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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints First International League Team with 10 Grand Slams in at Least Two Decades, Win 9-7 over Mud Hens

July 26, 2023 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The Minor League stat portal only goes back to 2005, but in that time the St. Paul Saints became the first International League team to hit double-digit grand slams in a season and just the 12th team in all of Minor League Baseball to reach that mark. Kyle Garlick provided the go ahead grand slam in the seventh and the Saints went on to defeat the Toledo Mud Hens 9-7 on Wednesday afternoon at CHS Field in front of 7,511.

The Saints allowed four home runs and hit only one, but their one was greater. With the game tied at five in the seventh Garlick untied it with a big blast. Alex De Goti and Andrew Stevenson led off the inning with back-to-back walks. Jorge Polanco slapped a single into left loading the bases. Garlick then smashed a grand slam to right, his second career grand slam and 10th home run of the season, giving the Saints a 9-5. The grand slam was the 10th of the season for the Saints, tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for most in all of baseball.

It got dicey in the ninth. With two outs and nobody on Colt Keith worked a walk. Tyler Nevin followed with a two-run homer to make it 9-7. After a hit by pitch and a double from Wenceel Pérez put the tying runs in scoring position, but Michael Papierski flew out to straightaway center to end the game.

Before the seats were even warm at CHS Field, the Mud Hens jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first. Parker Meadows led off the game with a solo homer to right, his 15th of the season, making it 1-0. Justyn-Henry Malloy walked and that was followed by a two-run homer from Keith, his third of the season, increasing the lead to 3-0.

The Mud Hens hit their third home run of the game in the third, a solo homer from Nick Solak, his second with Toledo and eighth at Triple-A, making it 4-0.

The Saints got on the board in the bottom of the inning when Anthony Prato led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a two-out double by Stevenson cutting the deficit to 4-1.

In the sixth, the Saints came roaring back to grab the lead with a four spot. The first four hitters reached as Stevenson led off the inning with an infield single to second. Polanco followed with a single to left that moved Stevenson to third. Garlick made it 4-2 with an RBI single to left. Garlick finished the night 3-4 with a double, grand slam, five RBI, and two runs scored. Chris Williams knotted the game at four with a two-run double to left. With two outs, the Mud Hens went to their bullpen for Blair Calvo who was greeted by an RBI single from Prato giving the Saints their first lead of the day at 5-4.

The Mud Hens evened things up in the seventh on back-to-back singles by Corey Joyce and Meadows and a one out RBI single from Keith.

Stevenson, who finished the game 3-4 with a double, RBI, and two runs scored, walked in the seventh inning which was the ninth consecutive plate appearance he reached safely. That string ended with a fly out in the eighth.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series at CHS Field on Thursday night at 7:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-5, 6.18) while the Mud Hens are TBA. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, the Bally Live app (free), and MiLB.TV (subscription), and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from July 26, 2023


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