The Hunters Become The Hunted, Saints All Alone In First After 7-4 Win

ST. PAUL, MN (August 21, 2021) - On June 27 the St. Paul Saints were a season worst five games under .500 at 21-26 and 11.0 games out of first. The next day Jose Miranda was promoted to Triple-A. Miranda led the charge on Saturday night with a four-hit performance and by virtue of the Saints 7-4 victory over the Iowa Cubs at CHS Field in front of 7,788, they are now all alone in first place and are a season best 11 games over .500 at 53-42.

The I-Cubs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Abiatal Avelino doubled down the third base line with one out. With two outs Trayce Thompson doubled to the gap in right-center scoring Avelino.

The Saints were facing a tough lefty in Luis Lugo, who was making his Triple-A debut, and they answered back in the third as JT Riddle led off with an infield single off the body of the first baseman Jered Young. Miranda followed with a two-run homer to right, his 12th of the season, putting the Saints up 2-1.

The I-Cubs used a two-run homer of their own to take the lead in the top of the fourth. With two outs Taylor Gushue walked and that was followed by a two-run homer to right by Jered Young, his first of the season, putting the I-Cubs up 3-2.

The Saints grabbed the lead in the fifth as they sent nine men to the plate. They loaded the bases as Miranda singled to left, Trevor Larnach was hit by a pitch and Tomás Telis blooped a single into left-center. Mark Contreras then roped a two-run single into left center putting the Saints up 4-3. After Lugo was removed, Brendon Little came on in relief and was greeted by a Gilberto Celestino single to right. With the bases loaded and one out, Drew Maggi hit a ground ball up the middle that was fielded by the second baseman Trent Giambrone. He touched second for the force out, but his throw to first was in the dirt and Young couldn’t handle it as the run scored to make it 5-3. A wild pitch scored Contreras increasing the Saints lead to 6-3.

The I-Cubs got to within two in the seventh when Zach Davis walked with two outs and Avelino doubled him home with a ground ball down the first base line to cut the Saints lead to 6-4.

The Saints grabbed that run back in the bottom of the inning courtesy of an error that started it. Mark Contreras reached on a fielding error by the first baseman Young. He stole second, advanced to third on a fly out by Gilberto Celestino, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Ben Rortvedt to make it 7-4.

Miranda finished the night 4-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Since Miranda joined the team, including the current series which the Saints won by virtue of their victory on Saturday night, they are 6-0-2 across eight series.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series Sunday afternoon at CHS Field at 2:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Drew Strotman (7-3, 4.02) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Cory Abbott (1-5, 7.18). Th game can be seen on 45TV and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.