Saints Win Third Straight Behind Masterful Performance From Barnes, 4-3 Over I-Cubs

DES MOINES, IA (May 26, 2021) - It is officially the first winning streak of the season for the St. Paul Saints and they have Charlie Barnes to thank for the most recent win. The left-handed starter was on his game going 7.0 innings, the longest start by any Saints pitcher this season, allowing just one run in a 4-3 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Principal Park. The win is the third straight victory for the Saints and gets them to 9-11 on the season.

Barnes retired eight of the first nine batters he faced before running into the only trouble he faced on the day. With two outs in the third, Sergio Alcántara singled to left-center. Abiatal Avelino reached on an infield single to third that sent Alcántara to third. Trayce Thompson followed with an RBI single off the left field wall, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double by Brent Rooker.

The Saints offense got Barnes the help he would need over the next two innings. In the fourth, Tomás Telis led off with a walk against former Minnesota Twins first round pick, Kohl Stewart. Rooker doubled Telis to third. Ryan Jeffers would hit a comebacker and Telis was thrown out in a rundown, but stayed in it long enough to allow Jeffers to take second. A sacrifice fly by Jimmy Kerrigan tied the game at one. Drew Maggi gave the Saints a 2-1 lead with an RBI single to center.

In the fifth with one out, Yeltsin Encarnacion doubled to right. With two outs and Encarnacion at third, Telis sent a ground ball up the middle into centerfield to score Encarnacion increasing the Saints lead to 3-1.

The Saints added their final run of the day in the seventh when they scored without a hit. Trevor Megill throwing on a Major League rehab, faced three batters and walked two of them. Kyle Ryan took over and walked Mark Contreras to load the bases. A sacrifice line out by Telis gave the Saints a 4-1 lead.

Meanwhile, Barnes was on cruise control retiring the final seven men he faced including striking out Josue Huma to end the seventh, the final hitter he would face. Barnes went 7.0 innings allowing one run on five hits while walking one and striking out seven.

Things got tight in the eighth as Derek Law took over. With one out Alcántara blooped a single just over the outstretched glove of Daniel Descalso at third. Abiatal Avelino doubled him home making it 4-2. Trayce Thompson’s single put runners at the corners. Law got a big strikeout of Taylor Gushue before Vance Vizcaino ripped a single off the glove of first baseman Damek Tomscha that scored Avelino. On the play, however, Thompson got caught in no man’s land between third and home and was thrown out in a rundown.

Law finished off the game with a perfect ninth inning.

The same two teams meet in the third game of the six-game series on Thursday night at 7:08 p.m. The Saints send RHP Jhoan Duran (0-0, 3.00) to the mound while the I-Cubs are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.