Varland Dominates, But Saints Lose On Walk-Off Homer In 9th, 2-1 To I-Cubs

_DES MOINES, IA _*(August 25, 2022 ) - *There weren’t quite thousands screaming LOUUUUU at Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday night. But a small contingent of Lou Birds made the trip. They had a lot to cheer about as Louie Varland hurled 6.0 shutout innings. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t do much and the Iowa Cubs got a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth from Matt Mervis as the Saints lost 2-1.

With the game tied at one in the bottom of the ninth, Mervis hit the second pitch of the inning from Brad Peacock over the right field wall, his fifth of the season, for the game winner. It’s the 11th time this season the Saints have been walked-off and the second by way of a home run.

The story before that, however, was Varland. He fanned the first batter of the game before giving up a clean single to right to David Bote. Varland then got a foul out and a strikeout to end the inning.

The Saints grabbed their first lead of the series in the second. Nash Knight ended an 0-20 skid with a one out double to right. Elliot Soto was then hit by a pitch and David Bañuelos ripped an RBI single to right giving the Saints a 1-0 lead.

Varland walked the leadoff hitter in the second before retiring the next three hitters.

In the third, Varland allowed a two-out single to Bote and then settled in after that. He retired the next nine hitters he faced before giving up a two-out single off his glove to Major League rehabber, Michael Hermosillo, in the sixth. Varland ended his night with his third strikeout of Narciso Crook. Varland went 6.0 shutout innings allowing three hits while walking one and striking out nine. The nine strikeouts tied a season high by a Saints pitcher. Varland threw 91 pitches, 62 for strikes.

The I-Cubs knotted it up in the seventh against reliever Evan Sisk who allowed the run without giving up a hit. Sisk hit the leadoff batter, Mervis, and then walked Alexander Canario. Jared Young laid down a sacrifice bunt and Luis Vazquez tied it with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Saints have scored four runs in the first three-games of the series to the I-Cubs, tied for the fewest in a three-game span in franchise history.

The same two teams meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night at 7:08 p.m. at Principal Park. The Saints send RHP Ronny Henriquez (2-4, 6.05) against the I-Cubs RHP Matt Swarmer (3-2, 2.89). The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.