Six Run First Too Much for Saints to Overcome in 11-5 Loss to Express
IL St. Paul Saints

Six Run First Too Much for Saints to Overcome in 11-5 Loss to Express

Published on August 24, 2025 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Over the last six days the St. Paul Saints got a firsthand look of what it's like playing Pacific Coast League baseball. In their first ever meeting against a PCL team the Saints realized three things: hits aplenty, runs by the boatload, and the games seem endless. On Sunday afternoon at CHS Field despite outhitting the Round Rock Express 16-15, they gave up nine runs in the first two innings and fell 11-5 in front of 8,496. In the six-game series the teams combined for 76 runs and 126 hits with the Saints dropping the final five games.

Between the two teams, 17 of the 18 starters collected a hit with Kellen Strahm of the Express the lone player to not collect a hit.

It didn't take long for the Express to jump on the Saints. Dustin Harris led off the game with an infield single to third. Richie Martin made it 1-0 with an RBI triple to right-center. With one out Alan Trejo singled to right-center knocking in Martin increasing the lead to 2-0. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and that brought up Omar Narváez who unloaded them with a grand slam to right, his fourth of the season, making it 6-0.

The runs continued to pour in for the Express in the second. Abimelec Ortiz led off with a solo homer to right, sixth of the season, giving the Express a 7-0 lead. Trejo then singled to left-center and with one out Kellen Strahm walked. With two outs, Cooper Johnson doubled off the glove of a sliding Carson McCusker in right giving the Express a 9-0 lead.

The Saints showed some life in the fifth sending nine men to the plate and scoring four runs. Three straight singles started the inning with Will Holland, Anthony Prato, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. getting things going with the latter scoring a run to make it 9-1. Gabby Gonzalez made it 9-2 with a sacrifice fly. Jhonny Pereda walked and Aaron Sabato singled loading the bases. Sabato finished 3-5. Carson McCusker's sacrifice fly got the Saints to within 9-3. Jose Miranda then hit a slow ground ball to short and Martin tried to flip the ball to second with his glove, but the flip went wide allowing a run to score making it 9-4.

Unfortunately, the Express answered back in the sixth with the first three hitters reaching as Ortiz started things off with a single to right. He stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by pitcher Noah Davis. Trejo was then hit by a pitch putting runners at the corners. Trevor Hauver's RBI single to left scored Ortiz and the error on Gonzalez in left sent Trejo to third as the Express took a 10-4 lead. A ground ball double play scored a run making it 11-4.

Holland continued a career day in the sixth by leading off with an infield single to third and advanced to second on the throwing error. He finished the day with his first career four-hit game going 4-5 with a double and two runs scored. Holland advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a single to center by Keirsey Jr. making it 11-5.

The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday night to take on the Toledo Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field at 5:35 p.m. (CT). Both teams are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from August 24, 2025


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