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Indians Complete Comeback Over Saints for Extra-Inning Win

Oneil Cruz crushed a game-tying two-run homer in the seventh
Oneil Cruz homered in back-to-back games for the first time this season. (Photo by Adam Pintar)
May 24, 2022

ST. PAUL, Minn. – With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Oneil Cruz launched a two-run home run off the batter’s eye to cap a four-run comeback by the Indianapolis Indians. They went on to beat the St. Paul Saints in 11 innings on Tuesday afternoon, 8-5.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Oneil Cruz launched a two-run home run off the batter’s eye to cap a four-run comeback by the Indianapolis Indians. They went on to beat the St. Paul Saints in 11 innings on Tuesday afternoon, 8-5.

Following scoreless ninth and tenth frames with the contest tied at five, the Indians (22-19) plated three runs off Juan Minaya (L, 0-1) in the top of the 11th to take their first lead of the game. The go-ahead run scored with two outs on an infield single by Hoy Park.

The Saints (16-25) took an early lead with three runs in the second inning on a two-out, bases-clearing double by Roy Morales. The line drive – which deflected off Jared Oliva’s glove as he attempted a diving snag – snapped Cam Alldred’s 16.2-inning scoreless streak. St. Paul then took a 4-0 lead with one run in the fourth inning.

Mason Martin crushed team-leading ninth home run of the season in the top of the fourth inning to give Indy it’s first run of the ballgame. It was the slugger’s fourth home run in his last five games.

St. Paul plated it’s last run in the bottom of the fifth before being held hitless through the final six frames against Blake Weiman, Hunter Stratton and Austin Brice (W, 1-1).

The Indians mounted their four-run comeback with a pair of two-run innings in the sixth and seventh. A double-steal by Travis Swaggerty and Ji-Hwan Bae forced a throwing error by catcher Caleb Hamilton to score one run. Bae would then score on an RBI groundout by Canaan Smith-Njigba. In the seventh, Cruz followed with his fifth home run of the season.

Smith-Njigba and Bae each doubled and extended their on-base streaks to 25 and 21 games, respectively. Travis Swaggerty doubled in the sixth to stretch his hitting streak to six games. Cruz and Martin have both homered in consecutive games.

Indy and St. Paul will square off for a doubleheader tomorrow with Game 1 slated for 6:07 PM ET. RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-2, 4.78) will take the mound for the Indians in the first game with RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-1, 8.38) countering for the Saints. St. Paul will start LHP Devin Smeltzer (1-2, 3.86) in Game 2 while Indy has yet to name a starter.