It’s been a busy last few weeks for the St. Paul Saints, who hit July sitting second place in the American Association North Division, just half a game behind the Gary Southshore Railcats entering play on Tuesday, but a 4-0 loss to the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks gave them their second straight loss to begin the month.
A strange first inning set the tone for what would become a frustrating evening for the Saints.
Chris Nunn took the mound for the Saints just hours after being signed. The first batter he faced, Tim Colwell, hit a sharp ground ball to right field that looked like it was going to be good for extra bases, but it struck the leg of the first base umpire and redirected to shallow right field, holding Colwell to just a single.
After Maikol Gonzalez flew out, Brennan Metzger hit a line drive right back up the middle that struck Nunn and ricocheted into left field, allowing Metzger to get a double and Colwell to score.
That run turned out to be all the Redhawks would need.
Fargo-Moorhead took the field in the bottom of the inning and immediately took issue with a call by the umpiring crew. There were runners on first and second with Noah Perio Jr. at the plate for the Saints. He hit a fly ball to shallow left field that saw three fielders converge under it. None of the fielders were able to catch it, and the runners attempted to advance, though the lead runner Kyle Barrett was tagged out before reaching third base.
The home plate umpire stopped play and ruled that Perio was out due to the infield fly rule and placed both runners up one base from where they started. Redhawks manager Michael Schlact came out and vehemently argued the call but eventually went back to the dugout. After Burt Reynolds’ walk loaded the bases Dante Bichette Jr. flew out to right field. Barrett attempted to score but was barely thrown out to end the inning.
It was a tough night for the Saints as they left 12 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the fourth. They were able to put together the start of a two-out rally in the ninth when Barrett drew a walk, and Max Murphy reached on an error by the right fielder Colwell after he dropped what should have been the third out. Luckily for the Redhawks, it didn’t make a difference, as Perio flew out to center field to end the game.
This was the first game of a three-game series that will now see a shift in venue, as both teams will get on their respective buses and head to Fargo for the final two games of the series. Game 2 will be tomorrow at 7:02 p.m. at Newman Outdoor Field.
Notebook
– Prior to the game, the Saints announced a monster group of signings, adding three pitchers and one hitter to the team. Twins fans may remember the name Zack Jones, a former farmhand who was most recently with Double-A Chattanooga, where he was 1-1 with a 2.49 ERA.
– The Saints signed another name that many Minnesota baseball fans will recognize on June 22, when former University of Minnesota standout Luke Pettersen was inked to a contract, fresh off leading the Gophers to their first-ever NCAA Super Regional, where they were defeated by eventual NCAA champion Oregon State. The infielder has played sparingly for the Saints, appearing in just five games, compiling a .188 batting average with three hits in 16 at-bats.
– Speaking of big signings, the Saints signed former Sioux Falls Canaries star Burt Reynolds. Reynolds has a .250 batting average this season with the Saints and the Canaries, totaling seven home runs and 18 runs batted in.
– On the same day that the Saints signed Reynolds their pitching staff took a major hit as closer Tom Wilhelmsen was signed by Tijuana of the Mexican League. The former big leaguer was a big part of the Saints bullpen, which has struggled since he left.
– The Saints also brought back a former friend, signing catcher Aaron Gretz, who spent parts of the last few seasons with the Saints before spending last season with the Canaries. Since signing, Gretz has a .300 batting average with two runs batted in.
