A leadoff homer was all the Saints got until the ninth, and it wasn't enough.

TOLEDO 8, ST. PAUL 5 IN TOLEDO

Jose Miranda homered in the first, but that was all the Saints got until the ninth.  The Mud Hens scored three in the first (two on bases-loaded walks) and led the rest of the way.

Batting stars:  Gilberto Celestino was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk.  Drew Stankiewicz was 2-for-4 with a triple and a walk.  Miranda was 2-for-5 with a home run (his seventeenth) and two runs.

Pitching star:  Vinny Nittoli struck out four in two perfect innings.

Opposition stars:  Aderlin Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with a triple, a walk, and three RBIs.  Logan Shore struck out five in four innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks.

Starter:  Drew Strotman pitched one inning, allowing three runs on two hits and four walks and striking out one.

Good stats:  Miranda is batting .346.  Nittoli has an ERA of 2.45.

Bad stats:  Caleb Hamilton was 0-for-4 and is batting .103.  Strotman has an ERA of 5.29.

Record:  The Saints are 5-4 in the "final stretch".

TODAY'S TILT

St. Paul (Andrew Albers) at Toledo