IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Lose Fastest Game in Franchise History 2-1 Mud Hens

Published on April 21, 2022 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


TOLEDO, OH - If there hadn't been a lengthy argument in the second inning where Toledo Mud Hens hitting coach Adam Melhuse and manager Lloyd McClendon were both tossed the game on Thursday night at Fifth Third Field may have ended in a clean two hours or less. Instead, it took a whole two hours and seven minutes, the fastest nine inning St. Paul Saints game in their Triple-A franchise history, for the Saints to come up a run short, losing 2-1. The loss drops the Saints to 9-5.

Saints starter Devin Smeltzer hadn't allowed a run over his first nine innings of the season and put up zeroes in his first two innings on Thursday night. His consecutive scoreless streak was snapped in the third with one out. Brady Policelli led off with a walk. With one out Kody Clemens doubled him home giving the Mud Hens a 1-0 lead. An infield single by Derek Hill moved Clemens to third. With two outs Daz Cameron singled to right scoring Clemens increasing the lead to 2-0. Smeltzer retired the final seven batters he faced and went 5.0 innings allowing two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out eight. The eight strikeouts were the most he's had since he struck out eight on July 15, 2019 while with Triple-A Rochester at Norfolk.

The Saints got one back in the fourth without the help of a hit. Jake Cave and Curtis Terry led off with back-to-back walks. A fly out to right by Daniel Robertson sent Cave to third. Derek Fisher's fielder's choice brought home Cave cutting the Saints deficit to one at 2-1.

Ronny Henriquez made his Minnesota Twins organizational debut. The second youngest player in Saints franchise history (Daniel Ozoria was two months younger when he played three games for the Saints last year), the 21-year-old was lights out on Thursday. He struck out the first two hitters he faced in the sixth and got the final out on a groundout. In the seventh he walked the leadoff hitter before retiring the next three. In his final inning of work, he retired the side in order, getting the final hitter on strikes. Henriquez went 3.0 hitless, shutout innings of relief while walking one and striking out four.

The Saints had at least one runner on in every inning, except the third, but only had a runner as far as second base in two innings, the fourth, and the fifth when Jose Miranda doubled with two outs.

Prior to Thursday night, the Saints fastest nine inning game as a Triple-A affiliate was two hours and 19 minutes on August 5 at CHS Field against Louisville when Hunter Greene was dominant in a 1-0 Saints loss. The fastest nine inning game in the 30-year history of the Saints was September 3, 2004 at Winnipeg. The Saints lost that game 1-0 in one hour and 52 minutes.

The same two teams meet in game four of the six-game series on Friday night at 6:05 p.m. (CT) at Fifth Third Field. The Saints send RHP JC Ramírez (1-0, 4.26) to the mound against RHP Beau Brieske (0-1, 4.50).

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International League Stories from April 21, 2022


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