Saints on a Roll, with Third Straight with 7-4 Victory over IronPigs
IL St. Paul Saints

Saints on a Roll, with Third Straight with 7-4 Victory over IronPigs

Published on April 17, 2026 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - They managed just five hits, but they were timely. They threw more than 200 pitches, but made them count in the important situations. On a chilly night at CHS Field the St. Paul Saints came up big when it counted and came away with their third straight victory, 7-4 over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in front of 3,222 at CHS Field on Friday night.

Saints starter Zebby Matthews made two mistakes in his 4.0 innings of work, and they came against the same guy. Felix Reyes put the IronPigs on the board with a two-out solo homer in the first, his fifth of the season, making it 1-0.

The favor was returned in the bottom of the inning by the Saints. Kaelen Culpepper led off with a walk and Alan Roden demolished a two-run blast, 415-feet to right, his third of the season, putting the Saints up 2-1. With two outs Kyler Fedko drilled a solo home to straightaway center, his fourth of the season, increasing the lead to 3-1.

Reyes did it again against Matthews in the third with a solo shot to left, his second of the game and sixth of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 3-2. Matthews went 4.0 innings allowing two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out six.

For the second straight time, the Saints answered with a three spot in the bottom half. Back-to-back walks to Culpepper and Roden started the inning. With one out Emmanuel Rodriguez doubled off the wall in right-center that knocked in Culpepper giving the Saints a 4-2 lead. With the infield in, Fedko hit a ground ball to short and Christian Cairo came to the plate with the throw, but it was late as Roden scored making it 5-2. Eric Wagaman's ground out scored Rodriguez giving the Saints a 6-2 lead.

With two outs and nobody on in the fourth, the Saints plated a run. Culpepper singled to center and scored on an Orlando Arcia double to right-center making it 7-2. Culpepper finished the night 1-2 with three runs scored, the fourth time in his career he's reached that mark, and a stolen base.

The IronPigs cut into the lead in the fifth. With one out Liover Peguero was hit by a pitch and with two outs Cairo walked. Carter Kieboom roped a two-run double to right-center dropping the Saints lead to 7-4.

Veteran Matt Bowman came on in the seventh and worked around a bases loaded one out jam by striking out Caleb Ricketts and getting Óscar Mercado to ground out in a 10 pitch at bat. Bowman went 1.2 shutout innings allowing two hits while striking out three.

Zak Kent finished it off and earned his first save of the season. In the ninth with two on and one out, he got Ricketts to fly out and Mercado to ground out to end the game. Kent went 1.1 shutout innings allowing two hits, while walking one and striking out one.

The same two teams meet in game five of a six-game series at CHS Field on Saturday afternoon at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Andrew Bash (0-1, 3.86) to the mound against IronPigs RHP Ryan Cusick (0-1, 4.15). The game can be seen on the CW Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MLB+, and the Bally Sports Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from April 17, 2026


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