IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Get Win for State of Minnesota over Tennessee Team, 4-1 over Nashville Sounds

April 26, 2022 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The Nashville Sounds came into CHS Field on Tuesday night with the lowest ERA in all of Minor League Baseball, at 2.48. It was the St. Paul Saints arms, however, that dominated. Four pitchers allowed just a run on six hits as the Saints took the first game against the first place Sounds, 4-1 in front of 3,817. The win improves the Saints to 11-7.

Dereck Rodríguez took the ball first and retired six of the first seven hitters he faced. The lone blip on the radar came in the third when Weston Wilson led off with a walk. He stole second and scored on a two out double by Brice Turang making it 1-0.

The Saints answered in the bottom of the inning utilizing a walk of their own. With one out Chance Sisco walked and moved to third on a Royce Lewis double. A wild pitch scored Sisco tying the game at one.

In the fourth, the Saints grabbed the lead and it started with two out and nobody on. Curtis Terry reached on an infield single to short. He moved to second on a single to center by Derek Fisher. Daniel Robertson's single to right scored Terry giving the Saints a 2-1 lead.

Rodríguez wiggled out of a jam in the fourth when David Dahl singled with one out and moved to third on a double by Mariano Feliciano. Rodíguez got Mark Mathias to hit a grounder to third and Jose Miranda forced Dahl at the plate. A strikeout of Weston ended the inning. Rodríguez went 4.2 innings allowing one run on five hits while walking one and striking out six.

Mario Sanchez was nearly perfect out of relief for the Saints. He allowed just a two-out walk in the seventh as he went 2.1 hitless, shutout innings while walking one and striking out two.

Jharel Cotton made his Saints debut and pitched a perfect eighth inning of relief.

The Saints tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth without the aid of a hit. With one out, the Saints drew three consecutive walks against reliever Rex Brothers to load the bases. Luke Barker came out of the bullpen for Brothers and promptly walked Robertson to force in a run and give the Saints a 3-1 lead. Sisco followed that with a sacrifice fly giving the Saints a three-run cushion.

Trevor Megill earned his first save of the season allowing one hit and striking out one in the ninth.

In his first Major League rehab game, Alex Kirilloff went 1-1 with three walks. His hit was a line drive single to left.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday afternoon at 1:07 p.m. The Saints send LHP Devin Smeltzer (1-1, 1.29) against Sounds RHP Josh Lindblom (1-1, 2.35). The game 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, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from April 26, 2022


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