LOUISVILLE, KY. – Four players drove in runs and starter Dereck Rodriguez pitched four scoreless innings as the St. Paul Saints defeated the Louisville Bats 7-1 on Friday night in the International League.
St. Paul Saints batter Louisville as starter Dereck Rodriguez pitches four scoreless innings
Four different players for the Saints had at least one run batted in as they improved to 3-1.
By NEWS SERVICES
April 9, 2022 at 4:23AM
Beginning his second stint in the Twins organization, Rodriguez, 29, gave up one hit, struck out five and walked two in his first outing this season. He is the son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez and was 4-6 with a 6.72 ERA last season with Class AAA Albuquerque.
Drew Strotman relieved him and got the victory; he gave up one run and one hit in three innings. Wladimir Pinto pitched the final two innings for the save; the Bats threatened in the ninth, but he stranded runners on second and third base.
Trevor Larnach had a sacrifice fly in the first inning for the Saints, center fielder Mark Contreras a two-run single in the third, and Daniel Robertson and Jermaine Palacious RBI doubles in the fifth.
The other runs for St. Paul (3-1) scored on a wild pitch and an error — one of three committed by the Bats (1-3).
Leadoff hitter Jake Cave, the DH, and third baseman Jermaine Palacious of the Saints got on base four and three times, respectively.
Cave, an outfielder who has played in a combined 281 games with the Twins over the past four seasons, was 2-for-4 with two walks and a run scored and is hitting .500. Palacious was 1-for-2 with two walks.
about the writer
NEWS SERVICES
The Twins executive was on hand with Cleveland when Mark Shapiro did the double, and Shapiro noticed then his ability to “connect across every role in the organization.”
