Saints Blast Six Homers, Down Goldeyes, 10-2
There is one way to overshadow a pitcher who allows just two hits in 6.0 innings of work: tie a franchise record in home runs and go back-to-back-to-back. For the second time this season the St. Paul Saints blasted six home runs, including two from league leader Max Murphy, as the Saints smashed Winnipeg Goldeyes starter Parker French in a 10-2 victory on Friday night at Shaw Park. The win improves the Saints to 30-16 on the season.
French entered the day with the 11th best opponents batting average against, .242. The Saints got to him in the first when Dan Motl doubled with one out and scored on Brady Shoemaker’s RBI single to make it 1-0.
In the second Josh Allen and Devon Rodriguez led off with back-to-back singles. Chesny Young sacrificed them over and the newest member of the Saints, Matt Morales, lined a two-run double into right-center making it 3-0.
Saints starter Ryan Zimmerman had one slip up on the night and it came in the bottom of the second. He walked the leadoff hitter, Wes Darvill, and James Harris tripled him home cutting the Saints lead to 3-1. A sacrifice foul out by Kyle Martin scored Harris to get the Goldeyes to within a run at 3-2.
That’s when the Saints flexed their muscles. They entered play leading the league in homers with 50 and started the barrage in the third. John Silviano blasted a solo shot to right, his first with the Saints. Two batters later Josh Allen drilled a solo shot to left, his 10th of the season, giving the Saints a 5-2 lead.
In the fourth the Saints did something they had only done four other times in franchise history, going back-to-back-to-back. Morales led off the inning with a single to right. He stole second and Murphy drilled a two-run shot to right, his first of the night and league leading 15th of the season, giving the Saints a 7-2 lead. The very next batter, Motl, drilled a solo shot to left, his second of the season. Two pitches later Shoemaker clubbed a solo blast to right, his 10th of the season. The last time the Saints went back-to-back-to-back was June 2, 2016 at Joplin in Game 2 of a doubleheader when Nate Hanson, Angelo Songco and Tony Thomas accomplished the feat. It’s also the fourth time this season the Saints have gone back-to-back in a game, one shy of the franchise record of five set in 2016. The last home run chased French who went 3.0+ innings allowing a season high nine runs on 11 hits.
The Saints had one more long ball and it came from Murphy, who smashed a solo homer to left, his second of the night and 16th of the season. It’s the third time this season Murphy has homered twice in a game. He had accomplished that feat just once in his five-year career. He has also homered in back-to-back games for the third time this season and ninth time in his career. The six home runs tie a franchise record set this season on June 17 at Sioux Falls.
Zimmerman, who retired eight in a row from the last out in the second until the second batter in the fifth, got two double plays in his last two innings of work. After walking Jordan Hovey in the fifth he got Kevin Garcia to ground into an inning ending double play.
In the sixth Zimmerman loaded the bases on a leadoff single to Tyler Hill, a walk to Alex Perez and a one out walk to Darvill. Zimmerman got Harris to ground into an inning ending double play. Zimmerman went 6.0 innings allowing two runs on two hits while walking six and striking out five.
The same two teams meet in game three of the five game series on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. The Saints send RHP Tom Curtin (0-0, 3.72) to the mound against Goldeyes LHP Mitchell Lambson (5-2, 3.03). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.
by Sean Aronson
Minor League Sports Report - American Association Daily Recap: July 5, 2019
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