SAINTS SWEPT BY BATS, LOSE FINALE 9-4

LOUISVILLE, KY (July 14, 2024) — The Saints worked clean frames in six of the eight innings they pitched on Sunday but allowed four runs in the fourth and five runs in the sixth in a 9-4 loss, getting swept by the Louisville Bats heading into the All-Star Break.

The Saints and Bats were locked in a pitcher’s duel to start the game, with Aaron Rozek and Randy Wynne retiring the first six men they faced.

Anthony Prato was the first batter to reach base with a leadoff walk in the third inning. Alex Isola then singled to right field, allowing Prato to go from first to third base. Maddux Houghton bounced into a fielder’s choice to the pitcher Wynne, who caught Prato in a rundown to record the first out. Edouard Julien drew a walk to load the bases and extend his on-base streak to 24 consecutive games, the third-longest streak in franchise history. Yunior Severino clubbed a sacrifice fly to deep center field to score Isola and give the Saints a 1-0 lead.

Rozek continued to dominate, working a clean third inning. He threw 3.0 perfect innings in his third career Triple-A start and struck out five, giving way to Zack Weiss on Major League Rehab in the fourth inning.

Jacob Hurtubise was the first Bat to reach base, singling to left field to start the fourth inning. With one out, Livan Soto hit a two-run home run to right field, giving Louisville a 2-1 lead. Levi Jordan followed with a single and stole second, advancing to third on an errant throw from Chris Williams. Tony Kemp dumped a single into left field to score Jordan, pushing the Louisville lead to 3-1. Weiss then hit his next two batters, Michael Trautwein and PJ Higgins, to load the bases. Connor Capel hit a sacrifice fly, bringing in the Bats’ fourth run of the inning.

The Saints answered in the fifth as Maddux Houghton delivered his second hit at Triple-A, hitting a one-out single. Julien drew another walk, putting runners at first and second. Severino drove in his second run of the game with a single to left field that brought in Houghton to cut the deficit to 4-2.

In the sixth, Wynton Bernard singled to left to lead off the inning. Peyton Eeles then hit into a fielder’s choice. Eeles stole second and third allowing Isola to bring him in on a ground ball bounced over the pitcher Christian Roa, getting the Saints within a run at 4-3.

Louisville added five runs in the bottom of the inning. Weiss gave up a double to Jordan and walked Kemp before Austin Brice entered the game. He hit his first batter and issued back-to-back walks, forcing in a pair of runs. Hérnan Pérez then singled into left field, bringing home the fourth run of the inning, giving the Bats an 8-3 lead. After Hurtubise walked, Ronny Henriquez came into the game and allowed one more run to score on a Soto RBI single, making it 9-3.

Anthony Prato hit his second home run of the season in the bottom of the eighth, getting the Saints within 9-4. It would go as the final run of the game in the loss.

Caleb Baragar made his first appearance off the Injured List in the eighth inning, working a clean frame. Of the eight innings the Saints pitched, they worked 1-2-3 innings in six.

The Saints are off for the next four days for the All-Star Break. They return to action on Friday in Toledo with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.