Article: St. Paul Saints, Season on the Brink

[Ben Szeremeta]

My oh my, what an up and down season this has become for our Saints. After closing within inches of a playoff spot with their last four-game winning streak, a recent five-game losing streak has put them on the brink of being eliminated from playoff contention.

 

As of August 17th, with 18 games remaining in the regular season, the Saints sit eight games back of first place Winnipeg in the North, and five games back of Kansas City in the wild card race. Let’s take a look at how they got here, the full playoff picture, and their upcoming home stand.Sioux Falls Canaries (Aug 10th – 13th)

At the start of their latest home stand, the Saints looked to continue their winning ways, facing the Sioux Falls Canaries in a four-game showdown. Unfortunately, the 3-1 series loss was highlighted by two season marks the Saints wish they hadn't set.

 

In the first game, the team was able to muster only two hits, a season low, against Canaries starter, Miles Nordgren, who tossed his first ever complete game shutout in the 7-0 Canaries victory. Then, the Saints were blanked again in the series finale 7-0, making this the first time all season the team has been shut out twice in a series. Canaries pitcher Grady Wood held the Saints in check for all nine innings, tossing the second complete game of the series for Sioux Falls.

 

The bright spot of the home stand was a 10-5 victory in game two. Nate Hanson hit his 12th home run of the year, and the Saints scored four runs in the sixth chasing Canaries starter, Joe Bircher from the mound. For the Saints, Benji Waite started went five innings allowing three runs, and Brandon Peterson earned the win, tossing two scoreless innings in relief.

 

At Winnipeg Goldeyes (Aug 14th – 17th)

Coming off two straight losses the Saints tried to right the ship against the first-place Goldeyes in Winnipeg. Alas, it looks like a road trip to Canada was not what the doctor ordered. With one game remaining in the series, tonight Aug 17th, the Saints have lost three straight (6-3, 8-2, 5-3) in Winnipeg, while also tying their season long losing streak at five games.

 

Playoff Picture as of Aug 17^th

North Division

50-32 Winnipeg Goldeyes

43-36 Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks – 5.5 games back

42-40 St. Paul Saints – 8 games back

37-44 Sioux Falls Canaries – 12.5 games back

 

Wild Card

47-35 Kansas City T-Bones

46-35 Gary SouthShore Railcats - .5 games back

43-36 Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks – 2.5 games back

42-40 St. Paul Saints – 5 games back

 

Looking Ahead

The Saints second-to-last home stand of the regular season begins on Thursday, August 18th. The local nine face off against the Cleburne Railroaders in a three-game set, followed by a four-game series versus the first-place team in the South, the Wichita Wingnuts.

 

As you can see, it is going to be an uphill battle for the Saints to get back into the race with only 18 games remaining. While things may look bleak, I’ve seen how big crowds at home can give the team a lift. So, let’s all get down to Lowertown and pack CHS Field to cheer on our Saints. We need a winning streak!

Promotions are aplenty during the seven-game home stand, here are the highlights:

 

The opening series has Friday Night Fireworks (Aug 18th), Is it Goose or Grey Duck night (Aug 19th, and the Roy Campenella Print Giveaway, which honors the first African American player in the American Association (Aug 19th). Then next week is Monday Night Variety Show with gust emcees, Tom Barnard and Kathryn Brandt and musical guest Aby Wolf (Aug 21st), The World’s Largest Game of Twister, played on CHS Field post game (Aug 22nd), Darryl Strawberry Silver Season Bobblehead Giveaway (Aug 23rd), and rounding out the home stand is a celebration of Monty Python’s Flying Circus (Aug 24th).

 

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