Starters Shine as Saints Fall to RailRiders 5-1

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IL St. Paul Saints

Starters Shine as Saints Fall to RailRiders 5-1

June 6, 2025 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - It was one of those starting pitching match ups where you sit back and just enjoy the two arms on the mound. St. Paul Saints starter Andrew Morris, the number nine prospect in the Minnesota Twins, went up against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders hurler Allan Winans, he of the 0.27 ERA allowing just one earned run in 33.1 innings. The two didn't disappoint, but the Saints fell short in a 5-1 loss to the RailRiders on Friday night at CHS Field in front of 8,006. Bryan De La Cruz got the RailRiders on the board in the second with a two out home run to straightaway center, his fourth of the season, making it 1-0.

Winans, meanwhile, retired the first eight men he faced before Tanner Schobel doubled down the third base line with two out in the third. Winans got Payton Eeles to ground out to end the inning.

Mistakes cost the Saints in the fifth. With one out Braden Shewmake singled to left-center. Ismael Munguia then hit a comebacker. Morris spun to throw to second, but sailed it into center field that allowed Shewmake to take third. After a wild pitch moved Munguia to second, the Saints brought the infield in. Morris got the ground ball to the shortstop and they got Shewmake in a run down and eventually tagged him out. With runners at second and third and two outs, Morris balked in a run giving the RailRiders a 2-0 lead. Morris went 6.0 innings allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits while walking one and striking out three. It was his first quality start of the season.

The Saints got two out doubles off Winans in the third and fourth, and a two-out single in the fifth, but left those runners stranded. Their best opportunity to score off Winans came in the sixth. Eeles led off with a single to right and Mickey Gasper followed with a double to left-center putting runners at second and third and nobody out. Winans, however, showed why he has a video game ERA. He got Jose Miranda to pop out and then struck out DaShawn Keirsey Jr. Winans was then removed and reliever Leonardo Pestana struck out Carson McCusker looking to end the inning. Winans went 5.2 shutout innings allowing a season-high five hits while striking out six. He lowered his ERA to a ridiculous 0.23.

Major League rehabber Danny Coulombe tossed a clean seventh for the Saints. He got a fly out and two ground outs throwing nine pitches, seven strikes.

The RailRiders put the game away in the ninth adding three insurance runs. With one out Alex Jackson doubled to left-center. De La Cruz followed with a walk. Shewmake made it 3-0 with an RBI single to left-center. That was followed by a two-run double from Ismael Munguia increasing the lead to 5-0.

The Saints made it interesting in the ninth. McCusker led off the inning with a solo homer to right, his second in as many nights and 12th of the season, making it 5-1. Back-to-back walks put runners at first and second with nobody out, but a fielder's choice ground out followed by a double play ground out ended the game.

The same two teams meet in game five of a six-game series on Saturday night at CHS Field at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send RHP Darren McCaughan (3-1, 4.68) against RailRiders RHP Cam Schlittler (NR). The game can be seen on the CW Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from June 6, 2025


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