AA St. Paul Saints

Oh Captain, My Captain: Mercado Has Career Night in 9-5 Saints Win

Published on June 6, 2011 under American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN (June 6, 2011) - The St. Paul Saints offense may not want to go home when this 13-game roadtrip ends Wednesday, because for the 11th time in 11 games they collected double digit hits, as they pounded out 18 total, in a 9-5 victory over the Shreveport-Bossier Captains on Monday night at Fair Grounds Field.

The night belonged to Saints catcher Richard Mercado who collected a career high five hits, including a career and franchise tying high three doubles that led the Saints attack. Mercado finished the night 5-5 with three doubles, four RBI and three runs scored. He became the 18th Saints player to collect three doubles. The last to do it was Shane Costa on May 27, when he also collected five hits on the first game of the roadtrip. The Saints came in hitting just .253 at home and .330 on the road and made sure that number raised on Monday.

The onslaught came in the second inning as Brandon Tripp doubled to left-center extending his career long hitting streak to 15 games. Mercado started his night with an RBI double to right-center to make it 1-0. Two batters later Jeff Howell added an RBI single to give the Saints a 2-0 lead.

In the third the Saints took a 5-0 as Justin Snyder singled and Kevin Thompson doubled him to third. Tripp then hit a grounder to third that Mike Provencher threw away at home allowing Snyder and Thompson to score. Mercado knocked in Tripp with an RBI single.

The Captains made a game of it scoring one in the third and three more in the fourth. In the fourth Palmer Karr Jr. singled and Brian Frichter reached on an error by third baseman Ronnie Bourquin. Provencher doubled them both home to make it 5-3. Two batters later Robert Perry's infield single scored Provencher to make it 5-4.

The biggest moment of the night came in the bottom of the fifth with the Saints leading 6-4. Saints starter Jake Schmidt got into a jam loading the bases with one out on three consecutive singles. Schmidt got out of the jam by getting Frichter to foul out and Provencher to strike out. That turned the momentum back to the Saints who would score two in the seventh.

Tripp led off the seventh with a single and Mercado doubled him in to make it 7-4. With two outs Jonathan Van Every tripled home Mercado to make it 8-4. It was Van Every's first extra base hit that wasn't a home run this season.

All nine Saints collected a hit, the third time in the 11 games on the roadtrip that has occurred. Jason Cooper extended his hitting streak to 12 games collecting a pair of hits. Snyder, Tripp, Howell and Van Every also collected two hits.

The Saints and Captains will meet in game two of the three game series on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. at Fair Grounds Field. The Saints send RHP Matt Long (2-1, 5.22) to the mound against Captains RHP Osvaldo Rodriguez (1-1, 5.93). The game can be heard live on Relevant Radio 1330.

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American Association Stories from June 6, 2011


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