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AA St. Paul Saints

Saints Lose 12-4, But Magic Number for Playoff Berth Drops to Four

August 25, 2018 - American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ROSEMONT, IL - It was good news, bad news for the St. Paul Saints on Saturday night at Impact Field. The bad news was they got pummeled 12-4 by the Chicago Dogs. The good news was the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks lost to the Gary SouthShore Railcats thus dropping the Saints magic number to clinch a playoff berth to four games. The Saints lead in the North Division did, however, drop to 1.0 over the RailCats with eight games remaining.

The Saints got off to a great start in the first inning when Max Murphy led off the game with a double down the left field line. The hit was his 127th of the season, one shy of Adam Olow's single-season mark of 128 set in 2004. Two batters later Brady Shoemaker crushed his 14th homer of the season, a two-run shot to left, to give the Saints a 2-0 lead.

The Saints had their ace Eddie Medina on the mound who had won his last four games and came in third in the league in ERA. Medina, however, was not sharp from the outset as he walked the second batter he faced and then gave up a two-run homer to Rubi Silva, his fourth of the season, to tie the game at two.

In the bottom of the second Medina did something he hasn't done all year, give up two homers in a game. Stephen Perez led off with a double to right and, with two outs, Kenny Wilson drilled a two-run homer to left, his first of the night and fourth of the season, to make it 4-2.

The Saints got one back in the third when Kyle Barrett singled with one out extending his hitting streak to 21 games, sixth longest in franchise history. He moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a fly out and scored on a wild pitch making it 4-3.

The Saints had a chance to tie it in the fourth when Dante Bichette Jr. doubled down the third base line to extend his hitting streak to a season high in the American Association, 24 games. It's the third longest in franchise history. Justin O'Conner would strike out and Dan Motl and Trevor Sealey flew out to end the inning.

That would be as close as the Saints would get as the Dogs put up four in the fourth. Mike Falsetti led off with a walk and Wilson singled him to second. A wild pitch moved the runners up and Edwin Arroyo's RBI groundout made it 5-3. Rubi Silva then reached on an error by first baseman Zach Walters, one of three committed by the Saints on Saturday night, allowing Wilson to score making it 6-3. A walk to Trey Vavra put runners at first and second and, with two outs, Joe Benson doubled home a pair making it 8-3. Medina went 4.0 innings allowing a season high eight runs (five earned) on eight hits while walking three and striking out five.

The Saints only other run came on a solo homer by O'Conner in the sixth, his 15th of the season.

The Saints have Sunday off and resume their roadtrip with a two-game series at Shaw Park in Winnipeg on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. The Saints send RHP Jake Matthys (8-7, 4.38) to the mound against Goldeyes LHP Brennan Bernardino (1-2, 3.60). The game can be heard on Alt 93.3 FM.

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