IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Lose on 11th Walk-Off of Season, 3-2 to Mud Hens in 10

Published on September 9, 2022 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


TOLEDO, OH - The St. Paul Saints are no strangers to extra inning games. They played their Minor League high 19th on Friday night at Fifth Third Field. Unfortunately, they're no strangers to getting walked-off this season either. For the 11th time this season they lost on a walk-off, 3-2 to the Toledo Mud Hens.

With the game tied in the 10th, the Saints couldn't push across their placed runner. In the bottom of the inning with Andre Lipcius the placed runner at second, Brendon Davis was intentionally walked. After a groundout moved the runners up, Ali Sánchez walked to load the bases. The Saints employed a five infield/two outfield defense. With three defenders to the left side, Jack López hit it to the left side and the ball found the tiniest of windows between short and third as the ball just glanced off shortstop Elliot Soto's glove for an infield single to score the winning run.

The game only wound up in extras because both sides had runs cut down at the plate. In the top of the eighth Matt Wallner led off with a triple. Chris Williams flew out to left and Wallner was thrown out trying to score.

In the bottom of the ninth, Josh Lester reached on a one out walk. With two outs, Lipcius doubled to the gap in right-center. Wallner fired to the cutoff man, second baseman Dalton Shuffield, who turned and fired to the plate and just got Lester trying to score.

For the fifth straight start, Saints starter Jordan Balazovic was once again impressive. He allowed a leadoff single in the first, but then threw out John Valente trying to steal second. In the second, Balazovic gave up a two out double, but got Westbrook to line out to right to end the inning.

In the fourth, the scoreless game was broken by the Mud Hens. Back-to-back walks to leadoff the inning to Zack Short and Lester put runners at first and second. With one out, Lipcius lined a single to right and Wallner's fielding error allowed the ball to get by him and go to the wall scoring a pair of runs giving the Mud Hens a 2-0 lead.

Balazovic would however, finish strong. He struck out the side in the fifth. He went a season high 5.0 innings allowing two unearned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out a season high nine. He has a 2.57 ERA over his last five starts.

The Saints got on the board in the sixth as Wallner doubled with one out and scored on a two out single by Mark Contreras cutting the deficit to 2-1.

In the seventh, the Saints tied it with two outs and nobody on. Soto nearly missed a home run, doubling high off the wall in left. Shuffield, in his first Triple-A game, worked a 12-pitch at bat and tapped a single to the right of the mound. The pitcher Luis Castillo barehanded the ball and his throw to first went into foul territory allowing Soto to score and tying the game at two.

The 19 extra inning games for the Saints are tied for the most in all of baseball with the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays.

The same two teams meet in game five of the six-game series on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. (CT) at Fifth Third Field. The Saints send RHP Josh Winder (0-0, 3.38) to the mound and the Mud Hens are TBA. The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from September 9, 2022


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