Saints Grind out 5-4 Win over Mud Hens to Split Series

May 12, 2024 – International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release

TOLEDO, OH – The St. Paul Saints earned this split. In a ballpark that has caused them numerous problems over the last three years, 10-22 at Fifth Third Field in that span, they found a way to get out of town by winning three of the six games. On Sunday afternoon a four run sixth inning held up as they defeated the Toledo Mud Hens 5-4.

For the first time in seven games the Saints scored in the first inning. With one out, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. walked. Michael Helman lined a double into the left field corner moving Keirsey Jr. to third. Matt Wallner then hit a ground ball to first that Kenston Hiura threw to the plate, but the throw was dropped by Dillon Dingler as Keirsey Jr. slid in safely giving the Saints 1-0 lead.

The Mud Hens knotted the game at one in the fourth when Parker Meadows led off with a double into the right field corner and scored on Major League rehabber Gio Urshela’s RBI single to center. Saints starter Joe Gunkel, who didn’t get out of the second inning on Tuesday, pitched well on Sunday. He went 3.1 innings allowing just the one run on three hits while striking out two.

A four-run sixth inning put the Saints back on top. With one out Wallner walked and Alex Isola doubled to left sending Wallner to third. With the infield in, Yunior Severino put the Saints up 3-1 with a two-run single to center. Tony Kemp then doubled off the wall in left that sent Severino to third. With the infield again drawn in, Patrick Winkel singled to right that scored a pair increasing the lead to 5-1.

Josh Winder, making his second Major League rehab appearance with the Saints, pitched a scoreless fifth inning, but struggled with his control in the sixth. After a leadoff single to Urshela, Winder walked back-to-back batters loading the bases. Bligh Madris cut the Saints lead to 5-2 with an RBI fielder’s choice that erased the runner at second. A sacrifice fly from Dillon Dingler got the Mud Hens to within 5-3. Winder went 2.1 innings allowing two runs on three hits while walking three and striking out one. He threw 49 pitches, 27 for strikes.

The Mud Hens got to within a run in the eighth. With one out Hiura walked, took second on a groundout, and after a pitching change, scored on an RBI single from Dillon Dingler cutting the Saints lead to 5-4.

The bottom of the ninth inning got a little interesting. Ronny Henriquez hit the first batter he faced, Buddy Kennedy. On the hit by pitch, the…