SUMMERLIN, NV (May 10, 2026) - Las Vegas is a city built on hopes, dreams, and a little bit of crazy. The St. Paul Saints had it all in their first ever trip to a Pacific Coast League Ballpark. The hopes of playing great baseball. The dreams of getting over .500 and perhaps making a run at a first half title. And the crazy that is their offense. While Sunday’s game didn’t have the mass amounts of runs as the first five, the pitching led the way in a 4-2 victory over the Las Vegas Aviators on Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Ballpark. With the win the Saints took five-of-six in the series and are a Triple-A best 11-3 in their last 14. They have vaulted into fourth place, 4.5 games out of a playoff spot at 20-18.
Ryan Gallagher got the start and did something that hadn’t been done over the last 12 at bats, retired Henry Bolte to start the bottom of the first. With one out, however, Michael Stefanic singled, stole second, and scored on a single from Brian Serven putting the Aviators up 1-0. Gallagher went 3.2 innings allowing one run on two hits while walking two and striking out six.
As they had all series, the Saints answered back in their next turn at the plate. They loaded the bases with a single by Ben Ross, a single from Tanner Schobel, and after a fielder’s choice from Noah Cardenas, Harry Genth was hit by a pitch. Kaelen Culpepper unloaded them with a single to right-center putting the Saints up 3-1.
Mike Paredes took over for Gallagher and retired the first five men he faced and then ran into some bad luck. Three straight singles that had exit velocities of less than 80 mph got the Aviators a run in the sixth. Joey Meneses started it with a looping single to left. Brian Serven’s pop up found the grass in shallow right putting runners at first and second. Bryan Lavastida made it 3-2 with a bloop single to center. Paredes went 2.1 innings allowing one run on three hits while walking on and striking out four.
C.J. Culpepper pitched the seventh, and after the first two hitters reached on a hit by pitch and a walk, he got a strikeout and an inning ending double play.
After giving up a leadoff single in the eighth, Dan Altavilla retired the next three hitters on ground outs.
David Bañuelos gave the Saints an insurance run in the ninth with a solo blast to left, his first of the season, making it 4-2. The Saints have homered in eight straight games and hit 16 home runs in the series. Their 34 home runs in the last two series combined are a franchise record, surpassing the 29 they had in 2022.
In the bottom of the ninth Matt Bowman came on to close it out. With one out Bolte singled to center. With two outs Matt Krook snuck a single into center putting runners at the corners. Bowman locked down the save by getting Meneses to fly out to right.
The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday night at CHS Field at 6:37 p.m. against the Columbus Clippers. The Saints send RHP John Klein (1-1, 7.48) to the mound against Clippers send LHP Ryan Webb (0-3, 7.09). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network presented by Northland Ford Dealers, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MLB+, and the Bally Sports Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.