Saints Tie It Late, But Fall In 10, 5-3
ST. PAUL, MN (August 9, 2024) - The St. Paul Saints have provided their fans some late game magic during their series against the top team in the International League, the Columbus Clippers. On Friday night at CHS Field they did it again getting a game-tying home run in the
ST. PAUL, MN (August 9, 2024) - The St. Paul Saints have provided their fans some late game magic during their series against the top team in the International League, the Columbus Clippers. On Friday night at CHS Field they did it again getting a game-tying home run in the eight, but it wasn’t enough as they fell 5-3 in 10 innings in front of 8,306.
With the Saints down 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth Edouard Julien led off the inning wit ha single to right. With two outs, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. worked a 10 pitch at bat and cracked a two-run homer to right, his 12th of the season, tying the game at three.
In the 10th, the Clippers scored both the placed runner and an extra run. With the pinch runner Estevan Florial at second base as the placed runner, he stole third. After a strikeout, Myles Straw’s groundout to second scored Florial giving the Clippers a 4-3 lead. Bryan Lavastida followed with a single to right, moved to third on a single by Raynel Delgado, and scored on a high chopper from Christian Cairo making it 5-3.
In the bottom of the inning with Julien the placed runner at second and one out, Jair Camargo walked. Payton Eeles pinch ran for Camargo and Keirsey Jr. hit a line drive up the middle that was snagged by the shortstop Gabriel Arias who fired to first and doubled off Eeles to end the game.
The Clippers got on the board first in the second. Jhonathan Rodriguez led off with a walk and that was followed by an infield single from Arias putting runners at first and second. Straw laid down a sacrifice bunt moving the runners up. After a groundout, Delgado roped a two-run double to right-center making it 2-0. Those would be the only two runs allowed by Aaron Rozek who was tremendous going 6.0 innings allowing two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out one.
The Saints answered in the bottom of the inning as Diego Castillo led off with a double and scored on a single to left-center by Chris Williams cutting the deficit to 2-1.
In the seventh the Clippers added an insurance run. With one out Juan Brito walked, stole second and scored on a two-out single from Rodriguez making it 3-1.
The same two teams meet in game five of the six-game series on Saturday night at CHS Field at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send RHP Caleb Boushley (9-4, 4.57) against Clippers RHP Triston McKenzie (1-1, 5.09). The game can be seen on the CW Network, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.