ST. PAUL SAINTS (10-11) vs IOWA CUBS (CHC) (9-10) RHP GRIFFIN JAX (2-1, 4.29) vs RHP ALEC MILLS (MLR) (0-1, 27.00) Friday, May 28th, 2021 - 7:08 pm (CT) - Des Moines, IA - Principle Park Game #22 - Road Game #10 TV: MiLB.TV RADIO: KFAN+ 2021 At A Glance TODAY'S HEADLINES AGAINST THE OPPOSITION Home .....................................................5-7 That Was Yesterday - The Saints winning streak marched on to four SAINTS VS IOWA Road ......................................................5-4 games with a 4-2 come-from-behind win over Iowa last night. Jhoan vs. LHP .............................................1-0 Duran again lived up to the expectations, striking out eight in four .209 ------------- BA ------------ .246 innings. St. Paul trailed 2-1 entering the ninth inning, and used two vs. RHP ..........................................9-11 singles, two hit by pitches and an error to plate three runs, scoring them .221 -------- BA W/2O ----------.173 Current Streak ....................................W4 their first comeback win in the ninth this season. .297 ------ BA W/RISP ---------.255 Most Games > .500 ..........................0 44 --------------RUNS ------------- 42 - Today the Saints strive for five in a row and secure their Most Games < .500 ..........................5 Today’s Game 12 ---------------- HR ---------------- 2 first series win of the year. RHP Griffin Jax heads out to the hill looking 8 ------------- STEALS ------------- 7 Overall Series ..................................0-2-1 to build on a six-inning, eight-strikeout performance in his last start. The 4.44 ------------- ERA ----------- 4.27 Saints are 6-3 against Iowa this season. Home Series ...............................0-1-1 87 --------------- K's -------------- 91 Away Series ................................0-1-0 Starters Strength - In the last full run through the Saints starting Extra Innings ........................................0-2 pitching rotation (May 21st), the St. Paul starting pitching has been TEAM LEADERS Shutouts ................................................0-0 putting together some excellent outings. The Saints starters collectively Avg. ---- Tomas Telis - .278 Last 5 .....................................................4-1 own a 1.82 ERA in that stretch, allowing only six earned runs in 29.2 innings. Hits -------- Tomas Telis - 22 Last 10 ...................................................5-5 RBI ------- Ryan Jeffers - 14 Saints Score First.................................7-5 Telis Timing it - Dating back to the last game of the previous Iowa Runs ----- Ryan Jeffers - 10 Oppo. Scores First...............................3-6 series (May 16th), Tomas Telís has been on a tear for the Saints. He Steals ----- NIck Gordon - 5 Saints out-hit opp..................................5-0 went on a five-game hit streak, the last four of which were multi-hit HR ----------------- 2 tied - 4 games. Dating back to the 16th, Telís is batting .341 with a .900 OPS. Opp. out-hit Saints .............................4-11 He has 14 hits in the last 10 games. After driving in just two runs in his ERA --- Charlie Barnes - 3.05 Hits are even .........................................1-0 first 17 games of the year, Telís has driven in six runs in the last three K’s ----------Griffin Jax - 19 Day...........................................................3-2 games. BB -------- Ian Hamilton - 9 Night.........................................................7-9 Keeping it in the Park - Despite a team ERA of 4.49, the Saints have Day of the Week not been damaged by round-trippers. St. Paul’s pitching staff has given AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS Mon..........................................................0-0 up just 12 homers, which is the second-best mark in all of Triple-A, and top in the Triple-A East. BB ---------- Brent Rooker (T-3rd) - 15 Tues.........................................................1-3 BB ----------- Ryan Jeffers (T-7th) - 14 Wed..........................................................4-0 Saints Dig the Long Ball - The Saints’ offense has come in bunches G --------- Andrew Vasquez (T-3rd) - 9 Thurs........................................................1-3 through 21 games this season, because nearly half of it has come from Fri..............................................................1-2 home runs. Of the 89 runs that St. Paul has scored this season, 36 ACTIVE STREAKS (40%) of them have been accounted for by home runs. Brent Rooker, Sat............................................................2-2 Jimmy Kerrigan and Ryan Jeffers are tied for the team lead in homers. Sun...........................................................1-2 Rob Refsnyder ---- 7G on-base streak (.424) Lead Entering 7th ...........................7-3 Rooker’s Good Reads - While currently riding a four-game hit streak, Keon Broxton -- 18G Strikeout streak (33Ks) OF Brent Rooker