IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Slug Four Home Runs, Including 11th Grand Slam, in 14-4 Dismantling of Bats

August 8, 2023 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The Minor League leader in strikeouts, Connor Phillips, was on the hill Tuesday night at CHS Field for the Louisville Bats. The St. Paul Saints made sure he didn't stick around long. They blasted four home runs, including their baseball tying high 11th grand slam, in a 14-4 beat down of the Bats in front of 7,638. The win improves the Saints to 19-15 in the second half.

The offense exploded for the Saints as all nine starters collected a hit, seven of nine collected an RBI, and seven of nine scored a run, six with multiple runs. The Saints exploded in the second inning off Phillips and it started with a leadoff Trevor Larnach 462-foot solo homer to right, his 10th of the season, making it 1-0. Kyle Garlick walked, moved to second on a groundout, and scored on an Anthony Prato double giving the Saints a 2-0 lead. Austin Martin walked and Prato and Martin pulled off a double steal. Chris Williams walked to load the bases. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. made it 4-0 with a two-run single to center. That hit knocked Phillips out of the game, his shortest outing in his seven starts at Triple-A. Royce Lewis increased the lead to 5-0 with a sacrifice fly.

In the third, the Saints added to their lead. Larnach led off with a walk and, with one out, Yunior Severino clubbed a two-run, 467-foot homer to right, his first at Triple-A, increasing the lead to 7-0.

Lewis, in his first game of Major League rehab stint, got in on the home run parade with a 441-foot bomb off the batter's eye in straightaway center, his fifth with the Saints, putting the Saints up 8-0. Lewis finished the day 1-4 with a home run, two RBI, and a run scored.

After an unearned run scored by the Bats in the fifth, the Saints exploded for five more runs in the bottom of the inning. Garlick led off the inning with a double to right-center and then things got interesting. Reliever Randy Wynne, who gave up Severino's homer in the third, promptly hit Severino with the first pitch of the at bat. The umpires got together and tossed Wynne. Tajay Antone came on in relief and walked Prato to load the bases. Austin Martin made it 9-1 with an RBI single to left. Williams then unloaded for a line drive grand slam over the left field wall, the sixth grand slam of his career, third grand slam of the season, and 19th homer of the year. The grand slam was the 11th of the season for the Saints, tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for most in all of baseball, as the Saints grabbed a 13-1 lead.

The Bats came back in the sixth with a couple of homers of their own. Nick Martini led off with a solo homer to right, his 14th of the season, making it 13-2. With one out Jason Vosler walked and with two outs Drew Mount hit a two-run homer to right, his second at Triple-A, getting the Bats to within 13-4.

Williams continued his big night in the sixth inning. With two outs Prato walked for the third time and Martin was hit by a pitch. Williams dropped a single into shallow right-center that scored Prato giving the Saints a 14-4 lead. Williams finished the night 2-4 with a grand slam, five RBI, and two runs scored.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series at CHS Field at 1:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Randy Dobnak (4-5, 4.33) to the mound against Bats RHP Alec Mills (0-0, 5.02). 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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International League Stories from August 8, 2023


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