DYERSVILLE, IA (August 11. 2026) - It’s a night all the guys that were in uniform will never forget. The St. Paul Saints and Iowa Cubs will forever be linked because of the special night they shared on Tuesday taking part in the Minor League Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa. The Saints, however, gave up four home runs, three in a five-run fifth inning and fell 6-3 to the I-Cubs.
It didn’t take long for the Saints to get on the board. Ben Ross, the second batter of the game, smoked a solo homer to left, his 13th of the season and third straight game with a long ball, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead.
Kendry Rojas got the start for the Saints as he faced the minimum through the first two innings, erasing a second inning leadoff single with a double play. His lone mistake came in the third when Greg Jones led off with an opposite field homer to right, his second of the season, knotting the game at one. Rojas went 4.0 innings allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out one.
Two errors pushed across a run for the Saints in the fifth. Gabby Gonzalez led off with a comebacker, but pitcher Jordan Wicks sailed his throw to first as Gonzalez reached on a two base throwing error. With two outs David Bañuelos hit a grounder to short, but Jones airmailed a throw to first which allowed Gonzalez to score putting the Saints up 2-1.
Alejandro Hidalgo took over for Rojas in the fifth and after getting a strikeout of the first batter he faced things fell apart. With one out back-to-back homers from Ben Cowles, his sixth, and Jordan Nwogu, his first, gave the I-Cubs a 3-2 lead. Back-to-back walks put runners at first and second and BJ Murray made Hidalgo pay with a three-run homer to right, his 13th of season, increasing the lead to 6-2. Hidalgo departed after 0.1 inning giving up five runs on three hits, two walks, and a strikeout.
With nobody on and two outs in the seventh, the bottom of the Saints order got a run back. Three straight singles from Tristan Gray, Cody Morissette, and Bañuelos, the latter plating a run, got the Saints to within 6-3.
Matt Bowman tossed 1.1 scoreless innings allowing one hit and striking out three, while Jack Anderson was perfect in his 2.0 innings while striking out one.
The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series on Wednesday night at Principal Park at 6:38 p.m. The Saints send RHP Ryan Gallagher (5-5, 5.99) to the mound against I-Cubs LHP Braxton Garrett (4-4, 2.90). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM presented by Northland Ford Dealers.