Ober Sharp Again, But Saints Fall To I-Cubs 7-3

ST. PAUL, MN (May 13, 2021) - Bailey Ober is becoming a force to be reckoned with on the mound. Despite being on a limited pitch count early in the season, he continues to impress. Ober tossed 4.0 shutout innings, but the St. Paul Saints lost 7-3 to the Iowa Cubs on Thursday night at CHS Field in front of 3,233.

Ober gave up a bunt single with one out in the first, but got a ground out and strikeout to end the inning.

In the third, Ober allowed a one out double to Trayce Thompson, but fanned Abiatall Avelino and Rafael Ortega to end the inning.

In Ober’s final inning of work, he retired the side in order. He went 4.0 shutout allowing two hits while walking one and striking out five.

With the game scoreless in the fifth Sergio Alcantara reached on a two out single off reliever Andrew Vasquez. Chandler Shepherd, who was scheduled to piggyback Ober, came on for Vasquez, but was greeted with a two-run homer from Thompson, his first of the season, giving the I-Cubs a 2-0 lead.

The Saints responded in the bottom of the inning when Damek Tomsha led off with a double to right-center. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and, with one out, scored on a double by Jimmy Kerrigan cutting the deficit to 2-1. Nick Gordon tied it with an RBI single off the glove of a diving PJ Higgins at first.

In the sixth the Cubs took the lead for good. Three straight singles by Higgins, Cameron Maybin, and Tyler Gushue made it 3-2 I-Cubs.

The I-Cubs tacked on two more in the seventh when Alcantara led off with a single to left. Thompson followed with a single, putting runners at the corners. Avelino then hit a fly ball to right that was dropped by Brent Rooker as Alcantara scored and Thompson took second making it 4-2. Two batters later an RBI groundout from Higgins made it 5-2.

Tomascha came calling for the Saints in the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer to left, his first of the season, cutting it to 5-3.

The Saints got no closer as the I-Cubs tacked on two in the eighth on an RBI single by Alcantara and a throwing error on the play by Kerrigan in center that scored Thompson.

The same two teams meet in the fourth game of the six-game series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send LHP Andrew Albers (0-1, 10.13) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Kohl Stewart (0-0, 1.80). The game can be seen on FOX 9+, MiLB.TV, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.