Helman's Five RBI Help Saints Clobber Indianapolis 11-3

_ST. PAUL, MN _*(May 9, 2023) - *The last time the two teams met in April, the St. Paul Saints snapped the Indianapolis Indians five game winning streak as they rattled off four straight wins to start the series. On Tuesday night at CHS Field, the Saints once again snapped the Indians five-game winning streak as all nine hitters collected a hit, as Michael Helman finished a triple shy of the cycle and had five RBI, and Jordan Balazovic once again showed he is getting better with each outing.

Two batters into the game, the Saints took a 1-0 lead. Eduaord Julien led off the inning with a hit by pitch. Michael Helman roped a double down the left field line scoring Julien.

Balazovic got out of a couple of huge jams, one in the second and one in the third. In the second, the Indians loaded the bases with one out on two singles and a walk. Balazovic got Vinny Capra to hit a grounder to short that Helman fired to second and as Julien went to throw to first, runner Aaron Shackelford hit Julien and was called out for interference.

In the third, the first two hitters reached for the Indians on a walk and double, but Balazovic struck out the two, three, and four batters in the Indians lineup to end the inning. Balazovic went 4.0 shutout innings allowing three hits while walking two and striking out five. Balazovic lowered his ERA to 1.80.

Helman struck again in the third. Tony Wolters led off the inning with a walk, Julien followed with a single to center, and Helman crushed a 430-foot three-run homer to left, his fourth of the season, putting the Saints up 4-0.

The Saints blew it open in the fourth sending 10 men to the plate and scoring four more runs. With two outs and nobody on, the Saints loaded the bases on a double from Andrew Bechtold and walks to Wolters and Julien. Helman came through for the third time on the night with an RBI single to left increasing the lead to 5-0. Helman went 3-5, a triple shy of the cycle, and five RBI. Trevor Larnach cleared the bases with a double to left-center making it 8-0. In his first game with the Saints, Larnach went 2-5 with a double, three RBI, and a run scored.

The Indians got on the board in the seventh when Vinny Capra walked and Chavez Young tripled him home making it 8-1.

In the bottom of the inning the Saints answered back as Chris Williams doubled and scored on a single by Mark Contreras increasing the lead to 9-1.

The teams traded two runs apiece in the eighth inning. The Indians loaded the bases when Cal Mitchell was hit by a pitch and with two outs Shackelford singled and Capra walked. Young made it 9-3 with a two-run single to right.

In the bottom of the inning Larnach led off the inning with a single and with two outs Williams crushed a two-run homer to right-center, his third of the season, giving the Saints an 11-3 lead.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday night at 6:37 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints are TBA and the Indians send RHP Quinn Priester (2-3, 5.96) to the mound. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Citirs, the Bally Live app (free), MiLB.TV (subscription), and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.