Saints Give Up Eight, Two-Out Runs, Dropped By I-Cubs 10-3
DES MOINES, IA (August 13, 2026) - Walker Jenkins started the game with a bang. Everything after that was a whimper for the St. Paul Saints. They gave up eight runs with two outs, seven of them with two outs and nobody on, as they fell 10-3 to the Iowa
DES MOINES, IA (August 13, 2026) - Walker Jenkins started the game with a bang. Everything after that was a whimper for the St. Paul Saints. They gave up eight runs with two outs, seven of them with two outs and nobody on, as they fell 10-3 to the Iowa Cubs on Thursday night at Principal Park.
On the second pitch of the game Jenkins gave the Saints a 1-0 lead with an opposite field home run, his seventh of the season. It was the 10th home run to leadoff the game by the Saints, tied for the most in baseball. Jenkins finished the night 3-5 with a home run, RBI, and a run scored.
The lead evaporated quickly because the I-Cubs scored six runs in the bottom of the inning, all with two outs and nobody on. Ricky Castro retired the first two hitters in the first and then Owen Miller tied the game with a solo homer to left, his seventh of the season. Kevin Alcántara walked and Greg Jones singled to right-center. Ben Cowles made it 4-1 with a three-run homer to left, his seventh of the season, increasing the lead to 4-1. Ethan Hearn followed with a solo homer to right, his second of the season, pushing the lead to 5-1. Ed Howard singled to center, and Hayden Cantrelle was hit by a pitch. After a pitching change, Justin Dean, who started the inning with a strikeout, greeted C.J. Culpepper with a single to right driving home Howard making it 6-1.
A similar situation took place in the second as the I-Cubs added another run. With two outs and nobody on, Jones walked, stole second, and scored on a single to right by Cowles, upping the lead to 7-1.
For the second time in the game the Saints gave up back-to-back home runs. Greg Jones led off the fifth inning with a solo homer to left-center, his third of the season, and the was followed by a Cowles’ second of the night, and eighth of the season, bumping the lead to 9-1.
The I-Cubs added a 10th run in the sixth without a hit. Miller was hit by a pitch and Alcántara walked. With two outs back-to-back walks to Cowles and Hearn forced in a run making it 10-1.
Hendry Mendez showed some pop in the eighth with a two-run homer to right, his seventh of the season, getting the Saints to within 10-3.
The same two teams meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night at Principal Park at 7:08 p.m. The Saints send RHP Trent Baker (3-3, 5.40) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Grant Kipp (1-0, 7.18). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.