TOLEDO, OH (June 13, 2026) - There is no doubt Matt Wallner would rather be hitting home runs for the Minnesota Twins. It doesn’t make what he’s done in a St. Paul Saints uniform any less meaningful. On Saturday night at Fifth Third Field Wallner became the most prolific home run hitter in the Saints Triple-A franchise history. His home run ,and the impressive pitching by Aaron Rozek, helped lead the Saints to a 6-1 victory over the Toledo Mud Hens.
Wallner made history for the Saints in the third inning. David Bañuelos led off with a single to center and with one out Kyler Fedko walked. That brought up Matt Wallner and he drilled a three-run homer to left, his eighth of the season, putting the Saints up 3-0. The home run made Wallner the Triple-A franchise home run leader with 49 surpassing Chris Williams’ 48. Wallner has hit 49 home runs in his 826th at bat, or every 16.86 at bats. The Saints overall franchise record is 67 by Ole Sheldon when the Saints were an Independent Professional Baseball team.
Meanwhile, Rozek didn’t give up a hit in the first two innings. The lone run he gave up was in the bottom of the third when Cal Stevenson chopped a double down the third base line, moved to third on a single to left-center by Tomás Nido, and scored on a single to right by Max Clark making it 3-1. Rozek went 6.0 innings allowing one run on four hits while walking two and striking out five.
For the first time in franchise history the Saints scored more than two runs in an inning without a hit as they put up three in the fourth. The first three hitters walked to load the bases. Kaelen Culpepper hit a chopper to third and the ball went in and out of the glove of Trei Cruz for an error as a run scored increasing the lead to 4-1. A wild pitch scored Henry Kusiak putting the Saints up 5-1. After a walk to Fedko loaded the bases, Wallner’s fielder’s choice plated a run giving the Saints a 6-1 lead.
Marco Raya came out of the bullpen and took over in the seventh. He pitched around a pair of singles in the seventh before getting Tomás Nido to ground out ending the inning. He came back out for the eighth and pitched a clean inning. Raya went 2.0 shutout innings allowing two hits while striking out one.
Raul Brito finished the game off pitching a scoreless ninth inning allowing a hit, a walk, and striking out one.
The same two teams meet in the finale of a six-game series on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field at 3:05 p.m. (CT). The Saints send RHP Ryan Gallagher (2-2, 6.82) to the mound and the Mud Hens are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.