IL St. Paul Saints

Pitching Dominates in First Shutout of Season, 5-0 over Storm Chasers

Published on August 6, 2022 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


OMAHA, NE - Sorry Chattanooga Lookouts, Columbia Fireflies, and Visalia Rawhide. You're on your own now. For the first time all season the St. Paul Saints threw a shutout leaving those three teams as the lone pitching staffs to have not thrown a shutout in full-season Minor League baseball. Four pitchers combined to throw an eight-hit shutout. The offense helped by hitting four home runs in a 5-0 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Saturday night at Werner Park. The win improves the Saints to 51-51, the first time they have reached .500 since July 7 when they were 40-40.

Ariel Jurado got the start and worked out of a couple of mini jams in the first two innings, the biggest coming in the second. With one out Freddy Fermin walked. With two outs Angelo Castellan doubled to left. Fermin was waived around third, but a perfect throw to the plate by the relay man, shortstop Michael Helman, got Fermin by plenty. Jurado would retire the final six batters he faced going 4.0 shutout innings allowing three hits while walking one and striking out one.

It was the Saints who were stifled offensively, however, as they failed to collect a hit through the first five innings. John Andreoli took care of the no-hitter and shutout with one swing of the bat leading off the sixth, a solo shot to right, his seventh with the Saints and ninth of the season, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. Two batters later Jermaine Palacios continued his torrid pace with a solo homer to left-center, his first of the night and 11th of the season, making it 2-0.

Juan Minaya took over for Jurado and walked the leadoff man, Drew Waters, and then gave up a single to Maikel Garcia putting runners at first and second. Brent Rooker, however, hit a soft liner to Nash Knight at second and he touched second for a double play. Minaya would load the bases with a hit by pitch and a walk, but got Fermin to hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning. Minaya went 2.0 shutout innings allowing two hits.

Evan Sisk was next up, and he gave up a leadoff double to Iván Castillo to start the seventh, but retired the next three hitters. Sisk would give up a one out double in the eighth, but a line out and groundout ended the inning. Sisk went 2.0 shutout innings allowing two hits.

The Saints added three insurance runs in the ninth. With one out Braden Bishop walloped a solo homer to left, his first with the Saints, increasing the lead to 3-0. With two outs, Helman doubled to left and Palacios followed with a two-run homer to left, his second of the night, 12th of the season, and sixth in his last eight games, giving the Saints a 5-0 lead.

Michael Feliz finished off the shutout in the ninth after giving up a leadoff single by Fermin, he retired the next three hitters.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. The Saints send LHP Devin Smeltzer (2-2, 4.06) to the mound against Storm Chasers LHP Austin Cox (4-6, 4.52). The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from August 6, 2022


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