Saints Skid Hits Five Games, Lose on Wild Pitch 5-4

LOUISVILLE, KY (July 13, 2024) — The St. Paul Saints got a late rally to tie the game in the eighth inning, but could not get over the hump in a 5-4, walk-off loss in 10 innings at Louisville Slugger Field.

The Bats scored the first run of the night in the opening frame. Jacob Hurtubise walked, then stole second base as Patrick Winkel’s throw went into center field, allowing Hurtubise to reach third base. Livan Soto then knocked him in with a bloop single to left field.

Randy Dobnak then cruised through the second and third innings, retiring seven in a row.

The Saints took the lead in the fourth inning. Chris Williams led off the inning with a walk and Anthony Prato drew his 52nd walk of the season with one out, putting runners at first and second. Patrick Winkel smoked a ball to second base that bounced over Tony Kemp’s glove, allowing Williams to score and tie the game at one. Alex Isola looped a single to left-center field that scored Prato and gave the Saints a 2-1 lead.

The lead would not last long as Blake Dunn homered on the first pitch of the fourth inning to tie the game. Soto followed with a double and reached third on a wild pitch. Dobnak would retire the next three batters to get out of the inning.

Louisville would take the lead back in the fifth inning. Connor Capel struck out to start the frame. Hernán Pérez then hit a ground ball to short but Yunior Severino could not squeeze Payton Eeles’ throw to first. With two outs, Hurtubise and Dunn hit back-to-back singles, the second of which scored Pérez. The unearned run gave the Bats a 3-2 lead.

The Bats struck again in the sixth inning when Connor Capel hit a ball off the top of the left field wall that was ruled a solo home run, giving Louisville a 4-2 lead.

After both sides went down in order in the seventh inning, the Saints tied the game in the eighth. Williams drew a walk with one out, advancing to second base on a ground ball back to the pitcher. Anthony Prato hit a line drive single to center field to score Williams, getting the Saints within a run at 4-3. After a walk to Patrick Winkel, Isola singled to tie the game at four.

Jeff Brigham entered the game in the bottom of the eighth, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings of relief. He picked up five of his six outs via strikeout, allowing only a two-out single to Kemp in the eighth. He sat down the bottom third of the Louisville lineup in the ninth to force extra innings.

In the 10th, Williams began the inning at second base. Eeles led off the frame with a walk, putting runners at first and second base. Stevie Branche would retire the next three Saints batters, holding St. Paul off the board in the 10th inning.

In the bottom of the frame, Erick Gonzalez started at second base. The Saints intentionally walked Jacob Hurtubise to put runners at first and second. Diego Castillo recorded the first out on a sacrifice bunt, as runners moved up to second and third base. Livan Soto received another intentional walk to load the bases with one out. With Levi Jordan at the plate, Castillo threw a wild pitch that allowed Gonzalez to score, winning the game and walking the Saints off for the second time in this series. It’s the fourth time the Saints have taken a walk-off loss this year. The five-game skid is the Saints' longest of the season.

The Saints will look to avoid the sweep of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 12:05 CT at Louisville Slugger Field. The Saints will send RHP Caleb Boushley (8-4, 4.68) to the mound against Bats RHP Randy Wynne (1-0, 2.00). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.