Saints’ Sixth-Inning Clouts Send Stripers to 4-3 Sunday Loss

ST. PAUL, Minnesota – A pair of solo home runs by Drake Baldwin and Eddie Rosario put Gwinnett in front 3-2 in the top of the fifth inning, but the St. Paul Saints (6-6) answered with back-to-back solo shots from Jair Camargo and Chris Williams in the sixth to beat the Stripers (5-7) 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field. Gwinnett split the series 3-3.

Decisive Plays: The Stripers took a 1-0 lead on Chadwick Tromp’s RBI double in the second, but St. Paul tied it in the bottom of the second and went up 2-1 on an RBI double by Yunior Severino in the third. Gwinnett went back in front courtesy of the homers by Baldwin (5) and Rosario (1) in the fifth. In the sixth, Brooks Wilson (L, 3-2) served up the solo shots to Camargo and Williams. The Stripers had the tying run at third with one out in the eighth and a leadoff walk in the ninth but couldn’t complete the comeback.

Key Contributors: Baldwin (2-for-5, homer, RBI), Rosario (2-for-4, homer, RBI), and J.P. Martinez (2-for-3, double, 2 steals) all had multi-hit games for the Stripers. Lefty Drew Parrish pitched 5.0 innings (3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO) in a no-decision in his Gwinnett debut. Five St. Paul relievers, led by Hobie Harris (W, 2-4) and Diego Castillo (S, 6), combined on 4.2 two-hit frames.

Noteworthy: The Stripers are now 4-10 on Sundays and 4-11 in series finales this season. Baldwin hit safely in all five games he played during the series, batting .318 (7-for-22) with two homers and three RBIs. Rehabbing Atlanta Braves outfielder Brian Anderson went 0-for-4.

Next Home Game (Tuesday, July 9): Gwinnett vs. Jacksonville, 7:05 p.m. ET at Coolray Field. Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. ET on MyCountry993.com and Bally Live. It is Coolray T-Shirt Tuesday at Coolray Field, as the first 500 fans to the ballpark will receive a Spencer Strider Stripers shirsey.