LOUISVILLE, KY (June 28, 2026) - It’s all about timing in Triple-A. Teams can get hot or cold depending upon when you catch another team or when you’re at full strength. In their week-long series against the Louisville Bats, the St. Paul Saints were in the unfortunate position of facing Hunter Greene on Major League rehab twice in the series. They lost his start on Tuesday before rolling off three straight wins. On Sunday afternoon, Greene dominated the Saints, allowing one hit and facing one over the minimum. The Saints managed just two hits overall in a 3-0 loss at Louisville Slugger Field.
Greene retired the side in order in the first, gave up a leadoff double to Orlando Arcia in the second, and proceeded to retire the next 16 hitters he faced going 6.1 shutout innings allowing one hit and striking out four.
In his first appearance since being optioned, Kendry Rojas matched Greene. He gave up a one out single in the first, but erased that one a double play. Rojas faced the minimum in his 3.0 shutout innings allowing one hit and striking out three. He threw 33 pitches, 24 for strikes.
After walking the tightrope in the fourth when he loaded the bases with one out, but getting out of it with a fielder’s choice out at the plate and a strikeout, Ryan Gallagher wasn’t so fortunate in the sixth. With one out he walked Héctor Rodríguez. That was followed by a single to right from Will Benson, but Rodríguez was thrown out at third by Alan Roden. Gallagher then walked the next two hitters, loading the bases. He went 0-2 on Will Banfield before hitting him with a fastball to force in a run giving the Bats a 1-0 lead.
The top of the order extended the lead for the Bats in the seventh. With one out Garrett Hampson singled to center, took second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single to center by Francisco Urbaez making it 2-0. Rodríguez gave the Bats a 3-0 lead with an RBI double to right-center.
The only other hit for the Saints came on a leadoff single by Hendry Mendez off Major League rehabber Emilio Pagán in the eighth. The hit extended Mendez’ streak of reaching base safely to all 30 games he’s played with the Saints and 40 consecutive games going back to his final 10 games with Double-A Wichita. Mendez, however, would be erased on a double play.
David Bañuelos reached on a one out single in the ninth for the Saints, their only other baserunner before a lineout by Roden and a strikeout to Kaelen Culpepper ended the game.
It was the first time in 56 games the Saints had been shutout.
The Saints are off on Monday and return to action on Tuesday night against the Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) at CHS Field at 7:07 p.m. The Saints send LHP Aaron Rozek (2-0, 2.79) to the mound and the Bisons are TBA. The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, 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, all presented by Northland Ford Dealers.