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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Use Three Long Balls to Take Down Clippers, 8-3

June 22, 2021 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


COLUMBUS, OH - It looked early on like both teams would hit double-digit home runs as the ball was flying out to right field at Huntington Park on Tuesday night. Each team hit three home runs, but the Saints got the bigger blast and took down the Columbus Clippers 8-3.

Early on it was the Clippers going deep off Saints starter Chandler Shepherd. With two outs in the first Andres Gimenez hit a solo homer to right-center, his eighth of the season, giving the Clippers a 1-0 lead.

In the second, the Clippers got another solo two-out home run this time from Trenton Brooks, his fourth of the season, making it 2-0.

The Saints repaid the favor in the third when Jimmy Kerrigan went opposite field with a solo homer to right-center, his fourth of the season, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The Clippers got their final run in the third, this time a one-out solo homer from Daniel Johnson, his seventh of the season, putting the Clippers back up two, 3-1. Shepherd settled down after that and went 5.2 innings allowing three runs on four hits while walking two.

Brent Rooker came calling in the fourth with a leadoff homer to right, his 11th of the season and second in as many games (technically he's homered in three straight, but his home run from Sunday's postponed game won't become official into it's completed on August 17), to get the Saints to within 3-2.

The Saints broke the solo homer string in the sixth when Tomás Telis led off with a single. With two outs Damek Tomscha singled to center putting runners at first and second. That brought up Mark Contreras who crushed a three-run homer to right, his second of the season, putting the Saints up 5-3.

In the sixth, Sherman Johnson led off with a walk. Telis singled to right and the ball was misplayed by Nolan Jones allowing Johnson to scored and sending Telis to second as the Saints increased their lead to 6-3. Telis then stole third and scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-3. With one out, Rooker walked and scored on a double by Tomscha giving the Saints a five run lead.

The bullpen did the rest of the work as Kyle Barraclough (0.2 IP), Danny Couloumbe (1.1 IP) and Ian Gibaut (1.0 IP) allowed just two hits while striking out four over the final 3.1 innings.

The same two teams meet in game two of the six-game series on Wednesday night at 6:05 p.m. central. The Saints send RHP Rob Whalen (0-3, 7.71) to the mound against Clippers RHP Triston McKenzie (1-0, 1.08). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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