Saints pitchers keep Clippers quiet in 5-3 victory
After allowing a season-high 18 hits while giving up 15 runs on Tuesday night, the St. Paul Saints pitching staff wasn’t going to allow a repeat performance on Wednesday.
Saints pitchers allowed a season-low two hits and struck out 14 in a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Clippers at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio.
The Saints (60-43, 17-12 second half) struck first in the first inning when Mark Contreras and Gilberto Celestino hit back-to-back RBI singles for an early 2-0 advantage.
The Clippers (46-56, 13-15) got one back in the bottom of the inning without even mustering a hit as Brayan Lavastida walked, stole second and then took third after a throwing error by catcher Chris Williams. He scored on George Valera’s groundout to first.
Williams quickly made amends, hitting a solo home run in the second inning, his 18th of the season, to put St. Paul back on top, 3-1.
Simeon Woods Richardson started for the Saints and struggled with command, allowing six walks, but he gave up just one hit and struck out four in four innings of work.
Kody Funderburk earned the win by pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out five — the last five batters he faced.
Oliver Ortega gave up two unearned runs in 1 1/3 innings. Andrew Stevenson had a two-base error when he dropped a fly ball from Daniel Schneeman and Schneeman scored off a double from Lavastida. Lavastida scored after a pair of groundouts, cutting the Saints’ lead to 5-3.
Cole Sands picked up the save after pitching a perfect ninth, striking out three Clippers batters on 10 pitches, all strikes.
