AA St. Paul Saints

Solter Carries a Perfect Game into Seventh, But Saints Lose 1-0

Published on June 3, 2018 under American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


CLEBURNE, TX - Matt Solter was on the precipice of an historic outing on Sunday at The Depot at Cleburne Station. He took a perfect game into the seventh, had a no-hitter through 6.2 innings, but the St. Paul Saints left 13 men on base and lost 1-0 to the Cleburne Railroaders. The loss drops the Saints to 10-6 on the season and they are 4-3 on the 10-game roadtrip.

Solter cruised through the first six innings and wasn't close to giving up a hit until the final out in the sixth inning when Trevor Sealey hit a line drive, but right at the first baseman Jayce Boyd.

In the seventh, however, Solter lost the perfect game when he walked the first batter of the inning, KC Huth. Cam Monger dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Huth to second. Solter got Angelo Gumbs to fly out to right, but Patrick Palmeiro hit a slow grounder to the left of the second base bag that rolled into the outfield for a base hit and scored Huth. Solter wound up going 7.2 innings allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out seven. It's the second consecutive outing Solter didn't get any run support while he was in the game.

The Saints had plenty of opportunities to score runs as they left 13 on base, including the bases loaded three times. In the first Josh Allen led off with a double. With Max Murphy at the plate, catcher Blake Grant-Parks threw back to the mound and it went under the glove of pitcher Michael Gunn. Allen attempted to take third, but the second baseman Sealey grabbed the ball and threw an underhand flip to third that got Allen. With two outs in the inning Brady Shoemaker and Jayce Boyd singled and Richard Prigatano reached on shortstop Alex Polston's error to load the bases. Dante Bichette Jr., however, struck out to end the inning.

In the second the Saints loaded the bases again on three walks, but Shoemaker grounded out to short to end the inning.

In the third the Saints had runners at first and second, following two walks, with one out, but Jordan Smith grounded into a double play to end the inning.

In the fourth Allen hit a ball that looked like it might have been a home run when he drove one off the top of the wall and the ball appeared to ricochet back into the field of play off a platform over the wall. The umpires ruled the ball was off the wall and Allen wound up with a triple. Murphy grounded out to end the inning.

In the seventh the Saints loaded the bases again with two outs when Shoemaker and Boyd singled and Prigatano walked. Bichette Jr. would ground out to end the inning.

The 1-0 loss was the 18th in franchise history and the first time thye have been shutout this season.

The Saints head to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium for a three-game series against the Wichita Wingnuts beginning on Monday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Eddie Medina (1-0, 2.95) against Wingnuts LHP Casey Harman (2-0, 0.00)

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American Association Stories from June 3, 2018


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