Saints sweep doubleheader, win both games for first time since 2021

Mike Paredes gave the St. Paul Saints exactly the kind of outing that can change how a front office looks at a Triple-A arm. Four shutout innings, one hit, one walk and four strikeouts helped seal a 5-3 win over Columbus at CHS Field, completing the Saints’ first doubleheader sweep since 2021 and capping one of their most complete nights of the season.

The sweep mattered well beyond the scoreboard. St. Paul had gone 20 straight doubleheader chances without winning both games before finally cashing in Friday night, and the club’s 8-5 win in Game 1 set up the milestone in Game 2. The Saints improved to 23-19, their best mark of the season and four games over .500, while Columbus finished its longest road trip of 2026 at 6-6 and returned home at 23-22.

Game 2 was built on steady pressure rather than one big swing. Tanner Schobel singled in a run in the second inning, then St. Paul kept stacking contact in the third with singles from Gabby Gonzalez and Ben Ross, an RBI hit by Orlando Arcia and a defensive error that opened the door for another run. That early cushion let Paredes work with control, and the bullpen had enough margin to finish the job.

Paredes’ performance carried extra weight because it fit a clear trend. Since allowing six runs in 3.1 innings in his first Triple-A start on April 21, he has posted a 1.65 ERA over his last five outings. For a Saints club now managed by Brian Dinkelman in his first Triple-A season, that kind of adjustment is exactly the sort of development that can influence Minnesota’s next pitching decision.

The offense showed similar versatility in the opener. Kaelen Culpepper led off Game 1 with his ninth home run of the season, and the Saints also got run-producing hits from Ben Ross and Matt Wallner as they fought back for the 8-5 win. Across both games, St. Paul answered in multiple ways: power early, contact in the middle innings and clean bullpen work at the end.

With Thursday night’s rainout forcing the twin bill, the Saints and Clippers turned an unplanned scheduling wrinkle into a benchmark result. For St. Paul, sweeping both ends of a doubleheader for the first time since that 2021 milestone was more than a tidy note. It was a sign that the roster is starting to look ready for harder questions from Minnesota.