Week in Review

A seven-game home stand started out well as the Sioux Falls Canaries won two of three from the Grand Prairie AirHogs. Then the St. Paul Saints came to town, the hottest team in the American Association, and after winning the first game of the series, the Canaries dropped the final three to fall to 3-4 at home during the week.

In the first game of their series with Grand Prairie, the Canaries had two big innings, scoring three in the fourth and five in the sixth in an 8-2 win. Jerome Pena and Brian Humphries each had three hits in the win. Humphries scored two and hit his first home run of the season, while Pena drove home two. Miguel Pena won his third game of the season, with 6 innings of 7 hit, 1 run ball.

Grand Prairie took the second game of the series behind seven solid innings from T.J. Bozeman, who outdueled Shawn Blackwell in the 4-2 AirHogs win. Sioux Falls rebounded by taking the rubber match, 9-1. Joe Bircher allowed 3 hits and a run in 6.2 innings pitched for his second win of the season. Edwin Gomez swung the big bat on the evening, going 2-4 with 2 runs and 3 RBI, while adding his first home run of the season.

The Sioux Falls Canaries then welcomed the buzz saw that is the St. Paul Saints. Sioux Falls got six shutout innings from Stephen Bougher in the first game of the series to defeat the Saints 3-0. It was Bougher’s first start of the season. The bottom of the order came up big for the Canaries, with Tyler Shover, RJ Perucki and Harrision Kain combining to go 6-8 with 2 runs and 3 RBI.

The Saints took the final three games of the series. St. Paul rode outstanding pitching and timely hitting in each of those games. Catcher Richard Stock had three hits in the third game of the series and Michael Wang added three in the series finale.

Sioux Falls 8, Grand Prairie 2
Grand Prairie 4, Sioux Falls 2
Sioux Falls 9, Grand Prairie 1
Sioux Falls 3, St. Paul 0
St. Paul 6, Sioux Falls 2
St. Paul 9, Sioux Falls 3
St. Paul 5, Sioux Falls 3

Who’s Hot

RJ Perucki had a huge seven-day stretch for the Sioux Falls Canaries. The third baseman was 11-22 with 4 runs and 3 RBI. He also added his first home run of the season.

Transactions

On June 12, the Sioux Falls Canaries placed LHP Miguel Pena on the disabled list, retroactive to June 9. RHP Stephen Bougher was signed to replace Pena and delivered six shutout innings against the St. Paul Saints in his first start.

By Robert Pannier