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Just Another Day at the Ballpark for the Saints, Win 8-7 in 10 Innings

August 9, 2011 - American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN (August 9, 2011) - Put a star by this game because if the St. Paul Saints get into the playoffs they will most certainly remember Tuesday afternoon at Midway Stadium as they set a franchise record using seven pitchers and winning the ninth longest game in franchise history, a four hour 20 minute, 10 inning, 8-7 game over the Wichita Wingnuts in front of 6,734.

With the game tied at two in the seventh the Saints took the lead with a two run inning. Ronnie Bourquin led off with a walk and Ole Sheldon singled to left. Wingnuts starter Nick Singleton, who entered the game 10-1 with a 2.99 ERA, left the game for hard throwing reliever Kendy Batista. He struck out Jason Cooper, but Argelis Nunez connected on one of his five hits, a pop up that fell just out of the reach of the diving center fielder, Mike Conroy, allowing Bourquin to score and give the Saints a 3-2 lead. After another strike out, Jonathan Van Every hit a fly ball to center that Conroy lost in the sun and fell in for an RBI single to give the Saints a 4-2 lead.

The Wingnuts, however, hammered out five runs in the top of the eighth sending 10 men to the plate. With one out Peter Barrows walked, stole second and scored when Gerardo Bustamante reached on a throwing error by third baseman Bourquin. Jose Duran tied the game at four on a triple to right. Conroy followed with a walk and Josh Horn gave the Wingnuts a 5-4 lead on a single to left. After a strikeout of Juan Richardson, Carlos Rivera doubled home the final two runs of the inning to make it 7-4.

The Saints, as they have so many times this season, answered in the bottom of the inning. Steve Mays led off with a walk and with one out Bourquin walked. Sheldon made it 7-5 with an RBI double putting runners at second and third. Cooper walked to load the bases and Nunez doubled home two to tie the game at seven. Richard Mercado walked to load the bases, but Van Every and Alex Garabedian struck out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 10th Cooper led off with a single to center and advanced to third on a Nunez double. Nunez finished the day 5-6 with two doubles and three RBI, his first five hit game of his career. Mercado's sacrifice fly scored Cooper easily for the win.

The Saints used a franchise record seven pitchers, surpassing the record of six done three other times, the last time June 29, 2009 at Wichita in a 13 inning game. Rookie righty Robert Coe was solid going 2.0 shutout innings walking one and striking out one, but left the game with two outs and a runner on second in the 10th for Caleb Thielbar, who picked up the win by retiring Carlos Rivera. Thielbar extended his scoreless streak to 28.0.

The same two teams meet in game three of the four game series on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send LHP Donald Brandt (7-2, 3.72) to the mound against Wingnuts RHP Junior Guerra (6-3, 4.03). It is "The Signs They Are A Changin" with post game star gazing with the Minnesota Planetarium Society. The game can be seen on the Saints Cable Network (check saintsbaseball.com for the channel in your area) and heard live on Relevant Radio 1330.

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