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AA St. Paul Saints

Saints Five Game Win Streak Comes to Crashing Halt in Loss to Explorers

June 28, 2017 - American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN (June 27, 2017) - The St. Paul Saints have done much more right than not over the last two weeks, but it all went wrong on Tuesday night at CHS Field in front of 8,023. They committed a season tying high four errors, failed to turn a double play and managed just six hits in an 8-1 loss to the Sioux City Explorers. The loss snapped their five game winning streak and dropped them to 25-12, a 6.0 game lead in the North Division.

The Explorers were without the top hitter in the league, .402 hitting John Nogowski who had his contract purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals, and regular Michael Lang. They played a catcher at second base, had a pitcher as their designated hitter and collected 14 hits, but the Saints miscues helped early. In the third Dylan Kelly led off with a single. Josh Vitters then hit a grounder to third. Nate Hanson fired to second for the first out, but Tanner Vavra's throw to first sailed on him and was too late to get Vitters. Alex White, the pitcher in the designated hitter spot, hit a short hopper to third that Hanson couldn't handle for an error putting runners at the corners. Tony Campana made the Saints pay with an RBI single to left making it 1-0. Nate Samson then hit a grounder to third. Hanson once again fired to second for the force out, but Vavra's throw to first was in the dirt and skipped past firstbaseman Tony Thomas allowing White to score making it 2-0.

In the sixth White led off by reaching on a throwing error by Hanson at third. Campana singled him to second and a wild pitch moved White to third. Nate Samson made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly. Jayce Ray singled Campana to third with one out. Brian Fortier then hit a tapper in between the plate and the mound. Pitcher John Straka fielded it and threw home, but Campana slid around the tag to make it 4-0.

With the Saints down 5-0 in the eighth they scored their lone run. With two outs Hobbs Johnson walked Vavra. He departed for reliever Todd Eaton. He unleashed a wild pitch and gave up a two-out double to Brady Shoemaker, the lone run the Saints got on the night.

The same two teams meet in game two of the three game series on Wednesday night at CHS Field at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Jason Creasy (4-2, 4.86) to the mound against Explorers LHP Kramer Sneed (0-1, 6.84). It is Spam Night presented by 333 on the Park, proudly owned, developed and managed by Timberland Partners. The game can be seen on the Saints Cable Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, and heard on Club 1220 KLBB.

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