ST. PAUL, MN (August 7, 2026) - Never in the six-year history of the St. Paul Saints as a Triple-A franchise of the Minnesota Twins, have they owned a team the way they’ve owned the Louisville Bats in 2026. On Friday night in front of 7,939 at CHS Field, the Saints defeated the Bats for the eighth consecutive time, 4-1, the longest winning streak against any team in franchise history.
Since the All-Star break, the Saints 3.46 ERA entering Friday night was the third best in the International League. They shrunk that number after carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
Kendry Rojas was simply perfect in his start for the Saints. He went 3.0 innings and retired all nine men he faced while punching out five. He threw just 39 pitches, 27 for strikes. He got a swing and miss on 33.3% of his swings (seven of 21) and his fastball averaged 96.0 mph and topped out at 97.2 mph.
The game remained scoreless until the fourth when Matt Wallner led off with a walk and Aaron Sabato followed with a 400-foot, two-run blast to left, his 21st of the season one shy of tying the Triple-A single-season record, putting the Saints up 2-0. It was also Sabato’s 48th extra-base hit of the season, most in single-season franchise history.
Ricky Castro picked up where Rojas left off. He walked the second hitter he faced before retiring eight straight.
Sabato’s team lead in home runs was short lived as Matt Wallner joined him with 21 in the sixth inning. Just like the fourth, when Wallner led off with a walk, it was Ben Ross who led off with a free pass. Wallner then hit a moon shot over the right field wall, his 21st of the season, doubling the Saints lead to 4-0.
Castro took a no-hitter into the seventh, but gave up a leadoff single to Edwin Arroyo. That was followed by a single to right by Michael Toglia putting runners at the corners. Castro settled down and traded two-for-one when he got a double play ground out that scored a run cutting the Saints lead to 4-1. Castro went a season-high 4.0 innings allowing one run on two hits, while walking one and striking out three.
Jack Anderson earned his second save of the season by pitching the final 2.0 innings, not allowing a run, on one hit, while walking one and striking out one.
The win was the fifth consecutive victory for the Saints and got them to a season-high 19-games over .500, 65-46, second best record in the International League.
The same two teams meet in game five of a six-game series on Saturday night at 6:37 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints send RHP Trent Baker (3-3, 5.80) to the mound against Bats LHP Ben Wereski (0-0, 3.18). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MiLB.com, and the Bally Sports Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM, all presented by Northland Ford Dealers.