IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Patience Pays off in 11-6 Win over RailRiders

Published on April 22, 2023 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The game time temperature read 36 degrees, but it felt much colder than that on Saturday afternoon at CHS Field. The inability of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to find the strike zone helped the Saints draw nine walks. Those nine walks came in four innings, the same innings the Saints scored all their runs in an 11-6 win over the RailRiders in front of 4,252. The Saints win was their third straight and they improved to 11-7.

The story early on was Louie Varland who came out firing, striking out the first three batters of the game. He made one mistake in the second as Rodolfo Durán got him for a solo homer to right-center, his second of the season, giving the RailRiders a 1-0 lead.

Varland, however, wasn't phased as he struck out the side in the third.

In the fourth, however, the RailRiders got to Varland for three runs. With one out Elijah Dunham doubled to right. Andrés Chaparro made it 2-0 with an RBI single to left-center. Jake Bauers increased the lead to 3-0 with an RBI double to left-center. A single by Dúran put runners at the corners and Jesus Bastidas followed with a sacrifice fly giving the RailRiders a 4-0 lead.

The Saints, as they have on a few occasions in the series, put up a crooked number in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. With one out Mark Contreras walked and Andrew Stevenson was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Ryan LaMarre got the Saints on the board with a three-run homer to left, his second of the season, getting the Saints to within 4-3. Tony Wolters then hit a check swing double down the left field line that was followed by a two-run homer from Hernán Pérez, his third of the season, putting the Saints up 5-4.

The lead didn't last long as the RailRiders tied it in the fifth with two outs as Dunham doubled to left-center that chased Varland. Austin Schulfer walked the first two batters he faced before hitting Dúran with the bases loaded, tying the game at five. Varland went 4.2 innings allowing five runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out eight.

The Saints regained the lead in the bottom of the inning as Stevenson reached when pitcher Shawn Semple dropped a throw from the second baseman Bastidas as he was covering first. Stevenson advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on a single from Andrew Bechtold putting the Saints back in front 6-5. Back-to-back walks to LaMarre and Wolters loaded the bases and Pérez made it 7-5 with a sacrifice fly.

In the seventh, the Saints added to their lead without a hit. Stevenson walked, stole second and third, and scored on a passed ball making it 8-5. With one out, LaMarre walked, stole second and advanced to third on the throwing error by the catcher Dúran. Pérez' sacrifice fly scored LaMarre putting the Saints up 9-5. Pérez finished the game 1-2 with a home run, four RBI, and a run scored.

The Saints put the finishing touches on the afternoon with a two-run eighth. Matt Wallner led off with a walk and, with two outs, Stevenson tripled him home making it 10-5. Bechtold reached on a throwing error by shortstop Wilmer Difo that scored Stevenson giving the Saints an 11-5 lead.

The RailRiders got a solo homer from Difo in the ninth, his first of the season. The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Bailey Ober (2-1, 2.55) to the mound and the RailRiders are TBA. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, the Bally Live app (free), and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from April 22, 2023


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