is also currently tied for second in walks in the Triple-A Nick Gordon ------- 8G on base streak (.469) Tied Entering 7th ............................2-0 East, drawing 15 this eason. He’s gotten on base in 15 of his last 16 Trail Entering 7th .............................1-8 games, with a on-base percentage of .391 in that stretch. Rooker has Lead Entering 8th ...........................7-1 two games with three walks this season. Tied Entering 8th.............................2-1 Roster Notes - RHP Shaun Anderson was sent to St. Paul on a Major Trail Entering 8th .............................1-8 League Rehab assignment. Lead Entering 9th ...........................7-1 Tied Entering 9th ............................2-2 Twins Update - The Twins had yesterday off, and look to extend their four-game win streak tonight against Kansas City. Trail Entering 9th .............................1-7 UPCOMING PITCHING MATCHUPS 5/29 @IOWA 7:08PM RHP Chandler Shepherd (0-1, 5.87) v TBA 5/30 @IOWA 1:08PM RHP Bailey Ober (1-0, 1.50) v TBA 5/31 OFF 6/1 @LOU 6:00PM TBA v TBA TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER GAME HIGHS #48 GRIFFIN JAX 2021 CAREER W-L ERA G GS IP ER HR BB SO AVG WHIP 6.0 - 5/23 v Indianapolis IP 7.1 - 7/2/19 @ Jacksonville 2021 1-1 5.40 3 3 15.0 9 0 7 11 .300 1.67 9 - 5/18 v Indianapolis H 11 - 8/1/19 v Birmingham • In 2020, he did not see any professional action as he did not land on the 60-man player 7 - 5/18 v Indianapolis R 7 - 5/18 v Indianapolis pool. • In 2019 he was a two-time Southern League Pitcher of The Week and a Mid-season All- 7 - 5/18 v Indianapolis ER 7 - 5/18 v Indianapolis Star, as well as being named “best control” in the Twins’ minor league system by Baseball 3 - 5/12 v Iowa BB 4 - 8/25/18 @ St. Lucie America after the season. • Jax is a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserve, and is due to be promoted 8 - 5/23 v Indianapolis SO 8 - 5/23 v Indianapolis to Captain in May 2021. The righty is the sixth player to be drafted out of the academy. -- - -/- v --- HR 3 - 5/10/19 @ Mississippi He is able to play baseball while serving in the Air Force through the Air Force’s World Class Athlete Program. 93 - 5/18 v Indianapolis Pitches 96 - 8/1/18 v Jupiter • In 2016, he made four appearances out of the bullpen, but has started all but one game he’s appeared in since, beginning with the 2017 season. SPLITS • He is the son of former NFL offensive lineman Garth Jax, who played for both Arizona 2021 CAREER and Dallas. 2-1, 5.06 HOME 7-9, 3.51 • Was originally drafted in 2013 by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 12th round after being 0-0, 1.80 ROAD 5-6, 2.98 named a Louisville Slugger HS 1st team All-American. .290 AVG/ .720 OPS/0HR vLHH .275 AVG/.746 OPS/10HR • Born James Griffin Jax, as his father is also James Garth Jax, both go by middle names. .308 AVG/.796 OPS/0HR vRHH .248 AVG/.610 OPS/4 HR ACQUIRED: Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 3rd round of the 2016 First Year Player Draft GRIFFIN JAX GAME BY GAME LOG DATE OPP RESULT DEC IP H R/ER SO BB HR P/S NOTES 5/7 @OMA L, 4-2 ND (0-0) 5.0 4 1/1 2 3 0 82-50 STP 0-9 w/ RISP 5/12 IOWA W, 6-1 W (1-0) 5.0 5 1/1 4 3 0 93-56 Cubs 0-6 w/ RISP 5/18 INDY L, 7-3 L (1-1) 5.0 9 7/7 5 1 0 93-61 Gave up all 7 in 2nd/3rd 5/23 INDY W, 5-4 W, (2-1) 6.0 7 1/1 8 1 0 90-54 8Ks most for a Saints P SAINTS HITTER NOTES 9 BROXTON, KEON OF 27 JEFFERS, RYAN C Last Series: 3-20, 2B, 2R, RBI, SB, 2BB | Current Series: 1-4, 2B, R Last Series: 2-19, 2B, R, RBI, 5BB, SF | Current Series: 2-10, HR, 4R, 3RBI, 4BB • Spent most of the 2020 season at the Brewers alternate training site, • Started the 2020 season at the Alternate Training Site in St. Paul, reuiniting with them after spending 2016-18 with Milwaukee. making his MLB debut on August 20th. He played 26 games wiith the • Saw Big League action with 3 different teams in 2019, suiting up Twins, batting .273 with three home runs and seven RBIs. for the New York Mets before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles • He crushed left-handed pitching with Minnesota, hitting .300 with a and then being claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners hitting a .417 OBP. combined .167 for the season. • Going into 2020 he was fourth best Twins’ prospect and and the best • Was a 20-20 player in the Majors in 2017 hitting .220/20/49 and defensive catcher in the system by Baseball America. He caught the stealing 21 bases. Broxton was 5th in speed at 29.4 ft/sec. 30 ft/sec is elite & average is 27.0 ft/sec third-most games amongst rookie catchers in the majors with 25. • Played 2B and SS at Lakeland HS. On that team was Evan • Jeffers started in professional baseball on a tear in 2018 with Chambers (3rd round pick by Pirates in 2009 & passed away in Elizabethton, he played 28 games hitting .422 with a .543 OBP and a 2013), Drew Hutchison (15th round pick out of HS in 2009, 98 Major staggering 1.121 OPS.