AA St. Paul Saints

Saints Skid Hits Four with 3-2 Loss to Explorers

Published on August 6, 2019 under American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


SIOUX CITY, IA - The St. Paul Saints had numerous opportunities with runners in scoring position, but managed just two hits in those situations and only one of those hits produced a run. The biggest hit of the game was a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth by former Major Leaguer Jeremy Hazelbaker and the Saints lost 3-2 to the Sioux City Explorers on Tuesday night at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park. The loss is the fourth in a row for the Saints and drops their record to 44-30.

With the game tied at two in the bottom of the eighth and two outs Hazelbaker, who hit 14 home runs in two seasons in the Majors, crushed a solo homer to right off of Ken Frosch giving the Explorers the eventual winning run.

The Saints got on the board in the second when they loaded the bases with nobody out. Jeremy Martinez led off by being hit by a pitch. Chesny Young singled to center moving Martinez to second. Chris Baker's infield single to third loaded the bases. Looking for a big inning, Blake Schmit hit a grounder to third that Jose Sermo fielded and touched third for the force out as Martinez scored giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. With runners at first and second, Dan Motl struck out and Michael Lang grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

In the fourth the Saints put runners at first and second with one out, but a fielder's choice ground out by Schmit and a fly out by Motl ended the inning.

Saints starter Jordan Jess pitched well getting three double plays in the first four innings, but the Explorers tied the game in the fourth. Kyle Wren led off with a single to right followed by a single to left from Nate Samson putting runners at first and second. Jess got a double play off the bat of Hazelbaker, but Sermo followed with a sinking liner under the glove of a diving Schmit in left that went for an RBI double tying the game at one.

In the fifth, the Explorers took the lead when Drew Stankiewicz led off with a double to right and Dylan Kelly followed with an RBI single giving the Explorers a 2-1 lead. Jess went 6.0 innings allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out four.

In the sixth the Saints got a leadoff double by Young and Baker walked. Schmit tried to bunt for a base hit, but bunted back towards the mound and Taylor Jordan fielded it with the barehand and threw out Young at third. Motl ended the inning by grounding out to first.

The Saints finally came through with a base hit with a runner in scoring position that plated a run. In the seventh Lang led off with a walk and stole second on the strikeout of Brady Shoemaker. John Silviano walked to put runners at first and second. Josh Allen then dropped a broken bat single into left-center scoring Lang, but Silviano took too big a turn at second and was thrown out as he tried to scamper back to the bag. The Saints finished the night 2-11 with runners in scoring position.

The same two teams meet in game two of the three game series on Wednesday night at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park. The Saints send RHP Eddie Medina (7-1, 2.56) to the mound against Explorers LHP Andrew Chin (1-0, 3.72). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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American Association Stories from August 6, 2019


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