Saints Start Off Final Series Of Season With 4-2 Win Over Indianapolis

ST. PAUL, MN (September 17, 2024) - For the second time this season St. Paul Saints starter Caleb Boushley got the start opposite the Pittsburgh Pirates number one prospect, and the number 21 prospect in baseball, Indianapolis Indians fireballer Bubba Chandler. Boushley once again kept his team in the game, but left on the wrong end. Unlike the first time when the Saints lost by a run, the Saints were able to come from behind on Tuesday night and beat the Indians 4-2 at CHS Field in front of 5,405.

After four scoreless innings the Indians got on the board in the fifth. Alika Williams led off with a single to right-center. With one out Ji Hwan Bae doubled to right-center scoring Williams making it 1-0. Major League rehabber Endy Rodriguez followed with an RBI single to center giving the Indians a 2-0 lead. Boushely would load the bases with a pair of walks, but with two outs got Liover Peguero to foul out ending the inning. Getting out of the bases loaded two out jam proved important as Boushley went 5.0 innings allowing two runs on six hits while walking four and striking out three.

Payton Eeles got to Chandler in the bottom of the inning with a solo blast to left, his seventh of the season, cutting the deficit to 2-1. It was just the second home run Chandler had allowed in 39.0 innings at Triple-A.

The Saints finally got Chandler out of the game in the sixth. Yunior Severino and Carson McCusker began the inning with back-to-back singles putting runners at the corners. Jair Camargo was hit by a pitch loading the bases. After a strikeout, Chandler was taken out of the game after 86 pitches. The reliever, Ryder Ryan, walked Chris Williams with the bases loaded forcing in a run and tying the game at two. Chandler went 5.1 innings allowing two runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out eight.

For the third consecutive inning the Saints scored a run. With one out Michael Helman doubled to left, stole third, and scored on a two out fielding error by shortstop Liover Peguero off the bat of McCusker giving the Saints a 3-2 lead.

Major League rehabber Kody Funderburk was stellar in his 2.0 shutout innings of relief allowing one hit and striking out two.

In the eighth the Saints added an insurance run. With two outs and nobody on Eeles dropped down a bunt single to third. He took second on an errant pickoff attempt. After a walk to Austin Martin, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. knocked home Eeles with a single to left giving the Saints a 4-2 lead.

It got interesting in the ninth, but Steven Okert was able to lock down the save. Major League rehabber Endy Rodriguez led off with a squibber up the first base line that Okert went to pick up with his glove and tag Rodriguez at the same time, but couldn’t corral the ball in his glove and Rodriguez reached on the single. A bunt single by Joshua Palacios and the throwing error to first on the play by Okert put runners at the corner. Okert came back to get back-to-back strikeouts before walking Peguero to load the bases. The game ended, however, when Okert struck out Andrés Alvarez.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday at CHS Field at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send RHP Andrew Morris (1-0, 3.14) to the mound against Indians RHP Thomas Harington (4-1, 3.51). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.