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AA St. Paul Saints

Foss Strong on the Hill as Saints Get Much Needed 7-5 Victory over RedHawks

August 1, 2018 - American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


FARGO, ND - The calendar turned to the final full month of the season and the St. Paul Saints knew they needed to turn the page on their recent road struggles. They found the cure in starting pitcher Trevor Foss who went 8.0+ strong innings and the offense pounded out 15 hits as the Saints hung on for a 7-5 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on Wednesday night at Newman Outdoor Field snapping their six-game road losing streak. The win improves the Saints to 38-31 on the season and they get to within 2.5 games of first place and 1.5 games of the second playoff spot.

Foss made one mistake in the first eight innings, a solo homer to Chris Jacobs in the second, his 10th of the season and ninth with the RedHawks. He did not allow a hit after the second inning, walking Jacobs in the fourth, until the ninth.

In the ninth, with the Saints leading 7-1, Foss began the inning having retired 13 in a row, but he gave up a leadoff double to Derek Fox. Tim Colwell then hit a grounder to first that took a bad hop on Nathaniel Maggio. After the ball ricocheted off his body he picked it up and tried to throw it to Foss covering first, but threw it away allowing Fox to score making it 7-2. Brennan Metzger dropped a single into left putting runners at the corners and Foss departed for Ken Frosch. He got Devan Ahart to hit a sacrifice fly to center making it 7-3. Back-to-back singles by Jacobs and Keury De La Cruz, the latter making it 7-4, chased Frosch from the game. Foss went 8.0+ innings allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out three. Beck Wheeler came on and struck out Quinn Irey. Maikol Gonzales made it a two-run game with a line drive single to center. Wheeler would pick up his first save by fanning Yhoxian Medina to end the game.

The Saints offense made sure they had enough runs for the ninth and it started in the fourth. Zach Walters led off with a double and, with one out, Maggio hit a two-run homer to right, his third of the season and first with the Saints, making it 2-1 Saints.

In the fifth Burt Reynolds and Brady Shoemaker started the inning with back-to-back singles putting runners at the corners. With one out Dante Bichette Jr. made it 3-1 with an RBI single to right. After a pitching change, two wild pitches allowed Shoemaker to score making it 4-1.

The Saints gave themselves breathing room in the seventh when Walters led off by reaching on a two base fielding error from Fox at third. Bichette Jr. was intentionally walked and a wild pitch moved the runners up. With one out Justin O'Conner was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jake Smith came through with a two-run single making it 6-1 as O'Conner was thrown out trying to take third. Max Murphy then extended his hitting streak to 16 games with an RBI single to right giving the Saints a six run lead.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the four-game series on Thursday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. at Newman Outdoor Field. The Saints send RHP Jake Matthys (5-5, 3.81) to the mound against RedHawks RHP Trey McNutt (4-6, 5.55). The game can be heard on Alt 93.3 FM.

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