Matt Wallner kept the power coming Friday night, and the Saints kept rolling right along with him.
St. Paul handled Louisville 4-1 at CHS Field, stretching its season mark against the Bats to 15-4 and running the winning streak in the matchup to eight straight. The Saints did it with a compact, efficient night at the plate and another sharp showing from the pitching staff.
Wallner, in the middle of what the source describes as his continued minor-league exile, went 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI. His 21st homer of the season came in the sixth inning and broke things open, a two-run shot that brought home both himself and shortstop Ben Ross to make it 4-0.
The early push came from Aaron Sabato. His fourth-inning homer also scored Wallner and gave St. Paul a 2-0 cushion before Wallner’s blast added more separation two innings later.
Louisville avoided the shutout in the seventh, scoring its lone run on a double-play ball by outfielder Will Benson.
That was about all the Bats could muster. Saints pitchers limited Louisville to three hits, with starter Kendry Rojas setting the tone by striking out five and allowing no hits over three innings.
Ricky Castro followed and picked up the win, improving to 3-1 after giving up one earned run on two hits and a walk while striking out three across four innings. Jack Anderson finished it off in the eighth, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one to earn his second save.
St. Paul didn’t need much offense to get there, scoring four times on only five hits while drawing four walks. The victory pushed the Saints to 65-46 overall, 19 games over .500, and left them one game behind the International League second-half lead at 23-14 after Friday’s final out.
The series continues with two more games this weekend, and St. Paul has a chance to finish off a six-game sweep of Louisville. The teams are set to play again Saturday at 6:37 p.m., with Trent Baker (3-3, 5.80 ERA) starting for the Saints against Ben Wereski (0-0, 3.18) for the Bats.
In Other News...
Twins Just Showed How Far Theyd Go For This Playoff Push
The Twins spent the deadline acting like a club that believes the window is still open. They added reliever Jeff Hoffman, absorbed extra payroll and gave up a cluster of prospects, including Bruin Agbayani, Billy Amick, Jhomnardo Reyes, Dasan Hill and John Klein, in a clear push to deepen a roster that thinks it can matter in October.
Just as notable, Minnesota did not empty the cupboard to get there. The front office kept top names like Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper, signaling a willingness to chase the postseason without gutting the long-term plan. The overall message was pretty plain: the Twins were ready to spend a little more and part with real talent, but only up to the point where the future still looked intact. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twins Infielder Gets Another Shot With A Division Rival
Jonah Bride is getting another big-league look, this time with a division rival after the Rangers selected him from Triple-A Round Rock and brought him onto the 26-man roster. The move came as Texas optioned outfielder Alejandro Osuna back to Round Rock and cleared a 40-man spot by transferring right-hander Jack Leiter to the 60-day injured list, a roster shuffle that gives Bride an immediate path back into the lineup.
For the former Twins infielder, the opportunity appears to be a real one, with Bride expected to start at third base in the upcoming game. Texas is sorting through its infield depth while Leiter continues to work back after ankle surgery, and Bride now has a chance to show he can hold down a role against familiar American League Central competition. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Bet On Jeff Hoffman Despite One Lingering Concern
The Twins went into the trade deadline looking for a bullpen lift, and Jeff Hoffman gives them a reliever with real closing experience and a familiar face from a previous spring. He was in Minnesotas camp in 2023 before moving on without appearing in a regular-season game for the club, then rebuilt his value with strong stretches as a closer for the Phillies and Blue Jays. Even with his uneven numbers this year, he arrives as the kind of late-inning arm the Twins were clearly trying to add.
Minnesota also had to pay a meaningful price to get him, which only raises the stakes on how quickly Hoffman settles in. His recent track record suggests there is enough there to trust the fit, and the fact that he has started to trend better since June only adds to the appeal. The lingering question now is whether the Twins have landed the steadier version of Hoffman, or whether the rough patches from earlier this season are still part of the package. [Read more 🡒]