Four Pitchers Combine to Punch out Season-Tying High 16, as Saints Score Late Again to Win 5-4

Published on August 28, 2025 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release

TOLEDO, OH – David Festa set the tone for the St. Paul Saints pitchers on Thursday night at Fifth Third Field. In his first Major League rehab appearance he fanned five through 2.2 innings. Everyone else followed as the Saints struck out 16 Toledo Mud Hens, tying a season high, and for the third straight night scored the winning run late to win 5-4.

It took four batters for the Saints to take the lead. Payton Eeles led off the game with a walk. That was followed by Walker Jenkins first Triple-A hit, a double over the head of right fielder Justyn-Henry Malloy putting runners at second and third. With one out a DaShawn Keirsey Jr. groundout scored Eeles putting the Saints up 1-0.

Despite a leadoff walk, Festa retired the next three in the first, two on strikeouts. He retired the side in order in the second, two more on punchouts.

Gabby Gonzalez went deep for the second time in three games in the third adding to the lead. Eeles led off with a single to right and with one out Gonzalez crushed a 408-foot, two-run homer to left, his second in three days and third of the season, making it 3-0.

In the bottom of the third, Festa walked the leadoff hitter before retiring the next two, one on a strikeout. The final hitter he faced, reached on a walked before Festa was removed due to his pitch count. Festa went 2.2 hitless, shutout innings while walking three and striking out five. He got a 50% whiff rate (11 of 22 swings) while his fastball averaged 93.7 mph & topped out at 94.4 mph while his sinker averaged 93.8 mph.

In the fourth, back-to-back doubles by Carson McCusker and Aaron Sabato to start the inning, the latter scoring a run, put the Saints up 4-0.

With one swing of the bat the Mud Hens got to within a run in the bottom of the inning. After about a 40-minute rain delay, Aaron Rozek went back out. With one out he gave up back-to-back singles to Jace Jung and Trei Cruz. Eduardo Valencia then hit a three-run homer to right, his seventh of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 4-3.

Andrew Morris, working his way back from a forearm strain, pitched a perfect fifth inning with a couple of strikeouts. The lone run he gave up came in the sixth as Malloy led off with a single to center, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Cruz knotting the game at four. Morris was otherwise tremendous going 4.0 innings allowing one run on one…