ROSEMONT, IL (August 22, 2020) – The late inning magic for the St. Paul Saints fell just short on Saturday night at Impact Field. The Saints scored three runs in the eighth, but went down quietly in the ninth and lost 6-5 to the Chicago Dogs. The loss drops the Saints to 23-21 and they are now 1.0 game behind the Milwaukee Milkmen for the second and final playoff spot with 16 games to go.

With the Saints down 6-2 in the eighth Josh Allen led off with a single to center. With one out, Max Murphy lined a single to right putting runners at first and second. The Dogs went to their bullpen for reliever Jake Cousins who was greeted by a single from Nate Samson that loaded the bases. Then the errors ensued. Mitch Ghelfi hit a grounder to first and K.C. Hobson’s throw to the shortstop Tyler Ladendorf at second was dropped allowing Allen to score to make it 6-3 and keeping the bases loaded. With two outs Alonzo Harris hit a grounder to short and Ladendorf’s throw to first was low and skipped by Hobson allowing two runs to score getting the Saints to within a run. Chris Chinea, however, struck out to end the inning.

Unlike Friday night when the Saints exploded for five runs, Cousins retired the Saints in order in the ninth.

The Saints jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third when Mikey Reynolds doubled and scored on Harris’ single.

The Dogs answered in the bottom of the inning when Michael Crouse reached on a fielding error by Samson at short. Crouse stole second and advanced to third on the throwing error from the catcher Ghelfi. Joey Terdoslavich hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

In the fifth Harris came calling again with a mammoth solo homer to left, his fourth of the season, giving the Saints a 2-1 lead. Harris finished a triple shy of the cycle going 4-5 with two singles, a double, home run, two RBI, and a run scored.

In the bottom of the fifth, however, the Dogs used two home runs to take the lead for good. Harrison Smith tied it with a solo homer to left, his sixth of the season. Crouse walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. With two outs the Saints walked Terdoslavich, but the next hitter, Hobson, made them pay with a three-run homer to left-center, his sixth of the season, giving the Dogs a 5-2 lead.

In the sixth Logan Moore hit a solo homer to left, his third of the season all against the Saints, making it 6-2.

The same two teams meet in the finals of the three game series on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. The Saints start LHP Chris Nunn (0-0, 0.00) and the Dogs go with RHP J.D. Busfield (3-2, 6.83). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Boxscore

By Sean Aronson, St. Paul Saints