Headrick Dominates, But Saints Give Up Five Runs In Ninth, Lose 7-5

_ST. PAUL, MN _*(June 9, 2023) - *For 8.2 innings the St. Paul Saints were firmly in control of the game against the Iowa Cubs. Then the wheels came off as they allowed five runs with two outs in the ninth to spoil an incredible start by Brent Headrick in a 7-5 loss at CHS Field in front of a season-high crowd of 9,285. The loss drops the Saints to 35-25 on the season.

With the Saints up 5-2 heading into the ninth, Kody Funderburk retired the first batter of the inning. After a walk to Darius Hill, Funderburk struck out Jared Young for the second out. After a walk to David Bote brought the tying run to the plate, the Saints went to the bullpen for Austin Brice. Nelson Velazquez doubled to right, driving home a run to make it 5-3. A walk to Chase Strumpf loaded the bases. Jake Slaughter drilled a ground rule double to center tying the game at five. Sergio Alcántara knocked in the go ahead runs with a two-run single to right giving the I-Cubs a 7-5 lead.

The Saints had an opportunity to tie or win the game in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Ryan LaMarre walked and Elliot Soto doubled him to third. With the tying runs in scoring position, however, Andrew Stevenson struck out to end the game.

For the fourth consecutive game, the I-Cubs grabbed a run in the first as Yonathan Perlaza led off the game with a solo homer to left, his sixth of the season, making it 1-0.

The Saints wasted little time in answering back as they grabbed a run in the bottom of the inning. Andrew Stevenson led off the inning with a single to center. He took third on a Jose Miranda single to center. A Joey Gallo sacrifice fly knotted the game at one. Gallo finished his Major League rehab game 0-2 with an RBI.

Mark Contreras, who hadn’t homered since May 2, delivered a solo homer to right-center, his sixth of the season, giving the Saints a 2-1 lead. The home run marked the 15^th consecutive game with a long ball for the Saints, the second longest active streak in Minor League Baseball.

After giving up the leadoff homer, Headrick allowed just three base runners through the sixth inning, a walk to Hill following the home run, a leadoff single to Alcántara in the third, and a leadoff single to Dom Nuñez in the sixth.

The Saints continued with their long ball act in the sixth. Miranda led off with a single to center. He finished the night 3-4 with a run scored. With one out, Matt Wallner doubled him to third. Andrew Bechtold then unloaded on one, a three-run blast to left-center, his fifth of the season, giving the Saints a 5-1 lead.

Headrick allowed a leadoff home run in the seventh to Young, his seventh of the season, making it 5-2. Headrick would retire the next three hitters to finish off his night. He went a career-high 7.0 innings allowing two runs on four hits while walking one and striking out four. He became just the second pitcher this season to throw 7.0 innings for the Saints, matching Simeon Woods Richardson’s 7.0 inning performance on April 28 at Rochester.

The same two teams meet in game six of a seven-game series on Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints send Major League rehabber, RHP Kenta Maeda (0-0, 3.60) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Riley Thompson (1-4, 7.22). The game can be seen on the CW Network, the Bally Live app (free), and MiLB.TV (subscription), and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.