AA St. Paul Saints

Saints Don't Let RailCats Claw Their Way Back, Win 7-6

Published on July 7, 2011 under American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN (July 7, 2011) - It appeared as though the St. Paul Saints would breeze to victory as they jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but in the end the Saints needed a big strikeout of a guy who was 12 for his last 13 to win 7-6 over the Gary SouthShore Railcats.on Thursday night at Midway Stadium in front of 4,208.

With the Saints leading by one in the top of the ninth Robert Manuel came on to close the game out. He gave up a lead off double to Brad Boyer putting the tying run in scoring position. Manuel struck out Cristian Guerrero looking and then hit Toddrick Johnson to put the go ahead run on. Manuel would strike out Kyle Haines looking and then had to face Mike Rhode who was 3-3 on the night and had 12 hits in his last 13 at bats. Manuel would win the battle striking him out looking on a back door slider to earn his ninth save of the season.

The Saints jumped all over RailCats starter Nolan Nicholson putting up four runs in the first inning. Adam Frost led off with a single to left and moved to third on a single by Ronnie Bourquin, extending his hitting streak to 11. Ole Sheldon blooped one into right scoring Frost and giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. Jason Cooper then crushed one over the center field wall off the batters eye for a three-run homer, his sixth of the season to give the Saints a 4-0 lead.

In the second the Saints added two more runs when Jonathan Van Every walked and Frost doubled him to third. Ronnie Bourquin's ground out scored Van Every and Sheldon's sac fly made it 6-0.

The RailCats got on the board in the top of the third on a solo homer from Brian Kolb, his first of the season, making it 6-1.

The Saints answered with a solo homer of their own when Brandon Tripp took the first pitch of the bottom of the third and deposited it over the right field wall, his seventh of the season, giving the Saints a 7-1 lead.

The RailCats, however, would claw their way back. With the score 7-2 in the sixth they would load the bases with nobody out. Caleb Thielbar came out of the bullpen and got a huge double play off the bat off Kolb, scoring a run to make it 7-3. Adam Klein's RBI single made it 7-4.

In the eighth the Saints saw their lead go from three to one. With one out Rhode walked and stole second. Mike Valadez doubled him home to make it 7-5 and he would advance to third on a wild pitch. Kolb's sac fly cut the Saints lead to one.

The same two teams meet Friday evening in game two of a four game series at 7:05 p.m. at Midway Stadium. The Saints send RHP Matt Long (6-3, 4.32) to the mound against former Saint Alain Quijano (3-3, 6.21). It is Nine Innings of Kevin Bacon. The game can be heard on Relevant Radio 1330.

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American Association Stories from July 7, 2011


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