The Columbus Clippers lost two leads to the St. Paul Saints Wednesday at Huntington Park. They led 4-0 after three innings and 5-4 after six. The Saints then took a lead, 6-5, with two runs in the top of the seventh. The Clippers tied things in the bottom of the inning. Both teams added a run in the 10th, but St. Paul scored one in the 11th and held on for the 8-7 victory.

Columbus got some timely hitting to put runs on the scoreboard. Yordis Valdes had two hits on the evening, including a two-run single in the second inning. In his first game at the Triple-A level, C.J. Kayfus, who was called up from Akron this week, hit a solo shot to lead off the sixth. Will Brennan, Johnathan Rodriguez, and Milan Tolintino all had runs batted in.

Clippers starter Slade Cecconi, on a rehab assignment from the Cleveland Guardians, was pitching in his first game of the season. He went 3.1 innings, giving up two runs on a hit and a walk, and striking out five. The Columbus bullpen gave up six runs, four earned, over the final 7.2 innings. Parker Mushinski (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing an unearned run in the 11th on one hit.

The teams play an afternoon doubleheader Thursday at Huntington Park beginning at 12:05 p.m. The second game is a makeup of the nightcap of a twin bill rained out Tuesday. Both will be seven-inning affairs.