Saints Drop Finale To Bulls, 5-3
ST. PAUL, MN (July 16, 2023) - The three-game series between the St. Paul Saints and Durham Bulls was advertised. Tight games, well pitched, and the team that made the fewer mistakes came out on top. Unfortunately, for the Saints they couldn’t grab the finale of the series on Sunday
_ST. PAUL, MN _*(July 16, 2023) - *The three-game series between the St. Paul Saints and Durham Bulls was advertised. Tight games, well pitched, and the team that made the fewer mistakes came out on top. Unfortunately, for the Saints they couldn’t grab the finale of the series on Sunday afternoon losing 5-3 at CHS Field in front of 8,427.
With the game tied at three in the top of the ninth the Bulls grabbed two that eventually won the game. The first four hitters reached on a walk, an infield single and a bunt single. Vidal Bruján walked to force in a run giving the Bulls a 4-3 lead. A passed ball scored an insurance run making it 5-3.
It was a battle of two top pitchers as Dallas Keuchel got the start for the Saints, having allowed just one run in 14.0 innings and he was opposed by Bulls lefty Jacob Lopez, who had a 1.08 ERA and hadn’t allowed a run in 14.0 innings.
The Bulls struck first in the first on an unearned run. With two outs Curtis Mead singled to right. Austin Shenton followed with a single to right that moved Mead to third. Greg Jones then hit a chopper up the middle that Austin Martin tried to field on the short hop and had the ball go off his glove into center for an error that allowed Mead to score giving the Bulls a 1-0 lead.
Chris Williams knotted the game at one with a solo homer to right-center in the second, his 17th of the season.
The game stayed that way until the sixth when Austin Shenton gave the Bulls a 2-1 lead with a solo homer to right, his first at Triple-A. Jones then reached on a throwing error by third baseman Anthony Prato, advanced to second on a groundout, and scored on a single from Tristan Gray increasing the lead to 3-1. Keuchel went 6.0 innings allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits while striking out six. He threw 94 pitches, 62 for strikes.
The Saints caught a huge break in the seventh to tie the game. Mark Contreras led off with a double to left. With one out, he advanced to third on a wild pitch. Prato then hit a fly ball to right-center that was dropped by Kameron Misner which allowed Contreras to score and Prato went to third as the Saints made it 3-2. Alex De Goti tied the game at three with a single to left.
The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday afternoon at 12:05 p.m. against the Omaha Storm Chasers at Werner Park. Both teams are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.