Saints Four Homers Give Them Second Most In A Season In International League History, Win 8-1 Over Mud Hens

ST. PAUL, MN (August 29, 2026) - Entering Saturday night the St. Paul Saints had 20 games left in the season and sat 3.0 games out of the lone second half playoff spot. After losing the last three games to the Toledo Mud Hens, the Saints knew they could ill afford to lose another one. They smashed four home runs and four pitchers combined to allow just a run while striking out 12 in an 8-1 win at CHS Field in front of 6,757.

Saints starter Jack Anderson set the tone by retiring nine of the first 10 hitters he faced over the first three innings. That allowed the offense to get on the board first for the first time since Tuesday night.

For the 22^nd time this season, the Saints had a multi-homer inning as Kala’i Rosario got the Saints going in the second with a towering home run to left, his first of the night and fourth of the season, making it 1-0. With two outs and nobody on, David Bañuelos demolished a solo homer to left-center, his seventh of the season, doubling the lead to 2-0. The two home runs gave the Saints 226 home runs on the season, second most in a single-season in International League history.

Cal Stevenson led off the fifth inning for the Mud Hens with a solo homer to right, his eighth of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 2-1. Anderson went 4.2 innings allowing one run on four hits, while walking one, and striking out four. Matt Bowman finished off the inning and he went 1.1 scoreless innings allowing three hits and striking out three.

Matt Wallner came through with the bases loaded in the fifth inning to answer the Mud Hens homer in the top of the inning. With one out Bañuelos was hit by a pitch and back-to-back singles from Alan Roden and Gabby Gonzalez loaded the bases. Wallner then deposited one over the right field wall for a grand slam, his 24^th of the season, giving the Saints a 6-1 lead. It was Wallner’s 65^th homer in a Saints uniform, two shy of tying Ole Sheldon’s all-time franchise record (American Association/International League).

Saints reliever Garrett Acton silenced the Mud Hens over his 2.0 innings of hitless, shutout work allowing just a walk and striking out four.

Wallner added to his RBI total in the seventh when Gonzalez walked, took second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Wallner single to left, increasing the lead to 7-1. Wallner went 2-3 with a grand slam, five RBI, and a run scored.

Rosario capped off the night with his second homer of the game, a 111.6 mph solo laser over the left field wall in the eighth, his fifth of the season, putting the Saints up 8-1. Rosario went 2-4 with two home runs, two RBI, and two runs scored.

The Saints four home runs give them 228 on the season, three shy of the International League record of 231 set by the Omaha Storm Chasers in 2021.

Marco Raya finished off the night for the Saints by pitching a perfect ninth and striking out one.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at CHS Field at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send LHP Aaron Rozek (3-4, 4.07) to the mound against Mud Hens RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (2-6 ,5.50). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, MLB.TV, MiLB.com, and the Bally Sports Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM, all presented by Northland Ford Dealers.