When Mark Hamburger takes the hill usually he becomes the primary focus, but Monday night it was Danny Oh who grabbed the show. The St. Paul Saints outfielder had 2-hits and drove in 4-runs, three of which came on his fourth home run of the season, as Saints downed the Sioux Falls Canaries, 10-2. Hamburger was brilliant on the evening, tossing his third complete game of the season.

Miles Nordgren started for Sioux Falls, and kept the Saints off the scoreboard in the top of the first, but in the second St. Paul would take the lead. With one down, Tim Colwell worked the count full before hitting his second homer of the season to stake his team to a one-run lead. Maxx Garrett followed by drawing a walk and moved to second on a ground ball. Next up was Oh, who lined a base hit in the center to score Garrett to make the score 2-0.

The score would remain that way into the bottom of the fifth, when the Canaries would get on the board. With one down, former Saints catcher Aaron Gretz doubled into right field. Two batters later, Dan Motl recorded a double of his own, scoring Gretz to make this a one-run game.

Hamburger was maintaining the one run lead, but in the top of the seventh his team gave him a whole lot of breathing room. Colwell and Garrett started the inning with back-to-back singles. A sacrifice by Jon Kristoffersen moved both runners into scoring position bringing Oh to the plate. The first pitch offered by Nordgren, Oh drilled over the right-center field fence for his third home run of the season. That extended the lead to four, but St. Paul was not done. Tanner Vavra followed with a triple and scored when Brady Shoemaker singled two batters later. Anthony Gallas followed with a triple of his own, scoring Shoemaker and extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Tony Thomas finished out the scoring in the inning by lining a single into left field that brought home Gallas and the Saints led 8-1.

Sioux Falls responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Ty Morrison let off the frame by hitting an 0-2 pitch for his fifth homer of the year. That pulled the Canaries to within six. They would get no closer.

The Saints did a little responding of their own in the top of the eighth inning, extending their lead to eight. Back-to-back doubles by Garrett and Kristoffersen started the inning, putting two runners in scoring position. Oh plated Garrett with a sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch scored Kristoffersen to make the score 10-2.

Mark Hamburger (5-1) was in control of this game from the start. He would toss the complete game 8-hitter, allowing just two runs while striking out six. While the outing was impressive, what was most extraordinary about it was that 89 of his 113 pitches went for strikes. That was his American Association leading third complete game of the season.

Danny Oh finished the game 2-4, with a run and 4-RBI. Tanner Vavra was 3-4 with a run scored. Tim Colwell had 2-hits, 2-runs, and an RBI, and Maxx Garrett continues his hot start since rejoining the team, going 2-3 with 3-runs scored. Aaron Gretz was 2-4 with a run scored against his old team.

These two teams continue their three-game series tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 7 o’clock.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier