Saints Offense Saves the Day with Four Run Eighth in 12-8 Win
IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Offense Saves the Day with Four Run Eighth in 12-8 Win

Published on April 19, 2026 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Some of the more bizarre games over the last two seasons for the St. Paul Saints have been played on Sunday. Maybe it's due to the fact they've played five games against the same team. Maybe it's the mental exhaustion at the end of the week. Whatever it is, the Saints played another one against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at CHS Field. They took a four-run lead into the eighth only to watch the IronPigs hit three home runs to tie it, but they scored four in the bottom of the inning for a 12-8 victory in front of 3,397.

With the Saints up 8-4 in the eighth it looked like they would cruise to a series victory. Three home runs later and the game was tied. Veteran John Brebbia came in and Garrett Stubbs led off with a solo homer to right, his third of the season, making it 8-5. With one out Carter Kieboom singled to center and Robert Moore delivered a two-run homer to right, his third of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 8-7. With two outs Sergio Alcántara tied it with a solo homer to right, his second of the game and season.

The offense didn't panic in the bottom of the inning as they sent eight men to the plate and scored four runs that proved to be the difference. Eric Wagaman, who didn't have an extra-base hit all season, collected his third of the day with a leadoff triple to right. Wagaman went 3-4, falling a single shy of the cycle, with two RBI and two runs scored. With one out Kaelen Culpepper muscled a single to left scoring Wagaman giving the Saints a 9-8 lead. Tanner Schobel singled to left-center and Walker Jenkins walked to load the bases. Emmanuel Rodriguez ripped a bases clearing double to right putting the Saints up 12-8. Rodriguez went 1-2 with a double, three RBI, a run scored, and three walks.

For the fourth time in the series the IronPigs scored in the first. Alcántara led off with a single to right and that was followed by a double down the first base line from Steward Berroa putting runners at second and third. Bryan De La Cruz' groundout to short scored Alcántara gave the IronPigs a 1-0 lead.

Two errors helped the Saints tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Culpepper led off with a walk. He took second on a Royce Lewis ground out to short. Culpepper advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt by the pitcher Tucker Davidson as he threw the ball into center. Gabby Gonzalez' groundball to short was booted by Christian Cairo and went into left field as Culpepper scored on the error tying the game at one.

Alcántara gave the IronPigs the lead in the third with a solo homer to left, his first of the season, making it 2-1.

In the bottom of the inning the Saints scored an avalanche of runs. With one out the Saints loaded the bases on a Jenkins single to center, a Gonzalez double to left, and a walk to Rodriguez. Orlando Arcia cleared the bases with a double to left putting the Saints up 4-2. Arcia went 1-5 with a double and three RBI. Kyler Fedko made it 5-2 with an RBI double to left. Wagaman completed the six-run inning with a two-run homer to left, his first of the season, putting the Saints up 7-2.

Ricky Castro made his Triple-A debut coming in with one out and nobody on in the fourth. He gave up back-to-back singles before retiring the first batter on a ground out. Paul McIntosh would double to straightaway center knocking home a pair cutting the Saints lead to 7-4. Castro settled down after that fanning four consecutive batters at one point and went 2.0 innings allowing two runs on four hits while striking out four.

Major League rehabber Royce Lewis hit his second homer in as many games, a solo homer leading off the bottom of the fourth, his second of the season, increasing the lead to 8-4. Lewis went 1-3 with a home run and an RBI while playing five innings at third base.

For the first time this season the Saints didn't walk a batter while striking out 10.

The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday evening at 5:35 p.m. in game one of a six-game series at Victory Field against the Indianapolis Indians. Both teams are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from April 19, 2026


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