saints leading 4-1 heading to the seventh, the WooSox chipped away with a run. With one out, back-to-back free passes put runners at first and second for the WooSox. Mikey Romero's single to right loaded the bases. The WooSox made it a 4-2 game with a sacrifice fly from Kristian Campbell.

The WooSox cut it to a one run game in the eighth when Tsung-Che Cheng led off with a single to center, stole second, and scored on a ground rule double by Matt Thaiss making it 4-3.

Marco Raya came on in the ninth to close it out and retired the first man he faced. A walk to Allan Castro, however, got things started for the WooSox. With pinch runner Nate Eaton at first, Matt Lloyd singled to right moving Castro to third. Cheng then dropped down a safety squeeze that Raya fielded, but his underhanded shovel to the plate wouldn't have been in time as it was dropped by the catcher Alex Jackson as Eaton scored, tying the game at four. With runners at first and second, Matt Theiss singled to right that drove home Lloyd putting the WooSox up 5-4.

The Saints looked like one swing from top 100 prospect, Emmanuel Rodriguez, would hold up. He got the Saints on board in the third inning in grand fashion. Jackson led off the inning with a single to right. With one out Walker Jenkins lined a single into right field putting runners at first and second. With two outs Alan Roden walked to load the bases. Rodriguez then unloaded on one, a grand slam to right-center that was hit at 113.6 mph and went 451 feet, his first home run of the season, putting the Saints up 4-0.

The WooSox got a home run of their own in the fourth, a solo shot to right-center by Tsung-Che Cheng, his first of the season, making it 4-1. That was the lone blemish on starter Andrew Bash's day as he went 4.0 innings allowing one run on six hits while striking out two.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series at CHS Field on Thursday night at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send LHP Connor Prielipp (0-0, 2.25) to the mound against WooSox RHP Jake Bennett (0-1, 0.00). The game can be seen on the Northland Ford Dealers Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, MLB.TV, MLB+, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from April 1, 2026


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