IronPigs outslug Saints 11-7 behind Cairo's homer, Berroa's blast

One misplayed grounder changed the game, and one swing changed it back. In the first-ever meeting between Lehigh Valley and St. Paul, the IronPigs turned a back-and-forth slugfest into an 11-7 win at CHS Field by answering a Saints rally with Christian Cairo’s correction in the sixth and Steward Berroa’s knockout punch in the ninth.

Lehigh Valley opened fast with a Bryan De La Cruz sacrifice fly and a Garrett Stubbs RBI bunt single, then added two more in the third on a Liover Peguero double. St. Paul answered in the third, then seized the lead in the fourth on an Orlando Arcia fielder’s-choice RBI and an Alex Jackson single. When Cairo’s misplayed grounder let the Saints push across two more runs, it looked like the home side had found the moment to take control.

Instead, Cairo owned the next one. Two innings later, he launched a two-run homer to put Lehigh Valley back in front for good, and Felix Reyes followed with an RBI single to keep the pressure on. Reyes, who had already extended his hitting streak to 10 games on April 12, went 3-for-4 again and stretched that run to 11 games. That kind of run-production is exactly what makes the IronPigs dangerous: the lineup can absorb a mistake, then hit back with one.

St. Paul kept swinging. Jackson finished 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBI and three runs scored, and Alan Roden added a solo shot to keep the Saints close. But Lehigh Valley kept finding one more answer. Lou Trivino, a 34-year-old right-hander from Green Lane, Pennsylvania, inherited a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and escaped with back-to-back strikeouts to protect the lead, then Trent Baker took the loss for St. Paul as the game tilted for good.

Berroa ended the suspense in the ninth with a three-run homer that made it 11-7 and punctuated a night that showed why Triple-A can change on a single pitch. Lehigh Valley improved to 10-6, while St. Paul fell to 5-10 in front of 2,765 fans at CHS Field, the 2015-built park at 360 Broadway in Lowertown. The Saints entered the season with four Top 100 prospects and nine of the Twins’ Top 30 prospects on the roster, but on this night it was the IronPigs’ depth that carried the edge. The clubs meet again April 15, with Bryse Wilson lined up for Lehigh Valley and John Klein for St. Paul.