Ober Sharp, Saints Offense Held In Check in 4-3 Loss
LOUISVILLE, KY (September 9, 2023) - After a 13-day layoff, Bailey Ober took the mound for the St. Paul Saints on Saturday night at Louisville Slugger Field. He was sharp in his 5.0 innings, but the bullpen couldn’t hold a late lead, losing 4-3 to the Louisville Bats. The loss
_LOUISVILLE, KY _*(September 9, 2023) - *After a 13-day layoff, Bailey Ober took the mound for the St. Paul Saints on Saturday night at Louisville Slugger Field. He was sharp in his 5.0 innings, but the bullpen couldn’t hold a late lead, losing 4-3 to the Louisville Bats. The loss drops the Saints to 36-26 in the second half.
For the fourth consecutive game the Saints scored in the first inning. With one out Brooks Lee walked and with two outs Kyle Garlick also walked. Those two free passes proved costly as DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Austin Martin delivered back-to-back RBI singles giving the Saints a 2-0 lead.
Ober retired three Major League rehabbers in the first inning getting Jonathan India on strikes, Kevin Newman to fly out, and Joey Votto to ground out.
The only blemish on Ober’s ledger came in the second. Henry Ramos and Jason Vosler started the inning with back-to-back singles putting runners at first and second. On a double steal, catcher Jair Camargo threw out Vosler at second, but Ramos took third on the advancement. A sacrifice fly from Matt Reynolds cut the Saints lead to 2-1.
Free passes were once again a theme that led to a Saints run in the third. Back-to-back walks to start the inning to Lee and Trevor Larnach put runners at first and second. With two outs Martin was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jair Camargo made it 3-1 with an RBI infield single to third.
Ober retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced, giving up just a one out single to Votto in the fourth. Ober went 5.0 innings allowing one run on three hits while striking out three. He threw 65 pitches, 45 for strikes.
The Saints carried a two-run lead into the seventh when walks proved costly. Reliever Michael Boyle walked the first two batters he faced and that was followed by a three-run homer from Reynolds, his 21st of the season, giving the Bats a 4-3 lead.
The Saints offense, which came in hitting .315 at Louisville Slugger Field, managed just one hit after the third, a two-out double by Camargo in the eighth. He was left stranded when Anthony Prato struck out.
The Saints struck out 17 times on the night, tied for the second most on the season.
The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at Louisville Slugger Field at 12:05 p.m. (CT). The Saints send RHP Blayne Enlow (2-5, 8.20) to the mound against Bats RHP Michael Mariot (4-3, 6.93). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.