Let The Kids Play, Rucker Walks It Off In First Triple-A Game As Saints Win 4-3

_ST. PAUL, MN _*(September 17, 2022) - *Jake Rucker and Wander Javier thought their 2022 seasons were over following Cedar Rapids loss in the playoffs on Friday night. Not only were their seasons not over, they helped lead the St. Paul Saints to a victory on Saturday night. Both collected their first Triple-A hits in their first games and Rucker homered and had a walk-off sacrifice fly in a 4-3 Saints win over the Louisville Bats at CHS Field in front of 7,189.

With the game tied at three in the ninth, John Andreoli led off with a walk. An errant pickoff attempt allowed Andreoli to go all the way to third. Up stepped Rucker who had homered earlier in the game. He worked a nine pitch at bat and on a 2-2 pitch hit a deep fly to right for the game winning sacrifice fly.

Randy Dobnak got the last-minute start for the Saints after Dereck Rodríguez was called up to the Minnesota Twins. The short notice didn’t bother Dobnak. He worked around three walks in the first two innings and retired the last seven batters he faced, including fanning the side in the fourth. Dobnak went 4.0 shutout innings allowing one hit while walking three and striking out four.

The Saints grabbed the lead in the fifth courtesy of Rucker and Javier. With one out, Rucker collected his first Triple-A hit with a single to left. A groundout moved Rucker to third and he scored on the first Triple-A hit and RBI by Wander Javier, a single into left giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. Javier was 1-2 with an RBI and a walk.

The Bats tied it in the sixth as Cristian Santana walked with one out. He moved to second on a groundout and scored on a two-out single by Stephen Piscotty.

The long ball gave the Bats the lead in the seventh. Leonardo Rivas led off the inning with a single to center. The very next hitter, Mike Siani, hit a two-run homer just over the right field wall, his first at Triple-A, giving the Bats a 3-1 lead.

After collecting his first Triple-A hit in the fifth, Rucker tied the game in the seventh with his first Triple-A home run. Nash Knight led off with a walk and with one out Rucker unloaded on one over the left field wall tying the game at three. Rucker finished the night 2-3 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 12:07 p.m. The Saint send RHP Ronny Henriquez (3-4, 5.66) to the mound against Major League rehabber, Bats RHP Connor Overton (2-2, 2.49). The game can be seen on 45TV and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.