Saints Win Wild Game, 10-9, over Mud Hens
IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Win Wild Game, 10-9, over Mud Hens

Published on June 12, 2026 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


TOLEDO, OH - In a game that had everything, somehow, someway the St. Paul Saints found a way to win. They gave up 19 hits, tied for the second most in franchise history, they never retired the Toledo Mud Hens in order, and gave up runs in six of nine innings. The offense scored in four of the first five innings and made the big play when they needed to in a 10-9 victory on Friday night at Fifth Third Field.

The biggest moment of the game came in the bottom of the ninth with the Saints clinging to a one run lead. Tyler Gentry, who finished with four hits, led off the inning with a single to left. Max Clark, the number seven rated player in baseball, was asked to bunt and popped out to the pitcher Trent Baker. Max Anderson then doubled off the wall in center. Ben Ross played the ball perfectly, fired to the cutoff man Kaelen Culpepper, who turned and fired a strike to the plate and gunned down Gentry to erase the potential tying run. Baker then struck out the second best hitter in the International League, Gage Workman, to end the game.

The runs came early and often and it started three batters into the game as the Saints grabbed a 2-0 lead. Culpepper led off with a walk and with one out Matt Wallner drilled a two-run homer to right-center, the 48th in his Saints career tying the Triple-A franchise record with Chris Williams. It was Wallner's seventh homer this season.

Clark got one back for the Mud Hens in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff homer to right, his fifth of the season, cutting the Saints lead in half at 2-1.

The bottom of the order put up a pair of runs for the Saints in the second. Ben Ross led off with a walk and Tanner Schobel doubled high off the left-center field wall putting runners at second and third. Noah Cardenas' sacrifice fly made it 3-1 and moved Schobel to third. Henry Kusiak collected his first Triple-A hit with an RBI single pushing the Saints lead to 4-1.

The first two hitters reached for the Mud Hens in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back singles by Trei Cruz and Eduardo Valencia putting runners at first and second A double play moved Cruz to third and he scored on a double off the wall in right by Gentry shrinking the Saints lead to 4-2.

The Mud Hens scored for the third straight inning as Workman started it with a one out double to left. After a walk to Ben Malgeri, Hao-Yu Lee doubled to right-center scoring Workman making it 4-3. A passed ball scored Malgeri knotting the game at four.

Fresh off his first Triple-A hit, Kusiak got things started in the fourth with a one out double off the wall in left-center. Culpepper shot a line drive single to right putting runners at the corners. With two outs, Culpepper stole second and that proved big. Wallner hit a ground ball to the backhand of the first baseman Jung and the ball caromed in and out of his glove. Kusiak scored and Culpepper raced around just beating the throw home to score on the two-run single giving the Saints a 6-4 lead. Wallner went 2-4 with a home run, four RBI, and a run scored.

The Saints loaded the bases in the fifth with one out on a walk to Aaron Sabato, a double by Ross, and a walk to Cardenas. Kusiak's sacrifice fly put the Saints up 7-4. Culpepper was then given a gift when he popped up into foul territory, but it was dropped by the catcher Valencia. Culpepper used that second life and smashed a two-run triple to the left-center gap increasing the lead to 9-4.

Walks hurt the Saints in the bottom of the inning. Back-to-back free passes to start the inning put runners at first and second. With one out an RBI single to left by Eduardo Valencia cut the Saints lead to 9-5. With two outs and runners at second and third, Gentry knocked in a pair with a single to left making it 9-7.

Anderson led off the sixth inning for the Mud Hens with a solo homer to right, his fifth of the season, cutting the Saints lead to one at 9-8.

Culpepper continued his big night in the seventh. With one out Cardenas walked, took second on a passed ball, and scored on a double down the third base line from Culpepper increasing the lead to 10-8. Culpepper finished a home run shy of the cycle going 3-4 with three RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base.

Once again the Mud Hens got the game to within one in the eighth. With a runner at first and two outs, Cruz singled to left, putting runners at first and second. Valencia then lined an RBI single into left making it 10-9.

The 19 hits were the most the Saints have ever given up in a victory, the previous high was 17 on April 16, 2022 in a 16-13 victory at CHS Field over Indianapolis.

The same two teams meet in game five of a six-game series on Saturday night at Fifth Third Field at 6:05 p.m. (CT). The Saints send LHP Aaron Rozek (0-0 2,.77) to the mound and the Mud Hens are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from June 12, 2026


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