ST. PAUL, MN (August 20, 2020) – St. Paul Saints starter Mike Devine entered play Thursday night with the sixth best ERA in the league, but had just one win to show for it. He finally got the run support he was looking for on Thursday night against the Chicago Dogs in front of a sellout of 1,500 at CHS Field. Devine went 8.0 scoreless and struck out a career tying high 10, Mikey Reynolds finished a single shy of the cycle and the Saints got their first shutout of the season with an 8-0 victory. The Saints are now 22-20 and sit just 1.0 game out of a playoff spot with 18 to play.

Devine was on his game all night and allowed just four base runners in his eight innings of work. He walked Joey Terdoslavich with two outs in the first, ending a string of 22.2 consecutive innings without a walk. Devine fanned Victor Roache to end the inning.

In the fourth, Terdoslavich collected the first hit for the Dogs, a one out single to left. Devine got Roache to pop out into a double play to end the inning.

In the seventh Edwin Arroyo led off with a double and Terdoslavich reached on a fielding error by Josh Allen at second. With runners at the corners and nobody out, Devine struck out Roache, got K.C. Hobson to pop out and Tyler Ladendorf to end the inning with a fielder’s choice groundout. Devine went 8.0 scoreless allowing two hits while striking out at least one batter in every inning on his way to a career tying high 10.

The Saints got Devine all the run support he needed in the second as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead. With one out Chesny Young singled and Max Murphy doubled him to third. John Silviano ripped a single down the first line plating both runners giving the Saints a 2-0 lead. Silviano then stole second and scored on a triple from Reynolds. Silviano went 3-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.

In the fourth Murphy roped another double, this time to lead off the inning. Silviano singled him to third and a Mitch Ghelfi sacrifice fly scored Murphy putting the Saints up 4-0. Reynolds followed with an RBI double to left-center making it 5-0. Alonzo Harris then hit a slow tapper to third that Blake Allemand couldn’t come up with and Reynolds scored all the way from second on the infield single as the Saints took a 6-0 lead.

The offense didn’t stop tacking on as they added another run in the fifth when Allen led off with a single. With one out, Murphy singled Allen to second. A fielder’s choice put runners on the corners and Allen scored on a passed ball giving the Saints a 7-0 lead. Murphy finished the night 3-3 with two doubles and two runs scored.

In the eighth Reynolds completed his impressive night with a solo homer to left, his third of the season. Reynolds went 3-5 with a double, triple, home run, three  RBI and two runs scored.

The same two teams begin a three-game series on Friday at 7:05 p.m., but change venues as they take their show to Impact Field. The Saints send RHP Ryan Zimmerman (4-1, 4.18) to the mound against Dogs LHP Luke Westphal (1-2, 3.34). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.