Pitching Shuts Down Bulls, Saints Hit Two Homers Late In 4-2 Victory
ST. PAUL, MN (July 15, 2023) - Brent Headrick passed the baton to Simeon Woods Richardson who passed the baton to Kody Funderburk. The three hurlers combined to allow one earned run as the St. Paul Saints scored three runs of their own in their last two at bats to
ST. PAUL, MN *(July 15, 2023) - *Brent Headrick passed the baton to Simeon Woods Richardson who passed the baton to Kody Funderburk. The three hurlers combined to allow one earned run as the St. Paul Saints scored three runs of their own in their last two at bats to defeat the Durham Bulls 4-2 on Saturday night at CHS Field in front of 8,652. The win improves the Saints to 10-4 in the second half and 53-35 on the season.
The Saints struck first in the second inning. Mark Contreras started the inning by reaching on a hit by pitch. Jair Camargo doubled him to third and a groundout from Anthony Prato scored Contreras making it 1-0.
Headrick started for the Saints and was scheduled to go just three innings, which he did. After giving up a two out double in the first, Headrick retired the next six hitters including striking out the side in the second. He finished the night getting out of a first and third two out jam by getting the 33rd rated prospect, Curtis Mead, to pop out to second. Headrick went 3.0 shutout innings allowing three hits while striking out four.
Woods Richardson took over from there and retired the first six men he faced. An error, however, proved costly in the top of the sixth that allowed the Bulls to tie the game up. Vidal Bruján led off with a single to left. Woods Richardson attempted to pickoff Bruján, but his throw went wide of first and Bruján scampered to third. With one out, Mead’s sacrifice fly tied the game at one.
Prato gave the Saints the lead in the eighth. Leading off the inning he smashed the first pitch over the left field wall for a solo homer, his sixth of the season, giving the Saints a 2-1 lead. With one out Alex De Goti doubled, moved to third on a groundout, and scored when Austin Martin reached on a fielding error by shortstop Osleivis Basabe increasing the lead to 3-1.
The Bulls got to within one in the eighth courtesy of a solo homer from Nick Dini, his seventh of the season, making it 3-2. It was the lone mistake Woods Richardson made as he went 5.0 innings allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out two.
Camargo gave the Saints a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the inning with a solo homer of his own, the 13th of the season. Camargo finished the night 2-4 with a double, home run, RBI, and a run scored.
Funderburk finished off the night. After giving up a leadoff single to Mead, he retired the next three hitters on a ground out, strikeout, and groundout to pick up his second save of the season.
For the second time this season the Saints didn’t walk a batter.
The same two teams meet in the finale of the three-game series on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send LHP Dallas Keuchel (0-0, 0.64) to the mound and the Bulls are TBA. The game can be seen on the CW Network, the Bally Live app (free), and MiLB.TV (subscription), and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.