AA St. Paul Saints

There's No Place Like Home: Saints Blank Wingnuts 5-0

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


ST. PAUL, MN - The St. Paul Saints wrapped up their second 10-game roadtrip of the season on Sunday. After back-to-back days off they finally played their first game in front of the home crown in two weeks as they blanked the Wichita Wingnuts for the second time this season, 5-0 on Wednesday night at CHS Field in front of 8,372, snapping their four game losing streak. The win improved the Saints to 34-28.

With the two straight off days the Saints set up their rotation and came out with their ace Eddie Medina. He was spectacular all night long. He didn't allow a hit over the first 4.0 innings, allowing just a two-out walk to Abel Nieves in the first.

In the fifth Medina gave up a leadoff single to John Nester, the first hit by the Wingnuts. Medina retired the next three hitters.

In the sixth Medina once again allowed a leadoff single, but he got Logan Watkins on a line out to center and Zach Nehrir to ground into an inning ending double play.

In the seventh Medina gave up a one out double to Tony Thomas and then walked Nester. After 6.1 innings Medina was lifted for Beck Wheeler. He struck out Ryne Willard and got Hunter Clanin to ground out to end the inning. Medina went 6.1 shutout innings allowing three hits while walking two and striking out eight.

Wheeler retired the first two hitters in the eighth and went 1.1 perfect innings while striking out two. Ken Frosch recorded the final out in the eighth and extended his season long scoreless streak to 25.2 innings, second longest in franchise history behind Caleb Thielbar's 29.2 in 2011.

Mike Devine tossed a scoreless ninth as the Saints pitchers recorded 13 strikeouts on the night.

The Saints scored their first two runs courtesy of dropped fly balls by right fielder Nick Rotola. In the first Max Murphy led off with a single and stole second. With two outs Brady Shoemaker hit a routine fly ball to right that was dropped by Rotola allowing Murphy to score making it 1-0.

In the third the same thing happened as Murphy doubled, moved to third on a ground out and scored when Burt Reynolds fly ball was dropped by Rotola.

The Saints final three runs came on solo homers: Dante Bichette Jr's fourth of the season in the fourth, Kyle Barrett's second of the season in the fifth and Reynolds 14th of the season, 10th with the Saints, in the eighth. Reynolds' home run cleared the batters eye in center becoming just the second player to do so, and first Saints player to accomplish the feat. The only other player to hit one over the batters eye was Joe Dunnigan of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in the very first game at CHS Field in 2015.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the two game series on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints send LHP Chris Nunn (2-1, 1.96) to the mound against RHP Charlie Gillies (5-2, 3.51). It is Life Hack Night. The game can be seen on the Saints Cable Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities Metro, and heard on Alt 93.3 FM.

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American Association Stories from July 25, 2018


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