It's A First: Jenkins Homers Twice, Saints Win Fourth Straight, 5-4 Over Bats
ST. PAUL, MN (August 6, 2026) - Walker Jenkins has had a number of incredible feats in his short professional career. On Thursday night, he accomplished something he’s never done before when he hit two homers. Those two long balls helped lead the St. Paul Saints to a 5-4 victory
ST. PAUL, MN (August 6, 2026) - Walker Jenkins has had a number of incredible feats in his short professional career. On Thursday night, he accomplished something he’s never done before when he hit two homers. Those two long balls helped lead the St. Paul Saints to a 5-4 victory over the Louisville Bats on Thursday night in front of 9,027. The win is the fourth in a row for the Saints and sends them to 18 games over .500, at 64-46.
It didn’t take long for the Bats to get on the board. Francisco Urbaez led off the game with a single to left. With one out Michael Toglia doubled him to third. An RBI single to left by Will Benson and a sacrifice fly from Michael Chavis gave the Bats a 2-0 lead.
Facing Fairmont, Minnesota native Brandon Williamson on Major League rehab, the Saints knocked him out in the first inning. With one out Jenkins hit his first homer of the night, an opposite poke to left, his fifth of the season, getting the Saints to within 2-1. With two outs back-to-back walks to Matt Wallner and Hendry Mendez put runners at first and second. Ben Ross tied the game with an RBI single to left. With runners at the corners a balk scored Mendez putting the Saints up 3-2. With the count 2-2 on Kala’i Rosario, Williamson departed the game due to his pitch count. Rosario greeted new pitcher Cam Cotter with an RBI single to left, increasing the lead to 4-2. Rosario went 2-4 with a triple, and an RBI.
For the first time in his young career Jenkins homered twice in a game. He smashed a 400-foot solo homer to lead off the fourth inning, his sixth of the season, upping the lead to 5-2. Jenkins went 2-5 with two home runs, two RBI, and two runs scored.
The Saints were forced into a bullpen game and after C.J. Culpepper pitched a solid first 3.0 innings, Matt Bowman took the second 3.0 innings. He didn’t allow a run on one hit, while walking one, and getting two huge double plays.
The Bats tried to make it interesting in the eighth when Edwin Arroyo led off the inning with a single to right, stole second, and scored on a single to left by Toglia shrinking the Saints lead to 5-3.
It got tight in the ninth when Will Banfield hit a one out solo homer to left, his 10th of the season, making it a one-run game at 5-4. With two outs Urbaez singled to left, but Eric Orze struck out Arroyo to end the game.
The same two teams meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night at CHS Field at 7:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Ricky Castro (2-1, 3.82) to the mound against Bats RHP Jared Lyons (1-3, 4.32). The game can be seen on FOX 9+, MLB.TV, MiLB.com, and the Bally Sports Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM, all presented by Northland Ford Dealers.