Matthews and Adams Combine To Shut Down I-Cubs In 2-1 Saints Win

ST. PAUL, MN (April 15, 2025) - The Iowa Cubs had the fourth best pitching staff in the International League entering play on Tuesday night. The Saints were fifth best. The game lived up to the numbers as Zebby Matthews and Travis Adamas combined to allow just one run, and the Saints got the lone clutch hit they needed in the fourth in a 2-1 victory at Principal Park.

After retiring the I-Cubs first six hitters, all who are Top 30 prospects in the organization with three of the five Top 100 prospects in baseball, it was the bottom of the order that got the Matthews in the third. Carlos Pérez led off with a double to left and that was followed by an RBI single to right-center from Reese McGuire putting the I-Cubs up 1-0.

It didn’t take long for the Saints to grab the lead for good. In the fourth Jair Camargo lined a one-out single to left. After a pitching change Armando Alvarez doubled to right-center putting runners at second and third. Carson McCusker gave the Saints a 2-1 lead with a two-run double off the wall in center.

Matthews helped himself out in the fourth, after the first two hitters reached, by getting a fly out and a ground ball double play.

In the fifth, the first two hitters reached again on an error and infield single, but Matthews retired the next three on strikeouts. His second to last pitch of the game hit 99.5 miles per hour, a career high. He went 5.0 innings allowing one run on four hits while walking one and striking out seven. He threw 71 pitches, 49 for strikes.

Travis Adams, the number 22 prospect in the Minnesota Twins organization who has taken over as a long reliever every fourth day, was superb. He didn’t allow more than one runner on in any of his four innings, including retiring eight of nine from the sixth through the eighth.

In the ninth, Moises Ballesteros led off with a single to right-center. Adams struck out Ben Cowles for the first out. Kevin Alcántara then hit a ground ball to the hole at short that Ryan Fitzgerald made a nifty sliding grab on his knees and threw out Ballesteros at second. The game ended on a superb running catch in the left-center field gap by Jeferson Morales. Adams went 4.0 shutout innings allowing two hits while striking out two in picking up the save.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series at Principal Park on Wednesday afternoon at 12:08 p.m. The Saints send RHP Andrew Morris (0-0, 0.00) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Cade Horton (0-1, 1.23). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.