Saints Set Franchise Record With 22 Hits, Tie Franchise Record With Eight Home Runs In 18-4 Beat Down Of Bats
LOUISVILLE, KY (June 13, 2024) - It was only a matter of time. The talent up and down the lineup for the St. Paul Saints is just too good to keep them down. On Thursday night at Louisville Slugger Field they showcased just how dangerous they are to the opposition.
LOUISVILLE, KY (June 13, 2024) - It was only a matter of time. The talent up and down the lineup for the St. Paul Saints is just too good to keep them down. On Thursday night at Louisville Slugger Field they showcased just how dangerous they are to the opposition. The Saints set a franchise record with 22 hits, tied a franchise record with eight home runs, and clobbered the Louisville Bats 18-4.
All nine hitters collected a hit, seven of nine had an RBI, seven of nine scored a run, and the Saints tied a franchise record with three separate hitters having a multi-homer game with Matt Wallner, Michael Helman, and Yunior Severino all homering twice. Helman tied a franchise record with five runs scored matching BJ Boyd (September 11, 2021 vs. Omaha), Spencer Steer (June 5, 2022 @ Iowa), and Jermaine Palacios (August 5, 2022 @ Omaha).
The 22 hits for the Saints broke the franchise record of 21, set one year ago to the date in the same location and the eight home runs equaled the mark they set on June 5, 2022 @ Iowa.
It started right away for the Saints as they sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs in the first, including knocking out starter Brett Kennedy after eight hitters. After Edouard Julien led off the game by lining out to third, the next seven men he reached. Brooks Lee started the scoring with a solo home run to right, his first of the season, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. The next three batters loaded the bases on a Wallner single to center, an infield single off the glove of the third baseman Noelvi Marte by Helman, and a walk to Severino. Jair Camargo’s ground ball got through the right side scoring a pair increasing the lead to 3-0. Tony Kemp made it 4-0 when he dropped a single into right-center. Kemp took second when the throw to third was dropped by Marte for an error. Kemp went 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Diego Castillo’s high chopper over the head of Marte at third scored Camargo giving the Saints a 5-0 lead and that was the night for Kennedy. With two outs Julien walked to load the bases. Lee came through with his second hit of the inning, an RBI single to center making it 6-0, but the inning ended when Castillo was thrown out trying to score on the play.
Severino, hitting .345 with a 1.038 OPS in his last 17 games, drilled a two-out solo homer to right in the second, his 11th of the season, giving the Saints a 7-0 lead.
The home runs continued in the fifth when the Saints went back-to-back for the fourth time this season. Helman, who is hitting .333 over his last 20 games, drilled a solo homer to left-center, his 11th of the season giving the Saints an 8-0 lead. On the very next pitch, Severino deposited one over the left-center field wall, his second of the night and 12th of the season, making it 9-0.
The Saints got two more home runs in the sixth. With one out Wallner drilled a solo homer over the right field wall, his 12th of the season, giving the Saints a 10-0 lead. Helman walked and with two outs Camargo curled one just inside the right field pole for a two-run homer, his fourth of the season, increasing the lead to 12-0.
The Bats broke up the shutout in the sixth when Rece Hinds hit a solo homer to left, his 10th of the season, making it 12-1.
Two more home runs from the Saints in the seventh tied the franchise record. With two outs Lee singled and Wallner hit a solo homer to left, his second of the night and 13th of the season, giving the Saints a 14-1 lead. Lee finished the night 3-6 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored. For the second time in the game the Saints went back-to-back as Helman crushed one over the left field wall, his second of the night and 12th of the season, making it 15-1.
Hinds became the fourth player on the night to homer twice in the game. With two outs Levin Jordan singled to left and Hinds followed with a two-run homer to right, his 11th of the season, making it 15-3.
Old friend, infielder Hernán Pérez, pitched the ninth and although he didn’t give up a home run the Saints got to him for three runs as they put the finishing touches on the game. Julien lined a one out single into left-center. With two outs Wallner ripped a single into right putting runners at first and second. Wallner went 4-6 with two home runs, three RBI, and four runs scored. Helman doubled home Julien giving the Saints a 16-3 lead. Helman went 4-5, finishing a triple shy of the cycle and homering twice with three RBI and five runs. Severino made it 18-3 with a two-run double to right-center. He finished the night 3-5 with a double, two home runs, four RBI, and three runs scored.
The lone run scored by the Bats not from a Hinds home run came in the ninth when Peyton Burdick led off with a double, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a Pérez groundout finishing the scoring for the game and making it 18-4.
The same two teams meet in game four of a six-game series at Louisville Slugger Field on Friday night at 6:15 p.m. (CT). The Saints send RHP David Festa (1-2, 3.56) to the mound against Bats RHP Connor Phillips (2-4, 9.00). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.