COLUMBUS, OH (August 22, 2026) -
It was a good old-fashioned slugfest at Huntington Park. The St. Paul Saints trailed by five after four innings, roared back to score 12 runs over the final five innings and hung on to beat the Columbus Clippers 15-11 on Saturday night.
Eight of the nine Saints collected a hit, eight of nine scored a run, six different players drove in a run, and they smashed four home runs giving them 18 in the series, tying a franchise record for long balls in a series with a game to go,
For the fourth time in four games Tristan Gray delivered a long ball. His one out solo homer to right-center in the second gave the Saints a 1-0 lead. He set a career-high by scoring four runs.
For just the second time in the series, the Saints got a hit with runners in scoring position. Three walks loaded the bases and with two outs Hendry Mendez ended an 0-16 skid with a two-run single to right upping the lead to 3-0.
The long balls came back to bite the Saints in the third as the Clippers hit three to take the lead. With one out Daniel Schneeman singled to right and Kahlil Watson followed with a two-run homer to right-center, his 16th of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 3-2. With two outs Ralphy Velazquez tied the game with a solo homer to right-center, his first of three on the night and 18th of the season. A walk to Kody Huff was followed by a two-run homer to right by Blake Perkins, his second of the season, putting the Clippers up 5-3.
The Clippers added to their lead in the fourth. Cooper Ingle led off with an infield single to short. With two outs Kyle Manzardo doubled him home, doubling their lead to 6-3. Velazquez hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot to left, his 19th of the season, pushing the lead to 8-3.
In the back-and-forth affair the Saints put up a six spot in their next turn at the plate to retake the lead. Ben Ross led off with a double down the third base line and with one out Emmanuel Rodriguez delivered a two-run homer to the right of straightaway center, his ninth of the season, to cut the deficit to 8-5. For the first time in his career, Rodriguez has homered in three straight games. With runners at the corners and two outs Cody Morissette delivered with a two-run double to right getting the Saints to 8-7. Noah Cardenas then gave the Saints the lead with a towering two-run homer to left, his 12th of the season, putting the Saints back up 9-8.
In the bottom half of the inning the Clippers took the lead back. Woo-Suk Go, after pitching a perfect fifth inning, loaded the bases with nobody out on back-to-back walks and a hit batter. Manzardo followed with a two-run single to left-center flipping the game in the Clippers favor at 10-9.
Three free passes helped give the Saints the lead in the seventh. Aaron Sabato led off the inning with a double off the base of the wall in left, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a fielder’s choice when Gray hit a ground ball to first, but Manzardo’s throw was just late as Sabato slid under the tag tying the game at 10. Three straight walks, the last one to Walker Jenkins, forced in a run giving the Saints an 11-10 lead.
The Saints got some huge insurance in the eighth with one mighty swing of the bat. Rodriguez led off with a walk and with one out Mendez walked. After a pitching change Gray hit a ground ball to first that Manzardo, made a nice backhand play on, but bounced the throw to second and Schneeman couldn’t pick it as the throwing error loaded the bases. Morissette made the Clippers pay as he unloaded on one to right for a grand slam, his 11th of the season and 10th with the Saints, increasing the lead to 15-10. Morissette becomes the 10th Saints player with double-digit home runs on the season tying the franchise record (2022 and 2023). Morissette finished 2-4 with a double, grand slam, career-tying six RBI, and two runs scored.
Velazquez finished off his incredible night for the Clippers by hitting his third homer of the game, a solo shot in the eighth, his 20th of the season, making it 15-11. The Saints pitchers shut it down from there as Marco Raya got the final two outs of the inning going 2.0 innings allowing one run on one hit, while walking one and striking out three.
Matt Bowman, pitching on back-to-back days, struck out all three outs in the ninth as the Saints hung on for the victory.
The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 12:05 p.m. (CT). The Saints send RHP Ryan Gallagher (5-6, 6.56) to the mound and the Clippers are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM presented by Northland Ford Dealers.