Saints Drop Tough One To Indianapolis 4-2

_ST. PAUL, MN _*(May 10, 2023) - *The St. Paul Saints and Indianapolis Indians were battling each other in a pitcher’s duel and the Saints had the better starter. José De León was cruising through five innings, but a tough sixth inning was enough to send the Saints to a 4-2 loss on Wednesday night at CHS Field in front of 4,434. The loss drops the Saints to 19-14.

The Saints struck first in the first as Edouard Julien led off the inning with a double to left. It was his eighth consecutive game with a base hit and he has an extra base hit in six of those eight. With one out, Trevor Larnach slugged an RBI double to center giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. Larnach finished the night 2-3 with a double and RBI.

Jair Camargo made it 2-0 for the Saints in a big way. He crushed a 495-foot solo blast to left-center field in the fifth, his third of the season. The 495-foot homer is the longest in franchise history and the furthest at Triple-A or the Major Leagues in 2023.

Saints starter José De León was cruising through five innings. He retired 15 of the first 16 batters he faced including 13 in a row after giving up a leadoff single in the second. In the sixth, however, the Indians got to De León with four consecutive hits after the first out of the inning. Chavez Young broke up the string of 16-consecutive retired with a one out single to left in the sixth. Nick Gonzales singled to left putting runners at first and second. Endy Rodríguez made it 2-1 with a double to right. Ryan Vilade followed with a two-run single to center putting the Indians up 3-2. That was the night for De León who went 5.1 innings allowing three runs on five hits while striking out seven.

Ronny Henriquez made his first Major League rehab appearance with the Saints and got out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh by getting a double play ground out with one out.

In the eighth, however, Henriquez walked Cal Mitchell and then gave up a two-out RBI single to Aaron Shackelford putting the Indians up 4-2. Henriquez went 2.0 innings allowing one run on three hits while walking two and striking out one.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night at CHS Field at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-3, 6.35) to the mound and the Indians are TBA. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, the Bally Live app (free), and MiLB.TV (subscription), and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.