Dan Johnson Tightens Grip on Canaries Bats; St. Paul Saints Win 3-1
A day after fellow St. Paul Saints starter John Straka had his contract purchased by the Toronto Blue Jays, right-hander Dan Johnson stymied the Sioux Falls Canaries, blanking them for six-innings in his team’s 3-1 victory. That gave Johnson his third win a row and kept the Saints 7.5-games ahead of the Winnipeg Goldeyes in the North Division of the American Association.
Johnson was opposed by Kris Regas who also pitched exceptionally well. Neither team scored in the first, but the Saints took the lead in the second. With one out, the very hot-hitting Nate Hanson came to the plate and drilled his eighth homer of the year to make it 1-0. That extended Hanson’s consecutive game homer streak to three. Willie Argo followed with a ball that went over the center fielder’s head and into third he went with a triple. Two batters later an error allowed Argo to score and it was 2-0.
In the fifth, the St. Paul Saints extended their lead to three. Alonzo Harris doubled with one out and Bryson Myles walked to put runners at first and second. A base hit the opposite way by Tony Thomas scored Harris and it was 3-0.

That was all the support that Johnson (4-2) needed. The right-hander was simply brilliant, tossing six-shutout innings. He allowed 5-hits and 3-walks, while striking out 6. In his last three starts, Johnson has allowed just one-earned run in 18.2-innings pitched.
Corey Williams took over in the seventh and the Canaries were able to get on the board. Darwin Perez doubled with one out and moved to third on a fly ball by Blake Schmit. J.C. Linares walked and Patrick Fiala followed with a single that scored Perez to make it 3-1.
That would be all the offense Sioux Falls would get, however. Williams pitched a perfect eighth inning to keep it a two-run game. In the ninth, Caleb Thielbar came on looking to close it out. He struck out the first batter of the inning, then gave up a ground ball single to Perez. Schmit followed and grounded into a double-play to end the contest. That was the left-hander’s fourth save of the season.

Hanson finished 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Since the birth of his child, the Saints third baseman is now 9-12 with 4-runs and 11-RBI. In his last four-games he is 13-16 with 8-runs scored and 11-RBI. Harris was 2-4 with a run scored. Tanner Vavra was also 2-4.
Perez finished 2-3 with a run scored and 2-walks. Fiala was 2-4 with an RBI.
The St. Paul Saints look for the sweep of their four-game series Sunday evening. Right-hander Dylan Thompson (2-1, 2.36) goes for the Sioux Falls Canaries. The Saints have not named their starter yet. Game time is 5:05.
By Robert Pannier