ST. PAUL, MN (August 5, 2020) – St. Paul Saints starter Ryan Zimmerman didn’t have his best stuff on Wednesday night at CHS Field. He walked seven in 3.2 innings, but the bullpen picked him up allowing just a solo homer in the ninth over 5.1 innings of relief. That allowed the offense to find it’s groove in the eighth, coming from behind with just six outs to go for the second consecutive night in a 6-4 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in front of 1,393.

With the Saints down 3-2 going into the bottom of the eighth Chesny Young led off with a walk against Tyler Wilson. Chris Chinea sent a single up the middle putting runners at first and second. The RedHawks went to their bullpen for closer Mitchell Osnowitz. He gave up a single to Josh Allen loading the bases. After a strikeout of Max Murphy, Alonzo Harris tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right as Chinea took third. John Silviano, with three defenders to the right and one on the left side, hit it away from the shift and singled to where the shortstop would normally be standing. That allowed Chinea to score and, as Allen took third, the throw from left fielder Forrestt Allday skipped into foul territory allowing Silviano to take second. That proved costly as Mitch Ghelfi singled both runners home giving the Saints a 6-3 lead.

Despite a leadoff homer from Allday in the ninth, the lone run the RedHawks got against the Saints bullpen, Jameson McGrane retired the next three hitters to earn his eighth save of the season.

Zimmerman struggled to find the strike zone and pitched himself out of a bases loaded jam in the second after walking three-straight with one out. He got Trey Hair to hit into an inning ending double play.

The RedHawks took a 1-0 lead in the third when Brennan Metzger hit a solo homer to left-center, his fourth of the season. Zimmerman settled down and struck out the next three hitters.

In the fourth, however, Zimmerman walked the first three hitters to load the bases. An RBI single by Dylan Kelly made it 2-0. Zimmerman once again got a double play off the bat of Hair, as a run scored making it 3-0. His fourth walk of the inning, however, caused Saints manager George Tsamis to go to his bullpen as Matt Quintana got the final out of the inning. Quintana went 3.0 shutout innings allowing five hits and striking out three.

RedHawks starter Tyler Pike gave up just three hits over the first 5.0 innings, but in the sixth he ran into trouble. Mikey Reynolds ended an 0-25 slide with a leadoff single to right. Nate Samson drove home Reynolds with a double to right-center. With one out Chinea hit a comebacker, but Pike tried to get the out at third and threw the ball away allowing Samson to score making it 3-2. Pike went 6.0 innings allowing two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out 10.

Along with Quintana, Jose Velez pitched a scoreless inning of relief and Paul Voelker picked up the win by getting the last out of the eighth when he came in with the bases loaded and two outs and fanned Metzger.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the three-game series on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Eddie Medina (1-4, 7.64) to the mound against RedHawks LHP Matt Tomshaw (1-2, 4.15). The game can be seen on the Saints Cable Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, aabaseball.tv and heard on KFAN Plus 96.7 FM.

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By Sean Aronson, St. Paul Saints