Defense Dazzles, Offense Capitalizes As Saints Win 5-4

ST. PAUL, MN (May 23, 2021) - The man who homered in each of the last two games was the defensive hero on Sunday afternoon. The offense, which hadn’t scored more than four runs in nine straight games, capitalized on a first inning error as part of a five-run output on the afternoon as the St. Paul Saints ended their 12-game homestand on a positive note with a 5-4 victory over the Indianapolis Indians at CHS Field on Sunday in front of 4,052.

In the first, Daniel Descalso led off with a walk. With two outs Ryan Jeffers doubled him to third. Ben Rortvedt then hit a routine grounder to second, but Ethan Paul’s throw to first was wide and the throwing error allowed Descalso and Jeffers to score making it 2-0 Saints. With Rortvedt at second, J.T. Riddle knocked him home with a single to center putting the Saints up 3-0.

Griffin Jax started for the Saints and was outstanding in his 6.0 innings of work. His defense also helped him out. In the second, Descalso made a diving backhanded play off the bat of T.J. Rivera and fired across the diamond to retire Rivera.

In the third it was Kerrigan’s time to shine on defense. With one out, Paul singled to right and tried to stretch it into a double, but Kerrigan threw a strike to second for the out.

In the top of the fourth the Indians scored their lone run off Jax as Ke’Bryan Hayes led off with a double. Kerrigan saved a run when Bligh Madris sent a fly ball to deep right, but Kerrigan timed his jumped and made a catch up against the wall robbing Madris of extra bases. Christian Bethancourt followed that with an RBI double making it 3-1.

The Saints responded in the bottom of the inning when Rortvedt led off with a double. With one out, Tzu-Wei Lin’s infield single to first put runners at the corners. Keon Broxton and Yeltsin Encarnacion each brought home a run with singles increasing the Saints lead to 5-1.

Kerrigan kept a run off the board in the sixth when Madris walked with one out. Bethancourt followed with a single putting runners at first and second. With two outs, Rivera singled to right and Madris tried to score, but Kerrigan gunned him out at the plate to end the inning. Jax went 6.0 innings allowing one run on seven hits while walking one and striking out eight.

The Indians made it interesting in the eighth when Troy Stokes Jr. led off with a walk against Ian Gibaut and Hayes hit a two-run homer to right, his first of the season, cutting the lead to 5-3. Danny Coulombe took over and with one out Bethancourt doubled to left and scored on a two-out single from Rivera to cut the Saints lead to one.

In the ninth, Tom Hackimer was brought on to close it out. He struck out the first two hitters he faced before Stokes Jr. reached on an infield single out in front of the plate. Hackimer would fan pinch hitter Kevin Kramer to end the game and pick up his first save of the season.

The Saints struck out 15 Indians for the second consecutive game, equaling their season high.

The Saints now begin a two-week roadtrip and start with a six-game series on Tuesday evening at 6:38 p.m. at Principal Park against the Iowa Cubs. Both teams are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.