Woods Richardson Solid Again, Saints Give up Seven Late, Lose 7-3

September 20, 2022 – International League (IL) – St. Paul Saints News Release

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Simeon Woods Richardson continues to impress one level below his ultimate goal. He kept the Indianapolis Indians off balance during his 6.0 solid innings on Tuesday night, but the Saints gave up seven runs over the final three innings and lost 7-3 at Victory Field.

The Saints grabbed the lead in the first as Michael Helman led off the game with a single to left. Trevor Larnach reached on a fielder’s choice in which the throw to second was too late. A double play groundout by Ryan Jeffers moved Helman to third and he scored on a passed ball giving the Saints a 1-0 lead.

Woods Richardson allowed just four base runners through the first five innings: a one out single in the second, a leadoff single in the third which was stranded at second, a two out double in the fourth, and a leadoff single in the fifth that was stranded at second. He didn’t allow a baserunner to reach third through the first five.

In the sixth, however, Woods Richardson got into trouble because of the Indians speed. Hoy Park led off the inning by singling to right. He stole second and third. Ji-Hwan Bae walked and then stole second. Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Brendt Citta and Endy Rodriguez put the Indians up 2-1. Woods Richardson went 6.0 innings allowing two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out five. Since giving up a three-run home run in his second inning in his Triple-A debut on August 21, Woods Richardson’s ERA is just 1.66 (32.2 IP, 6 ER).

The Saints grabbed the lead in the seventh. Andrew Bechtold led off with a walk and, with one out, Dalton Shuffield hit a sinking fly ball to the corner in right. Matt Gorski made a feet first slide and missed the ball, injuring himself on the play, as Shuffield raced around the bases for an inside the park home run, his second homer at Triple-A, giving the Saints a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, however, former Saint José Godoy hit a solo homer to right off Devin Smeltzer, his sixth of the season and third with the Indians, tying the game at three.

The Indians grabbed the lead for good in the eighth. Park led off by reaching on a fielding error by the second baseman Shuffield. Bae doubled him to third and Smeltzer departed for Mario Sanchez. The first batter he faced, Citta, doubled home two giving the Indians a 5-3 lead. With one out, Travis Swaggerty singled to left moving Citta to third. The Indians tried to pull of…