Also before Game 1 on Tuesday, the Saints put 2B/OF Yoyner Fajardo and RHP Austin Schulfer were transferred to the development list. After their first game on Tuesday, Schulfer was added back to the roster, and LHP Caleb Baragar were placed on the 7-day injured list.
Down in Fort Myers, SS Rafael Cruz was released (Yes, Oneil Cruz’s brother), while recent signees 1B Rixon Wingrove and OF Ryan McCarthy were assigned to the Mighty Mussels.
RHP Mitch Stone was released from the FCL Twins roster.
SAINTS SENTINEL
Game 1: St. Paul 2, Rochester 6 (7 innings)
Box Score
In the early game of their doubleheader, Royce Lewis batted second in the lineup and played third base.
On the mound for the Saints was right-hander Randy Dobnak, and he struggled to limit baserunners throughout his outing. He allowed single runs in each of the second, third, and fourth innings, before the Red Wings tagged him for three in the fifth to chase him. In total, Dobnak was charged with six earned runs on eight hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out just one, gave up two home runs, and just 44 of his 80 pitches went for strikes (55%).
St. Paul finally got some offense going in the sixth inning, but it was too little too late. Austin Martin got it started with a one-out single, and a few batters later Michael Helman drove him in with an RBI single. Matt Wallner followed with an RBI double to make it 6-2 and that was that.
Besides that inning, the Saints managed just two other hits on the game. In fun box score irregularities, the teams combined to strike out just three times total in the game.
After Dobnak’s exit, Hobie Harris finished off the final 1 2/3, allowing two hits and walking one.
In his three trips to the plate Lewis grounded into a double-play, beat out another potential double-play ball to first, and flew out to left. Martin led the way with two hits in his three trips out of the leadoff spot. Diego Castillo added a double to the effort.
Game 2: Rochester 1, St. Paul 4 (7 innings)
Box Score
In their makeup game of a postponement from back on April 28th, the Saints played as the home team in the Minnesota Twins’ former affiliates stadium. Lewis did not play in this one.
The Red Wings struck first against Saints starter Caleb Boushley, as a pair of singles put runners on the corners in the first. A ground ball allowed one to score, but that would be it for the “visiting” team against Boushley. He went on to finish five strong innings, allowing just the one run on three hits and a pair of walks, while striking out five.
St. Paul got that run back in the bottom of the first, as Austin Martin and Michael Helman led off the game with singles. Matt Wallner reached base on an error to load the bases, before Yunior Sevirino grounded into a double play that tied it at one.
They also added singles runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings to make the final score of 4-1. Wallner launched his sixth home run with the Saints leading off the third to put them out front.
Martin drove in Anthony Prato with a sac fly in the fourth. Four walks in the fifth allowed their fourth run to score.
Josh Winder came on in the sixth and shut the Red Wings down for the final two innings. He allowed two hits and struck out three, throwing 19 of 26 pitches for strikes.
The Saints only managed to match their hit total from game one, with just five in game two as well, but their pitching limited the Red Wings to just five hits as well. The teams combined to go 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Wallner finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored, the home run, and a walk. Martin and Prato each had one hit and scored a run.
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Springfield 2, Wichita 1
Box Score
It was a pitcher’s duel in Wichita, with rising prospect Zebby Matthews pulling his weight for the Wind Surge.
For the first four innings the Cardinals couldn’t get anything going against him, as he scattered just two singles and a walk, picked off a runner, and induced a double-play ball.
The Wind Surge had just as little luck against Springfield’s starter through the first three innings, with a Joel Ortega double resulting in their only threat. But in the fourth a pair of leadoff walks and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. With one out, Noah Cardena’s grounder found the middle, and one run was able to come home, but that was all Wichita could muster.
As for Matthews, the fifth inning got away from him just enough for the Cardinals. Two singles around a strikeout put runners on the corners, and a balk allowed their first run of the game to tie it. Another single moved a runner to third, and the visitors took the lead on a groundout. Matthews’ night was done after those five innings and 75 pitches (55 for strikes), and ended up allowing two earned runs on five hits and one walk, while striking out four, for his final line.
Jarret Whorff came on for the sixth, and went the next 2 1/3 innings. He allowed four hits and two walks, but no runs, while striking out four, including all three outs in the seventh. Whorff was bailed out a bit by John Stankiewicz in the eighth, who came on with one out and the bases loaded and got two outs to keep the Cardinals from extending their lead. Stankiewicz added a scoreless ninth to give the home team a chance in the bottom half, but it wasn’t meant to be as they went down in order.
Situational hitting, or lack thereof, was the story for the Wind Surge in this one as they had plenty of opportunity going 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, and leaving eight men on base.
Luke Keaschall, in his Double-A debut, batted leadoff and went 2-for-4 with a double, the only hitter with multiple knocks in the game.
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