The St. Paul Saints trailed early, and couldn't muster a rally in a 6-2 loss to the Iowa Cubs on Friday night at CHS Field in St. Paul.
With one on and one out Jared Young hit a two-run homer in the first inning over the right field wall, his seventh of the season, giving the I-Cubs a 2-0 lead.
Robel GarcÃa hit one out to straightaway center to open the second inning, his third of the season, increasing the lead to 3-0.
In the third, the I-Cubs got a one-out single from Ildemaro Vargas. With two outs Nelson Maldaonado doubled Vargas to third. Back-to-back walks forced in a run sending the Saints to a 4-0 deficit.
Caleb Hamilton got the Saints on the board in the fourth. Mark Contreras led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. With two outs Hamilton unloaded on one over the left field wall getting the Saints to within two, at 4-2.
The Cubs added runs in the fifth and seventh innings when a walk forced Garcia in and Young scored from third on an RBI single from P.J. Higgins.
Cole Sturgeon, making his Saints debut, went 2-5, and Curtis Terry collected a hit in his fourth straight going 2-4.
The same two teams meet in game give of the six-game series at CHS Field at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Jordan Balazovic (NR) to the mound against I-Cubs RHP Adrian Sampson (0-3, 3.66). The game can be seen on FOX9 Plus and MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.
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![Vikings guard Dalton Risner, right, runs through drills with Doug Nester (72) during practice at TCO Performance Center in Eagan on Friday.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/RYZVIHV57NFAXCWPKOIV2PAWY4.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)