Saints Blank Red Wings In Thursday Night Pitchers’ Duel

The Rochester Red Wings were held scoreless for the second time this season on Thursday night, falling to the St. Paul Saints, 3-0. RF James Wood, SS Jackson Cluff, and LF Darren Baker each posted multi-hit performances, and 3B Carter Kieboom has now reached safely in all 15 games he’s played in this season. LHP DJ Herz spun a solid 5.0 innings on the mound, allowing no earned runs on just three hits.

After Rochester left a runner in scoring position in the top of the first, the Saints opened the scoring in the bottom half. CF DaShawn Keirsey Jr. led off the frame with a walk and later scampered to third on an errant pickoff attempt. With two outs, RF Matt Wallner drove in Keirsey Jr. on a line-drive single to left field that gave St. Paul an early 1-0 lead.

It was a pitchers’ duel up until the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Saints added an insurance run. Following a groundout, 1B Yunior Severino launched a sinker off the right field railing for his third home run of the campaign. However, the Red Wings would induce a pair of groundouts to escape further trouble, leaving the St. Paul advantage at 2-0.

The Saints tacked on another run in the seventh inning. 2B Tanner Morris reached base on a walk, and would later move to second on a throw that pulled 2B Erick Mejia off the bag. Morris then advanced to third on a double play, and Keirsey Jr. drove him in with a double down the first base line to score the Saints’ third run of the game.

Following a scoreless eighth, RHP Diego Castillo came on to close the game for the Saints. The former Seattle Mariner had a 1-2-3 inning, bringing the contest to a final score of 3-0 in favor of St. Paul. The matchup was the first game since August 10, 2021, at Buffalo that Rochester was shut out while the opposing team committed three errors.

LHP DJ Herz took the ball for his fourth start of the season with Rochester and logged 5.0 innings of work. The North Carolina native allowed one run on three hits while striking out and walking five. LHP Joe La Sorsa took over in the bottom of the sixth, tossing 1.2 innings. The left-hander allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and one walk, before handing the ball over to LHP Tim Cate. The University of Connecticut product tossed the remaining 1.1 innings, only allowing one hit while recording a walk and a strikeout.

Thursday night’s Diamond Pro Player of the Game goes to LHP DJ Herz. The 2019 Chicago Cubs draft pick allowed only one unearned run on three hits while striking out and walking five across 5.0 innings of work. This marked his first start of at least 5.0 innings without allowing an earned run since August 16 of last season, with Double-A Harrisburg. His 3.12 ERA (6 ER/17.1 IP) leads all Rochester starting pitchers (min. 5.0 IP).

Rochester looks to even the series at two games apiece Friday night, the fourth of a six-game set. RHP Thaddeus Ward takes the ball for Rochester against Saint RHP Louie Varland, who makes his first start of 2024 with St. Paul after being optioned by Minnesota on April 22. First pitch is at 7:37 p.m.

Find the box score attached here.