AA St. Paul Saints

Everything Bigger in Texas, Including Deficit, Saints Lose by Largest Margin of Season 15-1

Published on May 31, 2017 under American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


CLEBURNE, TX - Prior to the game the St. Paul Saints signed bullpen catcher Maxx Garrett as a rookie pitcher. He was needed on Tuesday night at The Depot at Celburne Station, but it was because the Saints had dug themselves a large hole. The Saints would go on to lose 15-1, their largest defeat of the season.

The game actually started off on a positive note for the Saints when Danny Oh led off the game with a solo homer to right, his third of the season. In his first five professional season's Oh had homered twice. Oh went 2-3 on the night with a home run, RBI and a run scored. The only other players with a hit were Tim Colwell, who went 3-4 with two doubles, and a single by Jack Goihl.

The Railroaders, who entered the game with the second worst batting average in the American Association at .221, pounded the ball from their first at bat until their last. They slugged out 17 hits and their 16 runs were roughly half their output for the entire season, 35 runs in the first 12 games. The Saints started John Straka on three days rest because of lack of arms and in the first he walked the leadoff man Maikol Gonzalez. Devan Ahart then hit a shallow fly to right, but rightfielder Oh and second baseman Tony Thomas collided and the ball dropped. Oh still had time to throw out Gonzalez at second, but his throw pulled shortstop Jon Kristoffersen off the bag. Mitch Glasser followed with an RBI triple, one of five hits on the night and four RBI. Geraldo Valentin made it 2-0 with an RBI groundout.

With the Railroaders leading 3-1 in the fifth the game was blown open. Gonzalez led off with a walk and Ahart singled him to second. Glasser made it 4-1 with an RBI single. With two on and one out Shawn Zarraga hit a three-run homer to right, his second of the season, to make it 7-1. Brandon Tierney doubled and Mike Blanke's infield single put runners at the corners. A sacrifice fly by K.C. Huth made it 8-1. Straka went 5.0 innings allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits while walking two and striking out two.

Corey Williams, the only reliever not to pitch on Monday night, entered the game in the sixth and would last 1.1 innings allowing four runs on four hits.

Garrett made his professional debut as a pitcher and took over with a runner on and two one out in the seventh. He retired the first batter he faced, Alex Polston, on a pop out, but gave up an RBI single to Gonzalez which made it 12-1. Garrett recorded his first strikeout fanning Ahart.

In the eighth Glasser singled and scored after three straight wild pitches by Garrett. With one out Zarraga walked and Brandon Tierney clubbed a two-run homer, his first of the season, to finish the scoring. Garrett went 1.2 innings allowing three runs on three hits while walking one and striking out one.

The same two teams meet Wednesday night at 7:06 p.m. at The Depot. The Saints are TBA while the Railroaders will throw RHP Josh Hodges (1-0, 2.53). The game can be heard on Club 1220 KLBB.

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American Association Stories from May 31, 2017


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