IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Storm Back Late for 5-3 Comeback Victory Over Sounds

Published on May 3, 2023 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Facing the top pitching team in Triple-A, the St. Paul Saints were down to their final five outs trailing by a run. The bats, however, came through when it counted as they plated three runs in the bottom of the eighth to defeat the Nashville Sounds 5-3 on Wednesday night at CHS Field. The win snaps a three-game losing streak and improves their record to 16-11.

With one out in the eighth, Alex Kirilloff got things started with a single to right. Kyle Garlick followed with a walk and Andrew Stevenson pinch ran for him. Matt Wallner dropped a two-run double into left that gave the Saints a 4-3 lead. They grabbed an insurance run when Wallner advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on the throwing error by the catcher Payton Henry.

In the ninth, Jorge Alcala, who pitched a scoreless eighth, walked the leadoff hitter Isaac Collins. After back-to-back strikeouts, Alcala walked Eddy Alvarez. Kody Funderburk came on in relief and struck out Jon Singleton on three pitches to end the game.

In the first two innings, four of the seven Saints hitters crushed a ball over 95.0 miles an hour, but they had nothing to show for it. That turned in the third when their hard-hit balls started falling. With one out, Elliot Soto drilled a ground rule double to center. Edouard Julien made it 1-0 with a 104.9 mph RBI double to center. With two outs, Alex Kirilloff drilled a 103.1 mph single into right-center that scored Julien putting the Saints up 2-0.

On the mound, Jordan Balazovic looked sharp through three innings. After a leadoff single to start the game, he got a double play and then fanned Singleton. In the second, he struck out all three outs and then retired the side in order in the third.

Balazovic ran into a little trouble in the fourth. He walked the first two hitters of the inning before getting Keston Huira to ground out which moved the runners up to second and third. Balazovic departed for José De León who walked the first hitters he faced to load the bases. Cam Devanney cut the Saints lead to 2-1 with a sacrifice fly to right. Balazovic went 3.1 innings allowing one run on one hit while walking three and striking out six.

The Sounds grabbed the lead in the fifth. With one out Monte Harrison singled to left. Blake Perkins followed with a double to right putting runners at second and third. A sacrifice line out by Alvarez tied the game at two. Singleton then hit a fly ball to shallow left that was just out of the reach of Wallner as Perkins scored giving the Sounds a 3-2 lead.

In his second Major League rehab game, Kyle Farmer went 0-3 with a walk.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night at CHS Field at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send LHP Brent Headrick (0-0, 6.00) to the mound against Sounds RHP Janson Junk (2-1, 1.31). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, the Bally Live app (free), and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from May 3, 2023


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