AA St. Paul Saints

Different Night, Same Script as Saints Lose 4-1 to Canaries

Published on July 11, 2017 under American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - It was the walks in the seventh inning on Monday night that came back to haunt the St. Paul Saints. On Tuesday night it was a different inning, this time the eighth, but the walks were once again too much to overcome as the Saints lost 4-1 to the Sioux Falls Canaries at CHS Field in front of 7,612. The loss dropped the Saints to 30-20 and their lead in the North dropped to 3.0 games.

With the game tied at one in the eighth, and Saints reliever Vinny Nottoli in his second inning of work, Canaries leadoff man Brett Marr worked a walk. Then Jabari Henry walked to put runners at first and second. Ty Morrison took advantage and lined a single into left-center scoring Marr to give the Canaries a 2-1 lead. With runners at the corners and nobody out Chris Jacobs hit into a double play, but Henry scored from third to make it 3-1. Nittoli went 2.0 innings allowing two runs on two hits while walking two and striking out two.

The Canaries tacked on an insurance run in the ninth against Connor Little. Trey Vavra led off with an infield single off the glove of a diving Jon Kristoffersen at short. Aaron Gretz singled Vavra to third and a fielder's choice scored Vavra giving the Canaries a three-run cushion.

Similar to the night before it was a pitcher's duel from the beginning as Saints starter Benji Waite, who came in with a 2-1 record and a 1.64 ERA, was matched by a pitcher whom the Saints had clobbered the first two times they faced him, Miles Nordgren. He came in 2-3 with a 6.26 ERA.

The teams traded runs in the third. With Motl on at first and one out Waite committed a throwing error on a pickoff to first that allowed Motl to take second. Marr came through with an RBI single giving the Canaries a 1-0 lead. Waite went 6.0 innings allowing one unearned run on five hits while walking three and striking out three.

The Saints didn't wait long to tie it as Jack Goihl led off the bottom of the inning with a single to left-center. Kristoffersen sacrificed him to second and Tim Colwell's ground out moved Goihl to third. Mitch Delfino drove home Goihl with a ground ball away from the shift on the right side that the second baseman Marr was able to get to, but had no play at first. Nate Hanson followed with a single and Brady Shoemaker walked to load the bases, but Anthony Gallas struck out to end the inning. Nordgren went 6.0 innings allowing one run on seven hits while walking one and striking out seven.

The Saints had a great opportunity to take the lead in the seventh against Canaries reliever Dylan Thompson, who was 1-1 with a 0.37 ERA. With one out Colwell hit a high tapper over Thompson and shortstop Blake Schmit charged, but he couldn't come up with the bare handed play. Colwell stole second and moved to third on Delfino's infield single to third. With runners at the corners and one out Thompson got Nate Hanson to ground into an inning ending double play.

The same two teams meet in game three of the four game series on Wednesday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints send RHP Ryan Zimmerman (3-3, 4.40) to the mound against Canaries LHP Joe Bircher (3-4, 5.19). It is the celebration of The Simpson's. The game can be seen on the Saints Cable Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, and heard on Club 1220 KLBB.

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American Association Stories from July 11, 2017


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