SIOUX FALL, SD (July 25, 2020) – The St. Paul Saints are now one-third of the way through the 2020 season. In a game all too reminiscent of some they’ve played in the first three weeks of the season, they fell behind big early, clawed their way back, had a chance to tie or win it in the ninth, but fell just short losing 13-12 to the Sioux Falls Canaries on Saturday night at Sioux Falls Stadium.

With the Saints trailing 13-7 in the eighth inning the first four hitters of the inning reached and scored. Josh Allen led off with a walk and John Silviano followed with a two-run homer to straightaway center, his fourth of the season, cutting the deficit to 13-9. Justin Byrd was then hit by a pitch and Mikey Reynolds doubled him to third. A sacrifice fly from Nate Samson made it 13-10. Reynolds took third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch making it 13-11.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Saints faced the league leader in saves, Keaton Steele. With one out Allen singled to left, advanced to second on a wild pitch and Max Murhpy walked. After a strikeout of Silviano, Byrd singled to right driving home Allen and sending Murphy to third as the Saints drew  to within a run. That brought up the league’s leading hitter, Reynolds. He swung at the first pitch and hit a line drive to right, but it was right at Logan Landon who caught it to end the game.

The Saints fell behind 7-1 after just an inning and a half as the Canaries scored three in the first and four in the second. In the first, Andrew Ely led off the game with a walk and Jabari Henry doubled him to third. Damek Tomscha’s RBI groundout made it 1-0 and Clint Coulter followed with a two-run home run, his third of the season, making it 3-0.

The Saints got one back in the bottom of the inning when Reynolds singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Samson sacrifice fly.

The Canaries put up another crooked number in the second courtesy of an RBI fielder’s choice by Ely and a three-run homer from Henry, his first of the game and fifth of the season, making it 7-1.

The Saints scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second on a throwing error by the shortstop Ely to make it 7-2.

The Canaries scored in five of the first six innings and took an 8-2 lead in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Tomscha.

The Saints came roaring back in the bottom of the fourth with their first four run inning of the night. The first five hitters of the inning reached on singles by Chris Chinea and Allen, an RBI double from Murphy, and RBI singles from Silviano and Byrd. With one out Samson made it 8-6 with an RBI single.

The Canaries, however, would score five over the next two innings getting three in the fifth on an RBI single from Ely and a two-run homer by Henry, his second of the night and sixth of the season, making it 11-6.

They made it 13-6 in the sixth when Tomscha was hit by a pitch, Coulter walked, and Landon brought them both home with a double.

Seven of the nine Saints collected a hit with Chinea collecting three. Silviano had four RBI while Samson had three. Brian Glowicki was solid out of the bullpen going 2.1 shutout innings allowing two hits and striking out one.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the three-game series on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. at Sioux Falls Stadium with the Saints as the home team. The Saints send RHP Eddie Medina (0-3, 7.71) to the mound against Canaries LHP Ty Culbreth (2-0, 3.64). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM and seen at aabaseball.tv.

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By Sean Aronson, St. Paul Saints