Emmanuel Rodriguez' Inside-the-Park Grand Slam Helps Saints To 8-6 Victory
ST. PAUL, MN (September 7, 2024) - Emmanuel Rodriguez is no stranger to inside-the-park grand slams, hitting a walk-off one at High-A Cedar Rapids in 2023. He can add another memorable one to his impressive ledger as his first Triple-A home run was an inside-the-park grand slam as part of
ST. PAUL, MN (September 7, 2024) - Emmanuel Rodriguez is no stranger to inside-the-park grand slams, hitting a walk-off one at High-A Cedar Rapids in 2023. He can add another memorable one to his impressive ledger as his first Triple-A home run was an inside-the-park grand slam as part of a six-run second inning that helped the St. Paul Saints to an 8-6 victory over the Iowa Cubs on Saturday night at CHS Field in front of 7,122.
The Saints sent nine men to the plate in the second. With one out and Jair Camargo at first, Chris Williams walked putting runners at first and second. Patrick Winkel lined an RBI single into right giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. Rylan Bannon followed with an RBI double high off the wall in right making it 2-0. After a fielder’s choice cut down Winkel at the plate, Diego Castillo walked loading the bases. That brought up Rodriguez who hit a high fly to deep right-center that Kevin Alcántara and Owen Caissie collided on and that allowed Rodriguez to race around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam, his first home run at Triple-A, making it 6-0. It was the fourth inside-the-park grand slam in franchise history and first at CHS Field.
A leadoff walk in the third came around to score for the I-Cubs as Chase Strumpf drew the free pass. With two outs Caissie singled to center moving Strumpf to second. That was followed by an RBI single from Alcántara cutting the Saints lead to 6-1.
Payton Eeles got the run back for the Saints in the fourth with an opposite field home run to left, his fifth of the season, making it 7-1.
The bottom of the order got the I-Cubs a run in the fifth. Matt Mervis led off with a double to center. With one out Caleb Knight’s infield single to third followed by the throwing error on the play by Rylan Bannon scored Mervis making it 7-2.
In the bottom of the sixth Bannon drilled a triple to right-center and scored on a single back up the middle by Eeles making it 8-2. Eeles went 3-5 finishing a triple shy of the cycle with two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base.
Mervis made it 8-3 with a solo homer to right in the seventh, his 14th of the season. Saints starter Aaron Rozek pitched well going 6.0+ innings allowing three runs on six hits while walking two and striking out seven.
Matt Shaw added a solo home run for the I-Cubs in the eighth, his fourth of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 8-4.
Things got tight in the ninth as the first three hitters all singled with Hayden Cantrelle, Caissie, and Alcántara, the latter scoring a run making it 8-5. With one out a sacrifice fly from Moises Ballesteros made it 8-6. With Brennan Davis the tying run at the plate, he flew out to end the game.
The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Travis Adams (0-0, 5.40) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Riley Thompson (5-4, 6.68). The game can be seen on the CW Network, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
Prospect Peña quietly drawing raves in Brewers' farm system
PHOENIX – Jesús Made was at the top of the Brewers’ lineup for Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds in the finale of MLB’s four-day Spring Breakout, a fitting perch when you consider that the 17-year-old infielder is under a bright spotlight as MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect. Made could
Brecht -- in 1st outing since '24 Draft -- wows at Spring Breakout
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht. A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the
Braves prospects show promise in Spring Breakout
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As Terry Pendleton prepared to serve as the manager of the Braves prospect team that played the Tigers prospect team in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon, he said fans should be patient with John Gil and Luis Guanipa, a pair of teenagers who have
Yanks' Lagrange flashes triple-digit heat in Spring Breakout
SARASOTA, Fla. -- There was an audible “Ooh” from the crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, and Carlos Lagrange quickly glanced beyond the right-field wall, checking the velocity of the pitch he’d just thrown in Saturday’s 5-4 Spring Breakout loss to the Orioles. It had registered in the triple digits, and
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring