AA St. Paul Saints

Saints Blank Canaries for Second Time This Season 3-0

Published on July 2, 2008 under American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN (July 2, 2008) - On Wednesday night it was the pitching coach for the St. Paul Saints who stepped up and gave the club a shot in the arm as Mitch Wylie hurled 6.0 scoreless innings as the Saints blanked the Sioux Falls Canaries 3-0 at Midway Stadium in front of 4,860.

Wylie had matched up against Canaries right-hander Ben Moore in his last two outings and had come away with two defeats. He made sure it wouldn't happen a third time as he pitched out of a couple mini jams and kept the Canaries scoreless. In the first inning Kennard Bibbs reached on an infield single and Grant Richardson walked. Wylie got Josh Patton to ground out to second which put runners at second and third. Wylie got the biggest out of the night when he got Paul Smyth to ground back to the mound, holding the runners and recording the out at first. Ben Van Iderstine grounded out to short to end the inning.

In the second the Canaries put runners at first and third when Tim Hutting walked with one out and moved to second on a single by Andrew Barbaro. After a fielder's choice ground out put runners at the corners with two outs, Wylie struck out Bibbs looking. Wylie went 6.0 shutout innings allowing five hits while walking three and striking out three and earned his first victory of the season.

The Saints finally got to Moore, who had dominated them during his last two outings. The Saints did, however, run themselves out of the second inning. Kevin Sullivan led off with a single to left. Brent Krause followed with a single to right-center, but Sullivan was thrown out trying to take third. Heath Keel followed with a single to left, but he was thrown out trying to go to second. With two outs and Krause at third Steve Butler grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Saints finally broke through in the fifth. Keel led off with a single to left. Butler sacrificed him to second and Ryan Priddy walked. Josh Womack reached on a fielder's choice that put runners at the corners with two outs. Tony Mansolino came through with an RBI single to left to make it 1-0. After a walk to Tim Brown loaded the bases, Pichi Balet followed with a two-run single to right to make it 3-0.

The Saints bullpen did the rest retiring all nine batters they faced. Craig Molldrem pitched a perfect 2.0 innings of relief and Tony Pierce picked up his ninth save of the season by working a perfect ninth and striking out two.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the three game series Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Justin Lord (3-5, 3.80) to the mound against Canaries LHP Ryan Ford (6-3, 2.57). It is Viva los Lobos Night. The game can be seen on the Saints Cable Network (check saintsbaseball.com for the channel in your area) and heard on Relevant Radio 1330.

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American Association Stories from July 2, 2008


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