Saints Build Five Run Lead Early, But Walked-Off In Ninth, 6-5

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 14, 2024) - The adage it’s not how you start, but how you finish certainly applied to the St. Paul Saints on Wednesday afternoon at Victory Field. The Saints roughed up Major League rehabber Jared Jones for five runs across three innings, but couldn’t hold a 5-0 lead, losing 6-5 on a walk-off single in the ninth.

With the Saints up 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Diego Castillo tried to close out the game. The first three hitters reached as Jose Rojas, Alika Williams, and Henry Davis all singled with the latter scoring a run to tie the game at five. With runners at first and second and nobody out, Nick Yorke hit a grounder to third, but Rylan Bannon’s throw to second tailed and glanced off the glove of second baseman Edouard Julien as the throwing error loaded the bases. Liover Peguero finished off the comeback with an RBI single into right-center. It was just the third loss in 53 games for the Saints when leading going into the ninth.

The Saints jumped on the Major League rehabber Jones in the first inning with three consecutive doubles. With one out Diego A. Castillo doubled inside the first base line and into the right field corner for a double. Julien extended his on base streak to 38 straight games with an RBI double up against the left field wall making it 1-0. Jair Camargo followed with a double down the third base line scoring Julien giving the Saints a 2-0 lead. Camargo would steal third and Chris Williams drew a walk putting runners at the corners. Williams then went to steal second and catcher Jason Delay’s throw to second went into centerfield allowing Camargo to score increasing the lead to 3-0.

Jones didn’t fare much better in the third as Castillo led off the inning for the Saints with a single to right. With one out Camargo lined a single into left-center putting runners at the corners. With two outs Chris Williams made it 5-0 with a two-run double into the left field corner.

Short on starters, the Saints were forced to go with a bullpen game on Wednesday and it started well as Caleb Baragar pitched 3.0 shutout innings allowing two hits while fanning four.

The Indians mounted their comeback in the fourth when Yorke led off with a double to right off Ryan Jensen, moved to third on a groundout, and with two outs scored on a wild pitch cutting the Saints lead to 5-1.

A three-run sixth inning got the Indians to within a run. Edward Olivares led off with a walk against Jensen. Olivares took second on a groundout and scored on a single to center by Rojas making it 5-2. After a fielder’s choice by Williams, the Saints went to their third pitcher of the game, Hobie Harris. Davis made it 5-3 with an RBI double to left-center. That was followed by an RBI single to left from Yorke cutting the Saints lead to 5-4. The Saints would carry that lead into the ninth, but were walked-off for the sixth time this season.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series at Victory Field on Thursday night at 6:05 p.m. (CT). The Saints send LHP Aaron Rozek (0-1, 6.38) to the mound against Indians RHP Mike Burrows (0-1, 3.65). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.