Severino Ties Single-Season Franchise Home Run Mark In 8-3 Saints Win

ST. PAUL, MN (September 19, 2024) - For the last 12 games Yunior Severino has been stuck on 20 home runs, one shy of the St. Paul Saints single-season home run mark. On Thursday night at CHS Field he finally tied the record with a fifth inning home run. That helped back a solid Triple-A debut by Cory Lewis in an 8-3 victory over the Indianapolis Indians in front of 5,619.

For the second time in four games Payton Eeles led off the first inning with a long ball, going the opposite way in the bottom of the first with a solo homer, his eighth of the season, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead.

Lewis got out of a first inning jam, but the Indians tied the game in the second. Malcom Nuñez led off the inning with a single to right. With two outs Jason Delay singled putting runners at first and second. Tsung-Che Cheng tied the game at one with an RBI single to right.

Back-to-back doubles by DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Michael Helman to start the bottom of the third gave the Saints a 2-1 lead.

Chris Williams increased the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to left, his 15^th of the season.

The first two hitters reached for the Indians in the fifth as Alika Williams singled to center and moved to third on a double down the right field line by Endy Rodriguez. Jack Suwinski’s sacrifice fly to right cut the Saints lead to 3-2. Lewis went 5.0 innings allowing two runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out two while picking up the victory.

A little history was made in the bottom of the fifth for the Saints. Keirsey Jr. led off the inning with a single to right. With one out Severino clubbed a two-run homer to left, his 21^st of the season, putting the Saints up 5-2. The home run ties Severino for the franchise single-season home run record with Chris Williams and Jair Camargo (both from 2023). Diego Castillo then walked, moved to second on a groundout, and scored on a two-out single to right-center by Patrick Winkel increasing the lead to 6-2.

In the eighth the Indians got to within three. With one out Joshua Palacios singled to right. Matt Gorski walked and with two outs Tsung-Che Cheng walked loaded the bases. Andres Alvarez plated the run when he hit a grounder to short and the throw to second was a little late cutting the Saints lead to 6-3.

The Saints got that run back and added another in the bottom of the inning. Jeferson Morales led off the inning with a walk and with one out Williams walked. Eeles gave the Saints a 7-3 lead with an RBI single to right. Eeles finished the night 2-4 with a home run, two RBI, and a run scored. Austin Martin walked putting runners at first and second. After a double steal, Keirsey Jr. made it 8-3 with a sacrifice fly.

The same two teams meet in game four of a six-game series at CHS Field at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send RHP Marco Raya (Triple-A debut) to the mound against RHP Domingo Germán (7-4, 5.07). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.