Saints Power Up With Rooker and Contreras, But Are Doubled Up By Bats 6-3

LOUISVILLE, KY (June 5, 2021) - Brent Rooker hit one off the batter’s eye in center field. Mark Contreras went opposite field for his first home run of the season, but that was the only offense for the St. Paul Saints as they were doubled up by the Louisville Bats 6-3 on Saturday night at Louisville Slugger Field.

With two outs and nobody on in the first, Rooker crushed a 449-foot solo shot to straightaway center, his seventh of the season, to put the Saints up 1-0.

Bryan Sammons, who was called up from Wichita to start in place of Griffin Jax, who had his contract selected by the Minnesota Twins, had to face Joey Votto as his first batter at Triple-A. Votto, in Louisville on a Major League rehab assignment, promptly tripled off the center field wall. Alejo Lopez tied the game up with an RBI single to left. With one out, Sammons had trouble finding the strike zone walking three of the next four hitters to force in a run and give the Bats a 2-1 lead.

In the second, Votto came calling again with a one out double off the left field wall. With two outs and Votto at third, another Major League rehabber, Aristedes Aquino, singled home Votto to make it 3-1.

In Sammons’ final inning, the fourth, he walked Errol Robinson to leadoff the inning. Robinson stole second and scored on a Votto single to center putting the Bats up 4-1. Sammons went 4.0 innings allowing four runs on six hits while walking four and striking out two.

The Saints got to within one in the sixth when Rooker walked with two outs and Contreras followed that with a two-run homer to left, his first of the season, cutting the deficit to 4-3.

That would be as close as the Saints would get as the Bats added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth against reliever Ian Gibaut. With one out, TJ Friedl doubled and, with two outs, Lopez doubled home Friedl to make it 5-3. That was the lone blip on Gibaut’s night as he tied a career high with 3.0 innings of relief allowing one run on two hits while striking out two.

The Bats tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a bases loaded walk by Andrew Vasquez to Dwight Smith Jr.

The Saints did bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth with one out, but Daniel Descalso and Keon Broxton each struck out to end the game.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. central. Both teams are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.