Empty Feeling, Saints Lose On Walk-Off Homer In Ninth 7-6

COLUMBUS, OH (September 11, 2024) - The horror continues for the St. Paul Saints at Huntington Park. Entering Wednesday night the Saints were 11-26 in the home of the Columbus Clippers. They carried a three run lead into the eighth, but saw that disappear with a home run in the eighth and then lost the game in the ninth on a walk-off home run, 7-6.

With the Saints up 6-3 going into the eighth the Clippers knotted the game at six. With one out Angel Martinez singled to right. That was followed by an infield single to short by Johnathan Rodriguez putting runners at first and second. Micah Pries tied the game at six with a three-run homer to right, his eighth of the season.

In the bottom of the ninth Rodriguez, who entered play fourth in the International League with 24 home runs, won it with a solo homer to right-center, his 25^th of the season. It was the 12^th, ninth inning home run surrendered by the Saints, eighth most in the league.

It looked like the Saints would runaway and hide as Carson McCusker continued his hot start with the Saints crushing a solo homer to left leading off the fourth, his fourth home run in 15 games at Triple-A and 19^th home run combined between Wichita and St. Paul, making it 1-0.

Clippers starter Ryan Webb, who entered play having not allowed more than one run in any of his five Triple-A starts, was knocked out by the Saints in the fifth. Anthony Prato led off with an infield single to second, Payton Eeles reached on an infield single to first, and Diego Castillo made it 4-0 with a three-run homer to left, his ninth of the season and second in as many games. It’s the fifth time in his career he has homered in back-to-back games and first time since June 24-25, 2022. With one out Michael Helman walked and that was the end of the night for Webb. Reliever Zak Kent gave up a two-out single to Jeferson Morales that put runners at first and second. An RBI single to left by Rylan Bannon increased the Saints lead to 5-0. Webb went 4.1 innings allowing five runs, the second most he’s allowed all season.

The Clippers answered in the bottom of the inning with a three spot. With one out Reynel Delgado doubled to left and scored on a two-out single to center by Christian Cairo making it 5-1. Estevan Florial followed with a two-run homer to right, his eighth of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 5-3.

One hit was all the Saints collected in the seventh, but the hit came around to score courtesy of free passes. McCusker led off the inning with a single to left-center. That was followed by a walk to Morales putting runners at first and second. With two outs back-to-back walks to Prato and Eeles forced in a run giving the Saints a 6-3 lead.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series at Huntington Park on Thursday night at 5:15 p.m. (CT). The Saints send RHP Andrew Morris (1-0, 3.04) against Clippers RHP Connor Gillispie (4-7, 3.96). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.