Saints Hit Four Homers, But Give up Franchise Record Eight in 20-6 Loss to I-Cubs

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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Hit Four Homers, But Give up Franchise Record Eight in 20-6 Loss to I-Cubs

April 16, 2025 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


DES MOINES, IA - First the good: St. Paul Saints starter Andrew Morris set a new personal best by topping out at 99.3 miles per hour. The Saints entered play with seven homers on the season and hit four on Wednesday afternoon. Carson McCusker launched two home runs. Those positives weren't enough as the Saints gave up a franchise record eight home runs, a franchise record five in one inning, and a franchise-tying 24 hits in a 20-6 loss to the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park.

It was a 7-2 game going into the bottom of the seventh and then it all spiraled out of control as the I-Cubs hit five homers in the inning. With two on and nobody out Ben Cowles hit a three-run homer giving the I-Cubs a 10-2 lead. With one out back-to-back homers from Carlos Pérez and Chase Strumpf made it 12-2. With two outs Owen Caissie hit a solo homer increasing the lead to 13-2. The Saints turned to position player Anthony Prato after that and with two on Kevin Alcántara hit a three-run homer making it 16-2. The Saints previous record for homers in an inning was three.

The Saints slugged four home runs of their own and got back-to-back homers in the eighth. Armando Alvarez hit his first home run, a three-run shot to left making it 16-5. The very next hitter, Carson McCusker hit his second homer of the season and fourth of the season, making it 16-6.

The I-Cubs hit two more two-run homers in the bottom of the inning from Strumpf and Moises Ballesteros.

Morris started for the Saints and hadn't allowed a run in his first two starts over 10.0 innings. The I-Cubs came out swinging from the get go. Christian Franklin led off with a single to left-center. With one out Ballesteros singled to right-center that sent Franklin to third. A ground out by Jonathan Long scored Franklin giving the I-Cubs a 1-0 lead. Alcántara followed with a 112 mph single off the glove of the second baseman Prato that scored Ballesteros increasing the lead to 2-0.

The first two hitters in the second produced a run for the I-Cubs. Reese McGuire led off the inning with a single to right-center and that was followed by an RBI double from Pérez making it 3-0. Morris would strike out Franklin in the inning on a 99.3 mile per hour fastball, the fastest pitch of his career.

Three more runs scored for the I-Cubs in the third as Ballesteros led off with a double to left. After a walk to Long, Alcántara made it 4-0 with an RBI double to left-center. With one out an RBI single to center from McGuire and a sacrifice lineout by Pérez increased the lead to 6-0.

The teams traded solo homers in the fourth with Jeferson Morales delivering for the Saints in the top of the inning, his first of the season, and Ballesteros for the I-Cubs in the bottom half, his first of the season, making it 7-1 I-Cubs.

Carson McCusker added a solo homer for the Saints in the seventh, his third of the season, cutting the deficit to 7-2.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday afternoon at 12:08 p.m. The Saints send RHP Marco Raya (0-0, 2.08) to the mound against I-Cubs LHP Jordan Wicks (0-0, 3.55). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from April 16, 2025


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