Saints Offense Finding Its Groove, But Fall 10-6 To Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (April 16, 2024) - It took the St. Paul Saints 13 games to reach double-digit hits, pounding out 17 on Sunday. It didn’t take them very long to collect 10 hits again as they did it in their very next game on Tuesday night at Victory Field. Unfortunately, facing the third best hitting team in the International League, the Saints couldn’t keep up with the Indianapolis Indians in a 10-6 loss. The loss drops the Saints to 7-8.

The Saints offense continued their hot ways from Sunday as they started the game with back-to-back triples by Diego Castillo and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to take a 1-0 lead. Castillo followed up his four-hit game on Sunday, going 3-4 with a triple and a run scored on Tuesday night.

In the bottom of the inning, it took the Indians three batters to tie the game. Ji Hwan Bae led off with a walk, moved to third on a double by Nick Gonzales, and scored on a groundout by Major League rehabber Yasmani Grandal.

The best fielding team in the league, Indianapolis, committed two errors in the second, one of which led to a Saints run. Anthony Prato led off with an infield single to short. He then took third on a two base throwing error on a pickoff attempt by the pitcher Eric Lauer. With one out Tanner Morris gave the Saints a 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly.

The Indians took their first lead of the night in the third as the first four hitters reached. Canaan Smith-Njigba led off the inning with a double over the head of right fielder Diego Castillo. Bae tied the game with a double to right-center. Nick Gonzales’ infield single to third put runners at the corners. Grandal then walked to load the bases. Malcolm Nuñez gave the Indians a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly to left. With two outs Billy McKinney increased the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single to center.

In their very next turn at the plate the Saints tied it up as they scored a pair in the fourth. With one out Morris doubled to left-center. Will Holland’s hot smash off the glove of the shortstop Livero Piguero scored Morris cutting the deficit to 3-2. Holland then took second on an errant pickoff attempt by Lauer. That proved costly as Keirsey Jr. singled off the glove of a diving Peguero at shortstop that scored Holland tying the game at four.

The back-and-forth scoring continued as the Indians took the lead in the bottom of the inning when Smith-Njigba walked with one out and scored on a two-out triple from Gonzales making it 5-4.

The Indians built on their lead in the fifth. Nuñez led off the inning with a fly ball ground rule double down the right field line. With two outs an RBI single to right by Gilberto Celestino increased the lead to 6-4. Matt Gorski walked and Smith-Njigba made it 7-4 with an RBI single to left-center.

A big fly got the Saints to within a run in the sixth. Morris led off with a single to center and Holland slugged a 414-foot home run to left, his second of the season, and cut the deficit to 7-6. Holland went 2-3 with a home run, three RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base.

After a perfect inning of relief by Major League rehabber Josh Staumont in the sixth, his second inning didn’t quite go as well. Peguero led off the inning with a triple to left-center and scored on a single by McKinney giving the Indians an 8-6 lead. With one out Matt Gorski knocked home a run with an RBI double to right-center and the next hitter, Smith-Njigba, made it 10-6 with an RBI single to left.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series at Victory Field on Wednesday afternoon at 11:05 a.m. (CT). The Saints send RHP David Festa (0-0, 2.16) to the mound against Indians LHP Cam Alldred (0-2, 10.00). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.