Silviano Homer Leads Saints to Victory in 13
SIOUX FALLS, SD (July 23, 2020) – The St. Paul Saints were one out away from winning the game in nine innings on Thursday night at Sioux Falls Stadium. The first place Sioux Falls Canaries found a way to tie it in the bottom of the ninth, but John Silviano played hero for the Saints in the top of the 13th with a solo home run in a 4-3 victory in four hours and 22 minutes.
With the game tied at three in the top of the 13th, and the wind blowing in all night, Silviano drilled an opposite field solo homer to left, his third of the season, giving the Saints the 4-3 lead.
The Canaries, who had already come back once, threatened in the bottom of the 13th off of Nick Belzer, the sixth pitcher of the night for the Saints. Belzer retired the first two hitters, but then walked Andrew Ely and gave up a single to Jabari Henry putting the tying run at second and winning run at first. Belzer was able to strikeout the second-best hitter in the league, Alay Lago, to end the game. Belzer went 2.0 shutout innings allowing one hit while walking one and striking out two.
The Saints took a 3-0 lead into the ninth and it started when they broke a scoreless tie in the seventh as Chris Chinea singled and Josh Allen walked. With one out, and starter Grady Wood removed from the game for Kevin Folman, Silviano gave the Saints a 1-0 lead with an RBI single to right.
In the ninth the Saints tacked on two insurance runs as Chinea led off with a walk and Allen singled him to second. A fielder’s choice put runners at the corners with one out for Silviano. He made it 2-0 with an RBI single to right. He finished the game 4-5 with a home run, three RBI and a run scored. It was his fourth career four-hit game. Justin Byrd made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the ninth Jameson McGrane, who was a perfect 4-4 in save opportunities, tried to close it out. He was brought into the game with two on and one out in the eighth and got Clint Coulter to fly out and Mike Hart to strikeout. McGrane walked the leadoff hitter Logan Landon to start the ninth. After a fly out by Ryan Long, Ryan Brett singled to right-center putting runners at the corners. A walk to Ely loaded the bases, but McGrane fanned Henry. Lago then came through with a two-run single, just out of the reach of a diving Mikey Reynolds in right-center, making it 3-2. Damek Tomscha tied it with a single to right field. Aaron Brown then made his Saints debut and got Coulter to pop out to end the inning. Brown went 2.1 scoreless innings allowing two hits and striking out one.
The four hours and 22 minutes is tied for the 16th longest game in franchise history and it was the 40th four-hour game in franchise history. The Saints are now 19-21 in such contests.
The same two teams meet in a new three-game series beginning on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. at Sioux Falls Stadium with the Saints as the home team. The Saints send RHP Ryan Zimmerman (1-1, 4.67) to the mound against Canaries LHP Jake Zokan (2-1, 5.27). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM and seen at aabaseball.tv.
By Sean Aronson, St. Paul Saints
