The Saints played a matinee on Wednesday at CHS Field, and two players in the spotlight managed to make it a particularly early day after taking care of business.

Neither Royce Lewis nor Jose Miranda, two Twins in St. Paul on rehab assignments, were around for the finish of the Saints’ 6-2 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers, but both had an  impact.

More importantly, both took steps toward getting back in a Twins uniform after stints on the injured list.

“I’m just happy to see those guys playing baseball again,” Saints manager Toby Gardenhire said.

Lewis, who served as the Saints’ designated hitter, left the game following the sixth inning after his fourth plate appearance. Lewis left immediately after the game to catch the Twins’ flight to Detroit and did not speak with the media.

Lewis doubled off the left-field wall in the first and scored the game’s first run. He grounded out in the second, walked in the fourth and struck out in the sixth.

“He looks healthy; that’s the big thing,” Gardenhire said. “He hadn’t seen live pitching since he got hurt, and it’s tough sometimes. But he did a nice job. He ripped that double off the wall, just like you know he can, and hopefully he can go up there and do it with them, too.”

Miranda, who started at third base, went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles. He was replaced in the eighth inning.

Miranda also left without comment. He is scheduled to be in the Saints lineup again on Thursday, playing first base. “I’m just going day to day with it,” Gardenhire said regarding how long Miranda will stick around.

Meanwhile, Saints first baseman Yunior Severino continues to be on a roll at the plate. He had three more hits on Wednesday and is batting .364 since May 21, which includes 10 home runs.

Severino’s batting average hovered around .200 for the first couple of months of the season.

“I’m focused on swinging at good pitches and not swinging too hard,” Severino said. “The first two months I didn’t feel good because my swing was too hard, I was moving my (head) when I hit the ball.”

“I’m happy for him,” Gardenhire said. “We know he can hit. He had a really tough start to the year, and I think he was putting a lot of pressure on himself. When he just goes out there and plays he’s really good.”

Saints starter Caleb Boushley picked up his team-leading ninth win of the season, allowing one run on four hits over six innings. It was a strong bounce-back performance after allowing a combined 14 runs in his two previous starts.

“I rarely say the words, ‘I needed one,’ because normally the game finds a way of evening itself out,” Boushley said. “It felt really good to get back and just have a good start.”

Boushley admitted that the two rocky starts put a dent in his confidence.

“I think the timing of the All-Star break allowed me to reset and get my mind right,” he said. “I don’t think anything’s changed with my stuff or my delivery. I just had a lot more confidence today.”

Boushley walked the first batter he faced and needed 24 pitches to get out of the first inning. But he kept the Storm Chasers off the scoreboard until allowing a solo home run with two outs in the sixth.

“Boz has been one of the best pitchers for us all year long,” Gardenhire said. “He had a couple of tough outings, and it’s really good to see him get back out there and pitch like he did today.”

Briefly

Boushley’s nine wins ties the franchise record for wins in a season. Chandler Shepherd set the mark in 2021.