Saints One Strike from Victory, Instead Are Walked-off in 10th, Lose 5-4
IL St. Paul Saints

Saints One Strike from Victory, Instead Are Walked-off in 10th, Lose 5-4

Published on September 5, 2025 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


LOUISVILLE, KY - Manager Toby Gardnehire has tried every potential arm to close out a game. None have worked. So, on Friday night at Louisville Slugger Field he called upon Darren McCaughan, who had not recorded a ninth inning save since 2017, when he was in the Arizona League. His only saves since then came with the Miami Marlins in his last two appearances of the season in 2024. One was in the 13th inning against the Twins after the Marlins scored three in the top of the inning and the other a 4.0 inning save in an 8-1 victory. He was one strike away from breaking the Saints ninth inning curse, but it was not to be as the Saints gave up the lead in the ninth and were walked-off in the 10th in a 5-4 loss at the hands of the Louisville Bats.

With the Saints up 4-3 in the ninth McCaughan emerged from the bullpen. The first pitch of the inning was lined into left for a single by Chrisitan Encarnacion-Strand. With two outs, two strikes, and first baseman Aaron Sabato holding pinch runner Trey Faltine on at first, Blake Dunn hit a 100.8 mph ground ball just passed Sabato, who couldn't quite get the glove down in time, and into the right field corner for an RBI triple tying the game at four.

The Saints failed to get the placed runner home in the 10th as Tanner Schobel and Will Holland struck out and Payton Eeles flew out to deep left-center.

It took no time for the Bats to win it in the bottom of the inning as Edwin Rios lined a 2-1 pitch into right-center for the walk-off single. The loss was the eighth for the Saints when leading going into the ninth. Over 22 games since August 12, the Saints have lost nine games when either tied or leading in the seventh inning or later with seven of them including blown ninth inning leads.

The Saints got off to an early lead as the first three hitters of the game reached without a hit for the Saints. Payton Eeles was hit by a pitch and back-to-back walks to Kyler Fedko and Walker Jenkins loaded the bases. The Saints, however, would wind up with only one run as Gabby Gonzalez grounded into a double play that scored Eeles making it 1-0.

Mick Abel, making his first start since being optioned, pitched well with the only hiccup in the first. A leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning came back to bite Abel. After Dunn reached on a free pass, Héctor Rodríguez singles to right, and was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, as Dunn took third. A sacrifice fly by Francisco Urbaez tied the game at one. Abel went 5.0 innings allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out four.

The heart of the order got the Saints a run in the third as three straight singles by Fedko, Jenkins, and Gonzalez, the latter scoring a run, made it 2-1. Gonzalez finished 2-4 with a double and RBI.

Jenkins got things started in the fifth inning as he singled off the glove of a diving second baseman, Ryan Vilade. Jenkins went 2-4 with a run scored. He's now 8 for his last 16 after starting his Triple-A career 1-21. Jenkins moved to second on a ground out and scored on an Aaron Sabato single to left, giving the Saints a 3-1 lead. A single by Carson McCusker and a walk to Patrick Winkel loaded the bases. An RBI groundout by Tanner Schobel increased the lead to 4-1.

Three singles for the Bats got them to within two in the sixth. Blake Dunn led off with an infield single to first. With one out Francisco Urbaez' infield single to short put runners at first and second. That was followed by an RBI single to center from Edwin Rios that cut the Saints lead to 4-2.

The Bats got to within a run in the seventh as Encarnacion-Strand led off with a single to right-center. That was followed by a single to right from Davis Wendzel putting runners at first and second. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up and an RBI groundout by Dunn made it 4-3. That set the stage for the ninth and 10th innings.

The Saints have lost seven straight on the road, tied for the third longest in franchise history. Their seven game overall losing streak is also tied for third longest in franchise history.

The same two teams meet in game five of a six-game series at Louisville Sluuger Field on Saturday night at 6:15 p.m. (CT). The Saints send LHP Connor Prielipp (0-1, 6.00) to the mound against Bats RHP Adam Plutko (7-7, 4.61). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from September 5, 2025


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