IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Hang on at End for 6-5 Win Over Storm Chasers

Published on July 20, 2023 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


PAPILLION, NE - The St. Paul Saints added an insurance run in the top of the ninth to give them a three-run lead. It turned out to be the game winning run. The bottom of the ninth turned into more of an adventure than the Saints would have liked, but they hung on for a 6-5 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Thursday night at Werner Park.

With the Saints up 5-2 in the ninth, Ernie Yake, who entered the game in the eighth inning for Jorge Polanco, led off the inning with a single to right. Kyle Garlick knocked him home with an RBI double to left center. Garlick finished the night 2-3 with two doubles and three RBI.

In the bottom of the ninth, Patrick Murphy came on to close it out. He gave up a leadoff double to Adeiny Hechavarria. With one out, Samad Taylor made it 6-4 with an RBI single to center. Taylor took second on defensive indifference. With two outs, Nick Loftin's infield single moved Taylor to third. Logan Porter then singled to right scoring Taylor and sending Loftin to third as the Saints lead was down to 6-5. Murphy would strike out Nate Eaton, throwing him three straight curveballs, the last one that he checked up and was called out on an appeal down to first to end the game.

The Storm Chasers took a 1-0 lead in the second when Brewer Hicklen led off with a triple and scored on a one out sacrifice fly from Jermaine Palacios.

Palacios, made it 2-0 in the fifth, with a solo homer to left, his third with the Storm Chasers and ninth of the season.

Trevor Larnach broke a 0-22 skid with a 440-foot solo homer to right-center in the sixth, his eighth of the season, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The Saints grabbed the lead in the seventh. Jair Camargo led off the inning with a single to left. Andrew Bechtold followed with a two-run homer to right, his eighth of the season, putting the Saints up 3-2. They loaded the bases with one out on an Alex De Goti walk, an Austin Martin single, and a Jorge Polanco walk. Kyle Garlick extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games with a two-run double down the third base line putting the Saints up 5-2.

In the eighth, the Storm Chasers got to within two. With two outs Nate Eaton reached on a lined single off of pitcher Kody Funderburk. Tyler Gentry followed with an RBI double making it 5-3.

Polanco, in his third game of Major League rehab, went 0-3 with a walk. The same two teams meet in game four of a six-game series at Werner Park on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-5, 6.39) to the mound against Storm Chasers LHP Cole Ragans (1-1, 4.19). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus. 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from July 20, 2023


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