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IL St. Paul Saints

Saints Put a Hurting on Storm Chasers in 15-6 Victory

August 5, 2022 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


OMAHA, NE - The only drama on Friday night was would the St. Paul Saints throw their first shutout of the season. That opportunity ended in the eighth inning, but it was about the only thing that went wrong for the Saints at Werner Park. All nine Saints players collected a hit, Dereck Rodríguez tossed 6.0 shutout innings, and the Saints hammered the Omaha Storm Chasers 15-6 at Werner Park.

The offense got things started from the first batter of the game as Michael Helman led off with a triple to right-center. Jermaine Palacios followed with a walk. Storm Chasers pitcher Jackson Kowar then tried to pickoff Palacios at first and threw it away allowing Helman to score and Palacios to take second as the Saints took a 1-0 lead. A wild pitch moved Palacios to third and he scored on a Roy Morales sacrifice fly giving the Saints a 2-0 lead.

The Saints added to the lead in the third as Palacios reached on an infield single to third with one out. Matt Wallner was hit by a pitch and Caleb Hamilton increased the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single to left. It was the seventh consecutive game Hamilton picked up an RBI. Morales then drilled a three-run homer to left, his second of the season, giving the Saints a 6-0 lead.

Meanwhile Rodríguez pitched one of the finest games by a starter this season. In the first, he gave up two singles and had runners at first and second with one out, but got a strikeout and a fielder's choice to end the inning.

In the second inning he gave up a one out single to Freddy Fermin and the ensuing error on the play allowed Fermin to take second. That was the last hitter Rodríguez allowed to reach. He retired the final 14 batters he faced going 6.0 shutout innings allowing three hits while striking out four.

Three doubles in the seventh helped extend the Saints lead. Palacios led off the inning with a double to left. With two outs Roy Morales knocked in his career high fifth run with an RBI single to left increasing the lead to 7-0. Nash Knight doubled to left putting runners at second and third and Braden Bishop made it 9-0 with a two-run double off the wall in left-center.

In the eighth Matt Wallner hit his first Triple-A home run in his 14th game. With one out, Palacios singled to center. Wallner then walloped a two-run homer to center, an estimated 462-feet, putting the Saints up 11-0.

The Storm Chasers made it interesting in the bottom of the inning by putting up six runs which included a three-run homer from Brent Rooker, his second in as many games, that was followed by a solo homer from Brewer Hicklen, his 19th.

The Saints, however, answered in the ninth. With two on and one out, Helman drilled a three-run homer to left, his 10th of the season, putting the Saints up 14-6. Back-to-back doubles by Palacios and Wallner put the finishing touches on the game. Palacios went 4-5 with two doubles and a franchise tying and career tying five runs scored.

The same two teams meet in game five of a six-game series on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Ariel Jurado (0-2, 6.00) and the Storm Chasers are TBA. The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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