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Saints Offense Cleans up with Sweep of Canaries, Win 13-8

August 22, 2018 - American Association (AA) - St. Paul Saints News Release

SIOUX FALLS, SD - The St. Paul Saints offense continues to be the most potent in the American Association during the month of August. They came in as the only team hitting over .300 in the month, and are well over that mark at .331. On Wednesday night they finished off a sweep of the Sioux Falls Canaries by pounding out 15 hits and winning 13-8 at Sioux Falls Stadium to complete a three-game sweep. The win extends the lead for the Saints in the North Division to 1.5 games and to 4.0 games for a playoff spot by virtue of losses by the Gary SouthShore Railcats and Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. The Saints have 11 games left in the regular season.

The Saints were facing University of St. Thomas grad Alex Ogren, who was making his first professional start, and they jumped all over him right away. Max Murphy led off with a single to center and with one out Brady Shoemaker crushed a two-run homer to left, his 13th of the season and fourth in seven games, to make it 2-0. The Saints have homered in eight straight games.

With the Saints leading 2-1 in the second they loaded the bases courtesy of three walks. Murphy capitalized with an RBI single to right-center making it 3-1. The next hitter Kyle Barrett extended his hitting streak to 18 with a two-run single making it 5-1.

In the fourth, with the Saints up 5-2, Murphy struck again. Aaron Gretz walked with one out and Murphy knocked him home with an RBI double making it 6-2. Murphy finished the night 4-6 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. The Saints knocked Ogren out after 4.0 innings as he allowed six runs in his pro debut.

In the fifth the Saints did the same to the Canaries bullpen scoring four off of Trevor Jaunich. Shoemaker led off with a double and Zach Walters singled him to third. With one out Nathaniel Maggio's RBI fielder's choice made it 7-2. Justin O'Conner followed with a double that moved Maggio to third. A wild pitch scored Maggio making it 8-2. Gretz clubbed his second homer of the season, a two-run shot to right, making it 10-2. Gretz finished 1-2 with a home run, two RBI, three runs scored and three walks.

The Saints tacked on three more in the ninth on a wild pitch, RBI double by O'Conner, and an RBI single by Joey Wong.

The Saints got a great starting effort by Jake Matthys a night after the bullpen was needed for 6.0 innings. Matthys went 7.0 strong allowing three runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out four to earn his eighth win of the season.

Dante Bichette Jr. went 2-5 with a double and extended his hitting streak to a career high 21, tied for the fifth longest in franchise history.

The Saints begin a three-game series against the Chicago Dogs at Impact Field beginning Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Trevor Foss (3-2, 3.17) to the mound and the Dogs are TBA. The game can be heard on Alt 93.3 FM.

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