Caleb Boushley turned in another strong start, but his bid to become the St. Paul Saints’ first 10-game winner this season was thwarted in a 3-2 loss to the Indianapolis Indians on Friday night at Victory Field. Boushley and Pirates prospect Bubba Chandler were locked in a pitcher’s duel for much of the game.
Boushley (9-5) allowed one run on six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks over six innings. Chandler (7-7) didn’t allow a run in his six innings while holding St. Paul to five hits.
He had 11 strikeouts and two walks. It was the Saints’ seventh straight loss. Boushley received some defensive help in the third inning.
He gave up three consecutive hits with two outs, but on the third hit, right fielder Wynton Bernard cut down Henry Davis at the plate to keep the game scoreless. In the fifth, the Saints loaded the bases against Chandler with two outs, but Chandler got a groundout from Diego A. Castillo to end the threat.
Indianapolis’ Billy McKinney hit a solo home run off Boushley in the bottom of the fifth. In the top of seventh, Rylan Bannon ended an 0-for-32 skid by leading off with a double to left-center. Payton Eeles was hit by a pitch.
With one out, Castillo tied the game with a single to left that sent Eeles to third. Yunior Severino’s sacrifice fly to left put the Saints up 2-1. The Indians quickly got the lead back in the bottom of the seventh.
They loaded the bases with one out against reliever Diego Castillo, and a fielder’s choice by Seth Bee.