Woods Richardson Carries No-Hitter into Sixth, But Saints Lose 2-1

April 28, 2023 – International League (IL) – St. Paul Saints News Release

ROCHESTER, NY – St. Paul Saints starter Simeon Woods Richardson and Rochester Red Wings starter Cory Abbott carried dueling no-hitters into the sixth. In one of the better pitched ball games this season, the Saints had a chance to tie, or take the lead in the ninth, but fell to the Red Wings 2-1 on Friday night at Innovative Field. The loss drops the Saints to 15-9.

Woods Richardson was perfect through four innings and faced the minimum through five. He walked the leadoff man in the fifth, but got Matt Adams to line back to him and Woods Richardson doubled up Nomar Mazara at first. A groundout by Travis Blankenhorn ended the inning.

Meanwhile, Abbott was just as brilliant. He retired the first 10 men he faced before a one out walk in the fourth to Alex Kirilloff. The next hitter, Kyle Garlick, was called out on strikes on a 2-2 pitch. Garlick, however, challenged the call and it was overturned. Friday was the first night of the challenge system in which each team gets three challenges on balls/strike calls. Despite winning the challenge, Garlick would go down on strikes on the next pitch, but Kirilloff stole second on the pitch. After a pitching change, Mark Contreras grounded out back to the mound to end the inning. Abbott went 5.2 shutout innings allowing one hit while walking three and striking out 12.

The Red Wings broke through in the sixth with Derek Hill lining a single to center breaking up the no-hitter. With Hill running, Kevin Plawecki singled into right as Hill took third. With one out, Darren Baker dropped down a bunt, Woods Richardson fielded it, but his flip to the plate was late as Hill slid in just before the tag giving the Red Wings a 1-0 lead. A walk to Ildemaro Vargas loaded the bases and a wild pitch scored Plawecki making it 2-0. Woods Richardson went 7.0 innings allowing two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out four.

The Saints had a great opportunity in the ninth to tie or take the lead. Garlick led off by reaching on a fielding error from the second baseman Baker. Contreras smashed an RBI double to right-center getting the Saints to within one. Andrew Bechtold walked putting runners at first and second. Andrew Stevenson dropped down a sacrifice bunt putting the tying run at third and go ahead run at second, but Jair Camargo and Hernán Pérez struck out to end the game.

The Saints struck out 18 times on Friday night, a season high and the…