Four Solo Shots Not Enough as Bats Nipped by Saints

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Jose Barrero, Alejo Lopez, Mike Moustakas, and TJ Friedl combined to record a season-high four home runs, but the St. Paul Saints scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a single into left and an errant throw to the plate to defeat the Louisville Bats 5-4 on Tuesday night at CHS Field.

[BOX SCORE]

The Bats plated a run in each of the opening two frames to secure an early lead. After St. Paul starter Ian Hamilton induced a pair of groundouts to open the game, Barrero sent a deep fly ball over the left-field wall for his team-high eighth home run of the season. Lopez returned to the dish to lead off the second, taking a first-pitch strike before driving on solo shot on his own to make it 2-0.

St. Paul answered with Ben Rortverdt solo home run in the home half of the second to cut the lead to one. The Saints would then plate two more in the fifth on a pair of singles to take a 3-2 lead.

Louisville tied the game at three when Reds’ rehabber Moustakas connected on a shot that cleared the ballpark to give the Bats’ their third home run of the night.

St. Paul ambushed the bullpen for three-straight singles in the decisive eighth. On the go-ahead hit, left fielder Braxton Lee seeded a throw to the plate. However, as backstop Chris Okey leapt to catch the throw and apply the tag, St. Paul’s base runner collided with Okey to score safely and allow what proved to be the winning run in Drew Maggi cross home as well.

Friedl pulled the Bats within one on a solo shot in the ninth, but St. Paul’s reliever Nick Vincent recorded the final out to preserve the win.

The two teams return to CHS Field on Wednesday for an afternoon game starting at 2:05 p.m. ET. Reds’ top-prospect Nick Lodolo is set to make his Triple-A debut against St. Paul’s LHP Andrew Albers (4-4, 4.44).