TOLEDO, OHIO — Joe Ryan, a pitcher on the U.S. silver medal-winning team, made his second strong start for the St. Paul Saints, but they lost 4-2 on Wednesday night to the Toledo Mud Hens.
Joe Ryan shines on the mound, but Saints lose 4-2 to Toledo
Byron Buxton went 2-for-4 and scored a run as his return to the Twins appears imminent.
August 26, 2021 at 5:22AM
Ryan gave up one run and four hits in five innings. He struck out eight, walked one. In his first game last week, the 6-2 righthander acquired in the Nelson Cruz trade last month, went four innings and gave up one run and one hit while striking out nine, including the first six batters.
In two starts with St. Paul he has a 2.00 ERA with 17 strikeouts in nine innings and has allowed just five hits and two walks.
This was the second game of this series and Mark Contreras hit a two-run homer that drove in Byron Buxton in the sixth for the Saints. Buxton was 2-for-4 with two singles.
After opening this series a half-game behind the Mud Hens in the Midwest Division, the Saints have lost twice to fall 2½ games back.
Talk of competing for the best players or of a potential new owner wielding big bucks doesn’t change this: They are last in popularity among the four major men’s pro sports.
