IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Win Coldest Game in 30-Season History of Franchise, 6-4 over Indianapolis

April 15, 2022 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The game time temperature read 32 degrees, the coldest start time in the 30-year history of the St. Paul Saints. The Saints bats, however, were red hot. Two long balls helped propel the Saints to a 6-4 win over the Indianapolis Indians on Friday night at CHS Field in front of 3,026.

The Saints took the lead in the third with a four-run inning capped off by a big fly. Jermaine Palacios led off the inning with a little tapper down the third base line for an infield single. Elliot Soto smacked a single to left putting runners at first and second. After a groundout put runners at second and third, Daniel Robertson walked to load the bases. Royce Lewis' sacrifice fly put the Saints up 1-0. Mark Contreras then drilled a three-run homer to right, his third of the season, increasing the Saints lead to 4-0. Contreras finished the night 2-4 with a double, home run, three RBI and a run scored.

Saints starter Devin Smeltzer continued his hot start to the season. The left allowed just a leadoff single to Jared Oliva in the third, a leadoff single to Oneil Cruz in the fourth and a two out double to Oliva in the fifth. Smeltzer went 5.0 shutout innings allowing three hits while striking out three. He hasn't allowed a run in 9.0 innings to start the season.

In the sixth the Saints used another long ball to add to their lead. Lewis led off with a double and, with one out, Curtis Terry drilled a two-run homer to left-center, his second of the season, putting the Saints up 6-0.

The Indians showed some fight in the seventh and scored three runs and it all started with two outs and nobody on. Cannan Smith-Njigba doubled to left-center. Cal Mitchell then walked. Jared Oliva made it 6-1 with a double to left and that was followed by a two-run single from Jason Delay to cut the lead to 6-3.

In the ninth, the Indians tacked on their final run when Mason Martin led off with a triple and scored on a groundout by Smith-Njigba.

The game was the third coldest game in Minnesota professional baseball history, dating back to 1961. The Twins have the two coldest games in the state when they played a 27 degree game on April 7, 2018 vs. Seattle and a 31 degree game on April 17, 2014 in the first game of a doubleheader against Toronto.

The same two teams meet in game four of the five-game series on Saturday afternoon at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send LHP Lewis Thorpe (NR) to the mound against Indians RHP Jake Eickhoff (1-0, 2.45). The game can be seen on FOX 9+ and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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