The St. Paul Saints used a six-run seventh inning to beat the Sioux Falls Canaries 11-8 on Wednesday afternoon at CHS Field.
Brady Shoemaker and Aaron Gretz homered in the seventh inning to help the Saints complete a huge comeback.
The Canaries came out hitting early, as they scored four runs in the second thanks to a home run from former Saints pitcher Jeff Malm. After the home run, Mitch Glasser and Jordan Smith hit back-to-back singles, and proceeded to pull a double steal to bring home another run for the Canaries.
In the top of the third, Jabari Henry entered the game in place of Chris Grayson and hit a leadoff home run to left field to extend the lead to 5-0.
In the bottom of the frame, the Saints got four of those runs back, as Nathaniel Maggio led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Joey Wong walked, Max Murphy brought home a run with a double to left field. Kyle Barrett followed with a single to right field to bring home two runs and proceeded to steal second base while Burt Reynolds was batting.
After Reynolds struck out, Brady Shoemaker delivered an RBI single to right field.
In the sixth inning the Saints added a run, but they lost manager George Tsamis, who got ejected after arguing a Wong hit down the right-field line that was called foul by home plate umpire Jacob McConnell.
Wong struck out two pitches later.
The Saints poured on the runs in the seventh, using the two home runs in the inning and two other hits to score six runs thanks also to one Sioux Falls error, which occurred with Reynolds on second. He was caught off the base after a bluffed throw from catcher Maxx Garrett, but when Garrett threw to third to try and get him, the ball sailed into left field, allowing Reynolds to cruise to home plate and score.
St. Paul nearly gave the runs right back to Sioux Falls in the eighth, allowing a leadoff walk, two stolen bases and a hit by pitch, as well as an error by Gretz, but despite that, Beck Wheeler only gave up one run in the inning.
After the Saints went down in order in the eighth inning, Zack Jones came on for the save opportunity. He sent Patrick Fiala, Malm and Mitch Glasser down in order to end the game.
The Saints will go for a series win on Thursday night, when they send RHP Trevor Foss to the mound. He will be opposed by RHP Dylan Thompson. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
NOTES
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- Ryan Boelter was released prior to the game to make room on the roster for Ryan Zimmerman, who started the game. Zimmerman lasted 3 1/3 innings, giving up seven hits and five runs while recording four strikeouts.
- The Saints won’t be done with the Canaries, as they will host the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks for a quick two-game series before heading on the road to face the Canaries in Sioux Falls, after which they will go to Chicago for a matchup with the Dogs.
- The Wichita Wingnuts are having an interesting promotion for Wednesday’s game against the Winnipeg Goldeyes. They are bringing in some comedians to heckle umpire Joe Stegner, with a $100 prize going to the first comedian to be ejected without using profanity. Stegner was the umpire from the American Association Championship series who called a balk on a Wichita pitcher that Wingnuts fans disagreed with, and felt that the call cost them the championship.
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