The Saints knew before first pitch that their postseason chase was over, but they still spent the night putting on a show in Columbus.
St. Paul rolled to a 16-6 win, with the offense stringing together hits from top to bottom and the game getting fully out of hand after a seven-run eighth inning.
Eight of the nine batters in the lineup collected at least one hit, and five of them finished with multi-hit nights. After two quiet innings, the Saints scored in six straight frames.
Matt Wallner was at the center of it. He went 2-for-5, was hit by a pitch, doubled for the 17th time, and launched his 25th homer of the season. That ties him with Aaron Sabato for the Saints single-season home run record, with three games left for someone to pull ahead.
Gabriel Gonzalez also had a big night, going 2-for-4, getting hit by two pitches, and blasting his 16th home run. He, Alan Roden, and catcher Ian Daugherty each drove in three runs. Roden led off and finished 2-for-5 with a walk, while Wallner, Jake Rucker, and Cody Morissette all drove in two.
Rucker was 3-for-4 with a walk and picked up his first double as a Saint. Hendry Mendez matched him with a 3-for-5 night, adding his 12th double and scoring three times. Morissette went 1-for-3 and walked three times.
On the mound, Trent Baker set the tone with four solid innings. He allowed one run on four hits and a walk while striking out seven.
C.J. Culpepper handled the fifth and was tagged for three runs on three hits and a walk, though he did strike out two.
Ricky Castro finished the final four innings, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
The night also included a few other prospect notes. Walker Jenkins went 3-for-4 for Minnesota, homered for the second time, scored twice and drove in two. Emmanuel Rodriguez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
The Saints are back at it Friday in Columbus, with left-hander Kendry Rojas set to start.
In Other News...
Connor Prielipp Just Gave The Twins A New Pitching Question
Connor Prielipp gave the Twins another reminder that their pitching depth has real potential, turning in seven scoreless innings while allowing only two hits and piling up eight strikeouts. It fit neatly into a night when Walker Jenkins added a home run and Minnesota got help from multiple players and the bullpen in a win over the Angels, the kind of balanced effort that tends to stand out in a long season.
Joe Ryan is set to take the ball next against Reid Detmers as the series continues, but Prielipps outing adds a fresh wrinkle to the conversation around the Twins arms. When a performance like that comes from a young pitcher, it does more than help in the moment, it leaves the staff with another question to sort through as the schedule keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Suddenly Face A Bigger Derek Shelton Question Than Expected
The Twins went into the trade deadline looking to bolster their pitching depth and make a real push toward a playoff berth, but the stretch run has instead been another reminder of how quickly a promising season can tilt the other way. Injuries have chipped away at the roster, the young core has shown flashes, and the September slide has left Minnesota searching for answers as much as results.
Derek Shelton is now part of that conversation in a way the Twins probably did not expect when they brought him in for his first season in Minnesota. The former Pirates manager arrived with a long track record but still no winning record in seven years as a big league skipper, and the way this team has stumbled since the deadline has only sharpened the focus on whether he can be the one to steady it when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Prospects Are Giving Minnesota A Reason To Dream Again
For a club looking for a clearer path back into contention, the Twins next wave is starting to look like more than a distant idea. Shortstop Marek Houston has been one of the most encouraging names in the system, handling Double-A with the kind of all-around production that can change the tone around a farm system, while catcher Khadim Diaw and outfielder Hendry Mendez have also kept their stock moving in the right direction.
None of that guarantees an immediate impact, but it does give Minnesota something it has needed more of lately: believable upside. Houston, Diaw and Mendez are the kind of prospects who could spend the start of 2027 at Triple-A and still leave open the possibility of reaching the majors soon after, which is enough to make a rebuilding stretch feel a little less empty for Twins fans watching from afar. [Read more 🡒]