Saints Ninth Inning Comeback Falls Just Short In 7-6 Loss To I-Cubs

DES MOINES, IA (August 12, 2026) - A dream of a roadtrip is beginning like a nightmare for the St. Paul Saints. Playing an Iowa Cubs team that came in with one of the worst records in the second, the Saints dropped the first game at the Field of Dreams on Tuesday. They wasted Ryan Gallaghers impressive start on Wednesday as the bullpen couldn’t hold on to a three-run lead, and their ninth inning comeback fell just short in a 7-6 loss at Principal Park.

Patience was the name of the game in the first inning to put the Saints on the board. Ben Ross led off the game with a single to left-center. With one out Aaron Sabato walked and with two outs back-to-back walks to Kala’i Rosario and Hendry Mendez forced in a run putting the Saints up 1-0.

Gallager gave up a one out double in the bottom of the inning to Owen Miller and then walked Owen Ayers. Gallagher would get a lineout and strikeout to get out of the mini jam. Over the next four innings, Gallagher would allow just two baserunners, a leadoff single in the fourth and a two out throwing error by Tristan Gray in the fourth.

More wildness led to the Saints plating two in the fourth. Tanner Schobel led off with a walk and Noah Cardenas was hit by a pitch. With one out Walker Jenkins hammered an opposite field two-run double to left putting the Saints up 3-0.

Gallagher got to the sixth inning and with one out gave up a single to center by Miller. After striking out Ayers, Gallagher was pulled. Woo-Suk Go came out of the bullpen and the first batter he faced was Kevin Alcántara. On a 1-2 pitch he crushed a fastball over the center field wall for a two-run homer, his 19^th of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 3-2. Gallagher went 5.2 innings allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out seven. He got 17 whiffs on 47 swings.

It unraveled for Go in the seventh as the first five hitters reached on base hits. Justin Dean led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a single to center by Greg Jones tying the game at three. Ben Cowles doubled to right putting runners at second and third. Jordan Nwogu singled them both home putting the I-Cubs up 5-3. That was followed by a two-run homer from BJ Murray, his 14^th of the season and second in as many games, increasing the lead to 7-3. Go went 0.1 inning allowing a career-tying six runs on a career-high six hits.

Noah Cardenas got one back in the eighth with a solo homer to left, his 10^th of the season. He becomes the ninth Saints player to hit double-digit home runs, one shy of the most in a season held by the 2022 and 2023 teams.

It got interesting in the ninth and the Saints could have completed the comeback if not for an incredible play to start the inning. Jenkins drilled a fly ball to left-center, but Dean made a leaping catch up against the wall for the first out. That proved huge as Sabato and Emmanuel Rodriguez singled putting runners at first and second. With two outs Mendez singled to load the bases. Tristan Gray got the Saints to within a run with a two-run single to right, cutting the deficit to 7-6. After a pitching change, pinch-hitter Cody Morissette bounced out to first ending the game.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series at Principal Park on Thursday night at 6:38 p.m. The Saints send RHP Ricky Castro (3-1, 3.65) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Kohl Franklin (0-0, 9.00). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM presented by Northland Ford Dealers.