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AA St. Paul Saints

A Rarity, Saints Come from Behind to Win 6-5, First to 40 Wins

July 16, 2015 - American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


SIOUX FALLS, SD (July 16, 2015) - In a season where the St. Paul Saints have rewritten the record books, they did something on Thursday night at Sioux Falls Stadium they haven't had to do much of this season: come from behind. The Saints scored two in the top of the eighth to defeat the Sioux Falls Canaries 6-5 and improve to 40-12, becoming the first American Association team to reach 40 wins.

With the Saints leading 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh Saints starter Pedro Hernandez gave up a one out single to Vickash Ramjit. With two outs Saints manager George Tsamis went to the mound and elected to leave Hernandez in the game. In a battle of former Minnesota Twins, Jason Repko got the best of Hernandez hitting a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall for a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, to give the Canaries a 5-4 lead.

The Saints weren't fazed because in the top of the eighth inning they responded. Mike Kvasnicka led off with a walk against reliever James Jones. A wild pitch, in which catcher Richard Stock injured himself, allowed Kvasnicka to go to third. Joey Paciorek doubled home Kvasnicka to tie the game at five. Jones departed for reliever Cameron McVey. A ground out by Anthony Phillips sent Paciorek to third. With the infield in Dan Kaczrowski singled between the hole at short and third to score the go ahead run.

The Saints bullpen did the rest. Chris Peacock retired the first two batters of the eighth. After Alex Sogard walked the only batter he faced, Mike Zouzalik fanned Ramjit to end the inning.

Zouzalik would earn his second save of the season by striking out the side in the ninth. He went 1.1 perfect innings and struck out four. The Saints improved to 2-9 when trailing after seven innings.

The Saints jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third when Alonzo Harris led off with a solo homer to left, his seventh of the season, to make it 1-0. With one out Vinny DiFazio singled and Ian Gac doubled him home to make it 2-0. A wild pitch sent Gac to third and Angelo Songco's sac fly gave the Saints a three run cushion.

The Canaries responded with two in the fourth when David Bergin led off with a walk. Brian Humphries doubled him home to make it 3-1. A fly ball sent Humphries to third and he scored on a sac fly from Stock to make it 3-2.

The Canaries tied the game in the fifth when Jake Luce led off with a single, was sacrificed to second and scored on a two-out single by Repko.

The same two teams meet in game three of the four game series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Dustin Crenshaw (7-1, 1.88) against Canaries RHP Jeremy Strawn (2-6, 4.60). The game can be heard on Club 1220 KLBB.

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