IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Score Double-Digit Runs for Franchise Record Fourth Straight in 10-6 Win

July 1, 2023 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Not even the number four rated Atlanta Braves prospect could slow down the St. Paul Saints offense. For a franchise record fourth consecutive game, the Saints put up double-digit runs, pounded out 16 hits, and got an impressive start from Dallas Keuchel as they defeated the Gwinnett Stripers 10-6 on Saturday night at CHS Field in front of 8,715. The win improves the Saints to 4-0 in the second half and 47-31 on the season.

In his second start with the Saints, Keuchel worked out of a couple of early jams. In the first, the Stripers loaded the bases with one out on an infield single by Luke Williams and back-to-back walks. Keuchel struck out Braden Shewmake and got Chadwick Tromp to fly out to center ending the inning.

After retiring the first two hitters in the second, Keuchel walked Joshua Fuentes and gave up a single to right to Eli White. As he did in the first, Keuchel got out of the inning on a ground out by Luke Williams.

Keuchel retired the side in order in the third and gave up a leadoff infield single in the fourth before retiring the next three hitters.

The Saints broke the scoreless game in the fourth when Trevor Larnach led off with an infield single to first. Jair Camargo doubled off the wall in right sending Larnach to third. A sacrifice fly from Chris Williams gave the Saints a 1-0 lead.

Keuchel finished his day in the fifth. After a leadoff walk, he struck out Williams before being pulled for Michael Boyle. He made sure Keuchel's line remained unblemished, getting a fielder's choice groundout and a pop out to end the inning. Keuchel went 4.1 shutout innings allowing three hits while walking four and striking out three. He threw 86 pitches, 47 for strikes.

The Saints knocked out the Braves number four prospect, Jared Shuster, with an onslaught of hits in the fifth. The inning started with back-to-back home runs from Anthony Prato and Elliot Soto, their third and first respectively, putting the Saints up 3-0. With two outs, four straight hits helped plate three runs. Kyle Garlick started it with a single to right-center. He moved to second on a single by Larnach. An RBI double from Camargo increased the lead to 4-0. Camargo went 2-5 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored. Williams followed that with a two-run double to left giving the Saints a 6-0 lead.

In the sixth, the Saints continued adding to their lead. Prato led off the inning with a walk, moved to second on an infield single by Soto, and scored on an RBI single by Gilberto Celestino making it 7-0. With runners at the corners and one out, Garlick extended the lead to 8-0 with an RBI single to center. He finished the night 3-5 with a double, RBI, and a run scored. Larnach got the Saints to the double-digit run total with a two-run double to right-center putting the Saints up 10-0. Larnach finished the night 3-5 with a double, two RBI, and two runs scored.

The Stripers showed some fight in the eighth inning. With one out Daniel Robertson walked and that was followed by a single from Tromp. Joe Dunand got the Stripers on the board with a three-run homer to left-center, his 12th of the season, making it 10-3. The Stripers went back-to-back as Yolmer Sánchez followed with a solo homer to right, his second of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 10-4.

In the ninth, the Stripers made it interesting as the first three hitters reached. Vaughn Grissom was hit by a pitch, Jesus Aguilar walked, and Robertson made it 10-5 with an RBI single. With one out, Dunand walked to load the bases. An RBI fielder's choice from Sánchez got the Stripers within four, but Kody Funderburk got Fuentes to fly out to end the game.

The same two teams meet in game five of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 2:07 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5, 7.47) to the mound against Stripers RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (0-1, 3.00). 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 (subscription), and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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