It was shades of 2015 for Dustin Crenshaw.  Throwing strikes.  Working quickly.  Getting double plays.  And in the end he threw a Greg Maddux, a complete-game, five-hit shutout in less than 100 pitches as the St. Paul Saints defeated the Milwaukee Milkmen 4-0 on Friday night at CHS Field in front of 8,820.  The Saints improved to 13-7 on the season.

Crenshaw, who threw five complete games and three shutouts in that magical 2015 Saints season, was on his game from the beginning.  He got some help from the defense in the first when left fielder Blake Schmit made a spectacular diving catch in left for the second out of the inning.

The double plays began in the second and continued for four consecutive innings.  With one out Garrett Copeland singled to center, but Crenshaw got Adam Brett Walker to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.

In the third, Dan Ward singled with one out, but Crenshaw got Sam Dexter to hit a ground ball to third and Chesny Young fired to second and Josh Allen threw to first for the double play to end the inning.

Boxscore

By Sean Aronson

In the fourth Crenshaw walked his lone hitter of the night, Nolan Earley to lead off the inning.  Teodoro Martinez hit a shallow fly ball to right that Max Murphy caught and he doubled up Earley at first.

In the fifth the Milkmen loaded the bases when Copeland singled with one out, Brett Walker followed with a single and Cesar Valera reached on a fielding error by Joey Wong at short.  Crenshaw got Ward to hit a ground ball to Wong near the bag at second.  He fielded it, touched the bag and threw to first for the double play.

Crenshaw would allow just one more runner, a one out double to Valera in the eighth.  Crenshaw allowed five hits while walking one and striking out one as he tossed 96 pitches, 69 for strikes.

The Saints got Crenshaw all the run support he needed in the second when they scored three runs.  They loaded the bases with nobody out as Blake Schmit walked, Jeremy Martinez extended his hitting streak to eight with a single to right, and Chesny Young walked.  Joey Wong grounded into a double play, but Schmit scored on the play giving the Saints a 1-0 lead.  Dan Motl came through with an RBI single scoring Martinez to make it 2-0.  Motl swiped second and scored on a Max Murphy RBI single to center as the Saints took a 3-0 lead.

In the fifth, Wong led off with a walk and Motl singled to right moving Wong to second.  Motl finished the night 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored.  Murphy’s tapper to the mound moved the runners up and Josh Allen’s ground out to second scored Wong for the final run of the game.

It’s the fourth shutout of the season for the Saints and the second complete game shutout of the year with Eddie Medina’s no-hitter being the other.

The same two teams meet in the second game of the three game series on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at CHS Field.  The Saints send RHP Eddie Medina (3-0, 1.33) to the mound against Milkmen RHP Kurt Heyer (2-2, 1.96).  It is the 50^th Anniversary of Sesame Street and the Saints celebrate Pride.  The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM and seen on the Saints Cable Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area.