Struggles Continue In Iowa As Saints Drop Fourth Straight 8-2 To I-Cubs

DES MOINES, IA (July 11, 2026) - The high-powered offense of the St. Paul Saints has apparently found its kryptonite in the Iowa Cubs pitching staff. For the third time in the series they collected five hits or less and fell for the for the fourth straight time to the I-Cubs, 8-2 on Saturday night at Principal Park.

With two outs and nobody on in the first the I-Cubs got three straight hits to produce two runs. Moises Ballesteros lined a single off the thigh of John Klein for a single. Owen Miller doubled down the third base line, putting runners at second and third. Chas McCormick looped a two-run single into right putting the I-Cubs up 2-0.

The bottom of the order set the table in the second for the man the Saints haven’t been able to get out this season, Brett Bateman. James Triantos led off with a single to left and Scott Kingery followed with a walk. With one out Bateman tripled to right-center driving home both runs doubling the lead to 4-0.

Another two-out RBI hit gave the I-Cubs a run. With one out McCormick walked, stole second, and with two outs Triantos walked. John Klein was removed from the game for Grant Hartwig and Kingery lined an RBI single to left pushing the lead to 5-0.

For the fourth consecutive inning the I-Cubs produced a run. Bateman led off with an infield single to second. With two outs Miller doubled to left sending Bateman to third. A wild pitch scored Bateman upping the I-Cubs lead to 6-0.

Meanwhile, Major League rehabber Jameson Taillon completely silenced the Saints allowing just a leadoff walk in the third and a two-out single to Aaron Sabato in the fourth. He went 4.2 shutout innings allowing one hit, while walking one and striking out three.

After having just two baserunners through the first six innings, the Saints loaded the bases with the first three hitters in the seventh. Matt Wallner reached on an infield single to the third base side of the pitcher’s mound and Sabato and Hendry Mendez walked. Orlando Arcia got the Saints on the board with a bloop RBI single to center making it 6-1. An RBI groundout by Gabby Gonzalez cut the Saints deficit to four at 6-2. That would be all the offense as they managed just a leadoff single in the eighth the rest of the way. After 75 consecutive games with an extra-base hits, the Saints were held without one for the second consecutive game, just the fourth time in franchise history.

The I-Cubs put an exclamation point on the night in the eighth. Triantos led off with a walk and with one out Ben Cowles hit a two-run home run to left, his fifth of the season, making it 8-2.

Major League rehabber Cole Sands tossed 1.0 shutout inning allowing one hit. He threw 15 pitches, 10 for strikes. Ricky Castro, in his first game off the injured list, looked sharp going 2.0 hitless, shutout innings while striking out one.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 1:08 p.m. The Saints send LHP Aaron Rozek (2-1, 3.42) to the mound against I-Cubs LHP Jordan Wicks (0-6, 7.40). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.