Saints Smash Four Home Runs, Two Grand Slams, Demolish Indianapolis 16-4

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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Smash Four Home Runs, Two Grand Slams, Demolish Indianapolis 16-4

April 22, 2025 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The St. Paul Saints opened the season against the Indianapolis Indians and plated 11 runs before the next two games were washed out. On Tuesday morning at CHS Field, they once again feasted on Indians pitching as they blasted four home runs, two of which were grand slams, in a 16-4 thrashing of the Indians in front of 4,797.

Eight of nine Saints collected a hit, with five having multi-hit days, eight of nine scored a run, and seven of nine knocked home a run as the Saints pounded out 16 hits.

With the Saints down 1-0 in the bottom of the first, a timely challenge led to a big inning. Ryan Fitzgerald led off with a single to left and Mickey Gasper walked. With one out Jeferson Morales singled to right loading the bases. Yunior Severino stepped to the plate and on a 2-2 pitch he was rung up on strike three. Severino challenged the pitch, and it was overturned, snapping a streak of 16 consecutive challenges lost by the Saints. With the count 3-2, Severino then took ball four to force in a run and tie the game at one. With two outs Carson McCusker drilled a grand slam to right, his sixth homer of the season, giving the Saints a 5-1 lead.

Another long ball added to the Saints lead in the third. Mike Ford led off with a single to right-center and two batters later Armando Alvarez smoked a two-run homer to left, his second of the season, increasing the lead to 7-1.

In the fourth, Gasper led off with a walk, stole second, and scored on a Morales single to center giving the Saints an 8-1 lead. Morales finished 4-4 with an RBI and a run scored. It was just the second, four-hit game of his career.

Michael Tonkin, making his first rehab appearance for the Saints in the fifth, was touched up for a couple of long balls. With one out Darick Hall hit a solo homer to right, his first of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 8-2. Malcom Nuñez followed with a single to left and Liover Peguero made it 8-4 with a two-run homer to left-center, his first of the season. Tonkin went 1.0 inning allowing three runs on three hits while striking out one. He threw 27 pitches, 15 for strikes.

The Saints blasted their third home run of the game, a solo shot in the sixth by Mickey Gasper, his first of the season, putting the Saints up 9-4.

Over the final two innings, the Saints scored seven more runs. With runners on first and second in the seventh Fitzgerald knocked home a run with a single to right giving the Saints a 10-4 lead. After a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Emmanuel Rodriguez made it 12-4 with a two-run single to center.

In the eighth, against position player Alika Williams, the Saints loaded the bases. Fitzgerald crushed a grand slam to right, his second home run of the season, putting the finishing touches on a 16-4 victory. Fitzgerald went 3-5 with a grand slam, a career-tying high five RBI, and three runs scored.

Reliever Travis Adams pitched the final 4.0 innings, did not allow a run on three hits while striking out four and picked up his second 4.0 inning save in as many appearances.

The same two teams meet in a doubleheader on Wednesday evening at CHS Field with game one beginning at 5:00 p.m. The Saints send RHP Andrew Morris (0-0, 4.61) against Indians RHP Thomas Harrington (0-0, 1.80). In game two the Saints send RHP Cory Lewis (1-0, 9.82) to the mound and the Indians are TBA. Both games can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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