Saints home opener was a blast except for the score

All the pomp and circumstance of the first game as the Minnesota Twins Triple-A affiliate made for some feel good moments pre-game. Unfortunately, the St. Paul Saints ran into one of the hottest pitching teams in the league and lost 11-1 to the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday night at CHS Field in front of 3,592.

***Click the video box above to watch highlights from the festivities Tuesday at CHS Field***

The Saints were well-aware of the no-hitter the I-Cubs threw on Sunday afternoon. Against starter Joe Biagini the Saints were headed down a similar path. They managed just two base runners, both walks, in the 5.0 innings he pitched.

The Saints remained hitless until the seventh when, with two outs, switch-hitter Tomás Telis clubbed an opposite field home runs to left, his first of the season. The Saints would collect one more hit on the night, a one out single by JT Riddle in the ninth.

Randy Dobnak got the start for the Saints and walked Abiatal Avelino and Rafael Ortega with one out in the first. PJ Higgins and Cameron Maybin followed with RBI single to make it 2-0.

In the third, Avelino led off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a one out single by Higgins. A walk to Maybin loaded the bases. Taylor Gushue’s RBI groundout made it 3-0 I-Cubs. Jose Lobaton came through with a two-run double to make it 5-0. Dobnak lasted 4.1 innings allowing five runs on four hits while walking five and striking out one.

With the Saints down 6-0 in the sixth, the I-Cubs put the game away with a five spot courtesy of an RBI single by Ortega, back-to-back RBI doubles from Higgins and Maybin and a two-run single from Gushue making it 11-0.

The same two teams meet in game two of the six game series on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Griffin Jax (0-0, 1.80) to the mound against I-Cubs LHP Ben Holmes (0-0, 3.60).

Courtesy: Saints Media Relations