Same Script, Different Ending, Saints Come From Behind For 5-4 Walk-Off Win
ST. PAUL, MN (September 9, 2026) - It’s not ideal to fall behind by four runs and attempt to come back on a nightly basis. But for the second consecutive night the St. Paul Saints dug themselves a 4-0 hole. Just like Tuesday night they came back and tied the
ST. PAUL, MN (September 9, 2026) - It’s not ideal to fall behind by four runs and attempt to come back on a nightly basis. But for the second consecutive night the St. Paul Saints dug themselves a 4-0 hole. Just like Tuesday night they came back and tied the game up. Unlike Tuesday night, it was the Saints who scored last as they walked off the Syracuse Mets for a 5-4 victory at CHS Field in front of 5,971.
With the game tied at four in the ninth Emmanuel Rodriguez led off the inning with a line drive one hop single off the wall in right. Hendry Mendez, who took over for Major League rehabber Austin Martin after his seven innings, drilled a single into right-center that sent Rodriguez to third. The Mets elected to intentionally walk Alan Roden to load the bases. After a strikeout of Aaron Sabato, Matt Wallner stepped to the plate. He fell behind in the count 1-2 before taking two pitches out of the zone to work the count full. After fouling off a cutter, Wallner took a fastball in the dirt for ball four to force in the winning run. It was Wallner’s second walk-off of the season and third of his career, tied for the most in franchise history.
For the second straight night the Saints fell behind 4-0, but scored four runs from the fifth through seventh to tie the game up.
Cody Morissette set a Saints franchise record in the fifth. He drilled a solo homer to left, his 17th of the season tying a career-high, 16th at Triple-A, and 15th with the Saints, making it 4-1. The RBI gave him eight consecutive games with a run driven in, a franchise record.
The first two hitters reached for the Saints in the sixth on back-to-back singles by Martin and Roden putting runners at first and second. With one out Wallner’s grounder clanked off the glove of first baseman Billy Amick and into right field for an error that allowed Martin to score getting the Saints within 4-2.
With two outs and nobody on in the eighth the Saints tied the game. Back-to-back walks to David Bañuelos and Emmanuel Rodriguez put runners at first and second. Major League rehabber Austin Martin tied the game at four with a two-run triple to right-center. He finished the night 2-4 with a triple, two RBI, and a run scored.
The Saints bullpen was stellar, keeping them in the game. Trent Baker tossed 3.0 scoreless innings allowing two hits, while walking one and striking out one. Garrett Acton worked a perfect eighth while fanning two, and Eric Orze threw a shutout ninth allowing one hit.
For the second straight night the Mets jumped out to an early lead as they scored two in the second. With two outs and nobody on Jose Ramos singled to left and that was followed by a two-run homer to right by Ryan Clifford, who was one for his last 31, his 17th of the season, making it 2-0.
The Mets doubled their lead in the third as Vidal Bruján led off with a double to center and Émilien Pitre walked. With runners at the corners after a fly out, MJ Melendez singled into center scoring Bruján upping the lead to 3-0. With two outs Ramos ripped an RBI single into left-center increasing the lead to 4-0.
The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series on Thursday night at CHS Field at 6:37 p.m. The Saints send RHP Jack Anderson (5-5, 4.68) to the mound against Mets RHP Jack Wenninger (4-8, 4.24). 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.