SIOUX FALLS, SD (July 21, 2020) – The St. Paul Saints offense did all they could to overcome six home runs hit by the Sioux Falls Canaries. Chris Chinea set a career high with five hits and Mikey Reynolds tied a franchise record with three doubles, but it wasn’t enough. After giving up 10 unanswered runs and trailing 10-1 through five, the offense turned it on, but finished a run short losing 10-9 to the Canaries on Tuesday night at Sioux Falls Stadium.

With the Saints down by nine entering the sixth Alonso Harris started the inning with a solid single off the glove of second baseman Grant Kay. Chinea then unloaded on a two-run homer to right, his third of the season, making it 10-3. With one out Max Murphy singled and went to second on John Silviano’s single. A wild pitch moved Murphy to third who then scored on JC Millan’s fielder’s choice cutting the deficit to six.

In the seventh Chesny Young was hit by a pitch and Alonso Harris ripped a single off the body of Kay at second putting runners at first and second. Harris went 2-5 with two runs scored in his return to the Saints. After a balk moved the runners up 90-feet, Chinea roped a two-run single to right making it 10-6.

In the eighth Reynolds doubled to right and, with two outs, Young knocked him home with a single making it 10-7. Reynolds, who entered the night leading the league in hitting, extended his hitting streak to 11-games going 4-5 with three doubles and two runs scored and is now hitting .456. The three doubles were a career and tied a franchise record, now accomplished 21 times the last time by Chinea on July 14.

In the ninth Chinea and Allen started the inning with back-to-back singles. Chinea went 5-5, falling a triple shy of the cycle with three singles, a double and a home run, four RBI and two runs scored. With one out a wild pitch moved the runners up and a ground out by John Silviano scored Chinea making it 10-8. Another wild pitch scored Allen to get the Saints within one, but Millan flew out to center ending the game.

The Saints, who took a 1-0 lead in the first on a double by Reynolds and an RBI single from Young, couldn’t keep the Canaries in the ballpark. They got a solo homer from Logan Landon in the second to tie the game at one.

In the third they scored seven runs off of starter Eddie Medina. Ryan Brett led off the inning with a solo homer making it 2-1. After Andrew Ely singled, Jabari Henry hit a two-run homer to left making it 4-1. Alay Lago and Damek Tomscha reached on back-to-back singles and, with two outs, Landon made it 6-1 with a two-run single. Grant Kay then deposited one over the center field wall for a two-run homer making it 8-1. The four home runs issued by Medina were a career high.

Spencer Jones pitched well out of the bullpen giving the Saints 4.0 strong innings and his only mistakes were back-to-back solo homers to Mike Hart and Landon in the fifth making it 10-1.

Eight of the nine Saints collected a hit as they outhit the Canaries 18-15.

The same two teams meet in the second game of the three-game series on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Matt Solter (3-0, 3.20) to the mound against Canaries RHP Tyler Herron (1-0, 9.00). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

Boxscore

By Sean Aronson, St. Paul Saints