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IL St. Paul Saints

Williams Sets Franchise Home Run Mark, Saints Fall to Clippers 6-5

August 11, 2024 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - In all six games against the best team in the league the Saints had the tying run on base, at the plate, or in the on-deck circle in their last at bat. Unfortunately, they only cashed in twice. Despite Chris Williams setting the franchise's home run record, the Saints left the tying run on base in the ninth in a 6-5 loss to the Columbus Clippers on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field in front of 7,292.

Christian MacLeod made his Triple-A debut and pitched well, but make a couple of mistakes that were costly. For the sixth consecutive game the Clippers struck first. In the first Juan Brito reached on an infield single to short. With two outs Jhonathan Rodriguez hit a two-run homer to center, his 17th of the season, making it 2-0.

The Saints answered with a two-run homer of their own in the bottom of the inning. Diego Castillo led off the inning with a double down the right field line and that was followed by a two-run homer to straightaway center by Edouard Julien, his seventh of the season, tying the game at two. Julien extended his hitting streak to 11 games, has an extra-base hit in six straight, and extended his on base streak to 36, second longest in franchise history.

After retiring eight straight hitters, MacLeod gave up a one out single in the fourth to Rodriguez. Gabriel Arias hit a high tapper towards the third base line that MacLeod fielded and threw off his back foot to first. His throw skipped by first baseman Chris Williams allowing the runners to move up to second and third. With two outs Myles Straw's two-run double to center gave the Clippers a 4-2 lead. Bryan Lavastida walked and after a double steal, a bunt single from Christian Cairo made it 5-2. MacLeod went 5.0 innings allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits while walking one and striking out five.

The Saints got their second two-run homer of the game in the fifth to get within one. Payton Eeles led off the inning with a single to left and that was followed by a two-run homer to left from Anthony Prato, his third of the season, cutting the deficit to 5-4.

Angel Martínez brought the lead back to two with a solo homer in the seventh, his sixth of the season, increasing the lead to 6-4.

Williams made Triple-A Saints history in the eighth. He smashed a solo homer to left, his 13th of the season and 44th in a Saints uniform surpassing the record he held with Mark Contreras. The solo homer cut the Saints deficit to 6-5.

In the ninth, Prato reached on a one out infield single to third, but Andrew Walters fanned Diego Castillo and Edouard Julien to end the game. The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday evening at 6:05 p.m. (CT) in game one of a six-game series against the Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) at Victory Field. Both teams are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from August 11, 2024


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