Keirsey Jr.'s Two Home Runs Not Enough In 7-5 Loss To Mud Hens

TOLEDO, OH (May 7, 2024) - No ballpark in the International League has produced fewer home runs per game for the St. Paul Saints franchise than Fifth Third Field in Toledo. The long ball wasn’t an issue on Tuesday night, especially for DaShawn Keirsey Jr. who became the just the second player in franchise history to homer twice in Toledo, but the Saints couldn’t recover from a four-run first and lost 7-5 to the Toledo Mud Hens on Tuesday night. The loss drops the Saints to 13-19 on the season.

The Mud Hens came out swinging in the first inning putting up four runs and sending eight men to the plate. With one out Buddy Kennedy walked. Jace Jung singled to left and Kennedy moved to second. Keston Huira made it 1-0 with an RBI double to right-center. Bligh Madris doubled down the first base line scoring a pair increasing the lead to 3-0. After a groundout moved Madris to third, Dillon Dingler bounced one up the middle into center field scoring Madris giving the Mud Hens a 4-0 lead.

Yunior Severino got the Saints on the board in the second with a solo homer to straightaway center, his fourth of the season, cutting the deficit to 4-1.

In the bottom of the inning, however, the Mud Hens grabbed the run back. Andrew Navigato, who would finish a triple shy of the cycle, doubled to right-center, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a single by Kennedy making it 5-1.

Keirsey Jr. launched his first home run of the night, a solo shot to left with one out in the third, his fifth of the season, to get the Saints within 5-2.

A solo home run to left with two outs in the fourth by Navigato gave the Mud Hens the run back and a 6-2 lead.

Patrick Winkel accomplished something he had never done in his first three years of his professional career in the sixth. With one out Michael Helman was hit by a pitch. With two outs Severino walked. Winkel then drilled an RBI double to right getting the Saints to within 6-3. It was the second double of the game for Winkel, the first time he had accomplished that feat in his 183 professional games.

The Mud Hens hit their second solo home run of the night when the number 53 prospect in baseball, Jace Jung, led off the bottom of the seventh by driving one over the left field wall, his sixth of the season, making it 7-3.

Keirsey Jr. came calling again in the ninth. With two outs Diego Castillo was hit by a pitch. Keirsey Jr. followed by drilling a two-run homer to right, his second of the night and sixth of the season, to get the Saints withing two. It was just the second time in Keirsey Jr.’s career he hit two home runs in a game. The other came on September 19, 2021 while with Cedar Rapids against the Peoria Chiefs. The only other Saints player to hit two home runs at Fifth Third Field was Mark Contreras on September 7, 2022.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday morning at 10:05 a.m. (CT) at Fifth Third Field. The Saints send RHP Caleb Boushley (3-1, 3.98) to the mound against Mud Hens RHP Keider Montero (0-0, 1.77). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.