The Louisville Bats earned a second consecutive narrow escape over the St. Paul Saints on Thursday in Louisville, Ky., getting a 3-2 win when DaShawn Keirsey Jr. hit into a game-ending double play with the tying run on third base.

On Wednesday night, Michael Trautwein hit a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth of Louisville’s 6-5 victory, capping the Bats’ comeback from a 4-0 deficit after six innings. The Bats won the first game of the five-game series 8-1 on Tuesday.

Thursday’s game was a pitching duel until some late-game drama. Justus Sheffield, a first-round pick by Cleveland in 2014 who made 33 major league starts between 2019-2022 for the Mariners, no-hit the Saints for the first five innings, striking out two and walking two.

Casey Legumina came in for Sheffield in the sixth, and Yunier Severino ended the no-hitter with a one-out triple and came home on a sacrifice fly by Keirsey.

Saints starter Louie Varland nearly matched Sheffield. Varland pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits with six strikeouts and three walks.

Ryan Jensen got the final out of the sixth inning but gave up a two-run double to Erik Gonzalez in the seventh.

In the ninth, the Bats scored an insurance run they would end up needing off Jeff Brigham when P.J. HIggins’ two-out single scored Levi Jordan from second base.

In the ninth, Anthony Prato and Edouard Julien drew walks against Bats reliever Tony Santillan. Wynton Bernard, signed by the Twins as a minor league free agent on Wednesday, singled for his first hit with the Saints, driving in Prato.

Severino followed with a lineout to right field that moved Julien to third.

Keirsey then hit a grounder to shortstop Livan Soto, who completed the double play to end the threat.

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