Sports stats

IL St. Paul Saints

Garlick and Murphy's Career Night Helps Saints to 6-4 Win

August 23, 2023 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


PAPILLION, NE - It was a night of career high for the St. Paul Saints. Patrick Murphy dazzled out of the bullpen setting a relief career high of nine strikeouts and Kyle Garlick set a career high, and tied a franchise high, with five hits. Those efforts led the Saints to a 6-4 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers at Werner Park on Wednesday night. The win improves the Saints to 27-20 in the second half.

With the game tied at four in the top of the ninth Andrew Stevenson dropped down a one out bunt single. He finished the night 3-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored. He is two hits shy of the single-season franchise record. He stole second and, with two outs, scored on Garlick's RBI double to left center giving the Saints a 5-4 lead. Garlick finished the night with a career-high five hits going 5-5 with a double, three RBI, and a career-tying high three runs scored. He becomes the fourth player in Triple-A franchise history to collect five hits joining Jose Miranda (2021) Michael Helman (2022), and Matt Wallner (2022). All four players collected their five hits against the Storm Chasers. Brooks Lee followed with an RBI single to right increasing the lead to 6-4.

For the second night in a row the Saints thrived in the first inning. The first four hitters reached in the first en route to a three-run inning. Stevenson led off with a single to left and he advanced to third on a throwing error by left fielder Tyler Gentry. Austin Martin walked and then stole second. Back-to-back RBI singles by Garlick and Lee put the Saints up 2-0. An RBI fielder's choice from Anthony Prato gave the Saints a 3-0 lead.

Blayne Enlow got the start and worked 2.0 shutout innings. Murphy then took over and was incredible. He retired the first five hitters before giving up a solo homer to Devin Mann, his third with the Omaha, cutting the lead to 3-1.

The Saints grabbed the run back in the fifth. Garlick led off with a single and with one out Prato doubled him to third. A sacrifice fly from Trevor Larnach made it 4-1.

Murphy would strikeout three batters in a row, the last out in the fourth and the first two in the fifth before a solo homer by Angelo Castellano, his ninth of the season, got the Storm Chasers to within 4-2. Murphy then struck out the final out of the fifth and then struck out the side in the sixth.

In the seventh, Murphy gave up a one out single before a fly out and a strikeout ended his night. He went a career-high 5.0 innings of relief allowing two runs on three hits, while not walking a batter and striking out nine, the most ever in relief in his career and one shy of his career high. The nine strikeouts are tied for the most by any Saints pitcher this season.

The Storm Chasers tied the game in the eighth with their third long ball of the night off reliever Kody Funderburk, who had not given up a long ball all season. After a leadoff walk to Castellano, Edward Olivares hit a two out, two-run homer to right, his second of the season, tying the game at four.

Funderburk who slam the door shut in the ninth after the Saints grabbed the two runs in the top of the inning to earn his fourth win of the season.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series at Werner Park at 6:35 p.m. The Saints send LHP Brent Headrick (4-2, 5.01) to the mound against Storm Chasers RHP Jonathan Bowlan (3-4, 4.93). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Check out the St. Paul Saints Statistics



International League Stories from August 23, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent St. Paul Saints Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central