Jermaine Palacios hit a pair of tying late-inning home runs, but it wasn't enough for the Saints, who lost 5-4 to the Iowa Cubs in 10 innings on Friday night at CHS Field.
After Iowa pushed across a go-ahead run in the 10th inning on a wild pitch by Juan Minaya, the Saints loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning. But Jake Cave grounded into a game-ending 3-2-3 double play started by Cubs first baseman Matt Mervis.
Palacios tied the score at 3-3 with a two-run shot with two out in the seventh inning. Dereck Rodriguez, who pitched 5⅓ innings of relief of Jordan Balazovic, gave up a go-ahead home run to Narciso Crook on the first pitch of the eighth inning. But Palacios again tied it with one out in the ninth.
The Saints walked 11 times and struck out 13.
• The Twins signed veteran reliever Brad Peacock, who was released earlier this month by the Royals organization, and assigned him to the Saints.