Wallner Bashes Three Homers as Saints Win Fifth Straight, 7-4
IL St. Paul Saints

Wallner Bashes Three Homers as Saints Win Fifth Straight, 7-4

Published on June 5, 2026 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - Over the last two weeks Royce Lewis has garnered all the headlines showing off his prodigious power. On Thursday night it was Matt Wallner's turn. He became the third Saints hitter this year, and seventh in franchise history, to homer three times in a game as he led a 7-4 victory over the Indianapolis Indians in front of 5,113 at CHS Field. The win is a season-high fifth straight and the Saints are a season-high five games over .500, 32-27.

For the first time in the series the Indians took the lead as they plated three in the first. Dominic Fletcher led off the game with a double to right-center and with two outs scored on a bloop single to left-center by Esmerlyn Valdez making it 1-0. Davis Wendzel followed with a two-run homer to left, his ninth of the season, increasing the lead to 3-0. Austin Voth, who was signed by the Minnesota Twins to a minor league deal before the game, settled down after that and went 4.2 innings allowing just those three runs on five hits while striking out four.

The deficit didn't last long for the Saints as they sent nine men to the plate in the bottom of the inning and plated four. With one out Hendry Mendez singled to right, extending his own franchise record of reaching base safely to start a Saints career to 24 games. Royce Lewis followed with a double to left that sent Mendez to third. Matt Wallner then drilled his first home run of the night, a three-run blast to left, his third of the season and second in as many games, tying the game at three. With two outs Gabby Gonzalez and Ben Ross walked. That was followed by an RBI double down the first base line by Tanner Schobel putting the Saints up 4-3.

Wallner came calling again in the third with a mammoth solo homer to right, his second of the night and fourth of the season, giving the Saints a 5-3 lead.

Aggressive baserunning got the Saints a run in the fifth. Lewis led off with a walk and with one out took off on a 3-2 pitch to Kyler Fedko. He grounded out to third and on the throw across the diamond Lewis continued to third. The throw from first baseman Billy Cook tailed and clipped off the glove of Enmanuel Valdez and caromed into left field as Lewis got up and score, increasing the lead to 6-3.

After about a 30-minute rain delay where the tarp went on the field, but it never rained, play resumed and then it started to rain. The wet weather had an effect on the Indians getting a run in the seventh. Rafael Flores Jr. led off the inning with a single to right-center and with one out back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Then pitcher John Klein slipped on his delivery and balked in a run making it 6-4.

Wallner got that run back in the bottom of the inning when he led off with a towering home run to right, his third of the night and fifth of the season, putting the Saints up 7-4. Wallner went 3-5 with three homers, five RBI, and three runs scored. It was the first three homer game of his career and he joins Kyler Fedko and Aaron Sabato as the three Saints who have homered three times this season. The Saints are the only team in baseball with three players that have homered three times in a game. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Tarpons (New York Yankees) are the only other teams who have even had two players with three homers in a game. It's also the seventh, three homer game in franchise history.

Trent Baker finished the game off for the Saints pitching 2.0 perfect innings while striking out four to pick up his second save of the season.

The same two teams meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night at CHS Field at 7:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Ricky Castro (0-0, 4.32) to the mound against Indians RHP Jose Urquidy (2-3, 4,78). The game can be seen on FOX 9 Plus, MLB.TV, MLB+, and the Bally Sports Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from June 5, 2026


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