Saints Give Up Runs Early and Often, Lose 16-10

ST. PAUL, MN (August 24, 2010) -- The St. Paul Saints aren't quite mathematically eliminated from the playoff race, but their pulse is faint after a 16-10 loss to the Sioux City Explorers on Tuesday night at Midway Stadium in front of 5,624. The Saints now trail division leader Sioux Falls by 4.0 games and wild card leaders the Lincoln Saltdogs and Explorers by 3.5 games with five games left.

The night got off to a rocky start and never got any better as the Explorers put up a crooked number in seven of nine innings, failing to score in just the sixth and eighth innings. The Saints trailed 5-0 after an inning and a half as an RBI ground out by Jacob Cruz and an RBI double from Ray Serrano made it 2-0 in the first.

In the second TJ Bohn singled home two with the bases loaded and Cruz followed that with an RBI single to make it 5-0.

The Saints showed signs of life in the bottom of the inning getting a solo homer from Jason Cooper, his 11th of the season and a solo homer from Josh Burrus, his first of the night and fifth of the season, to make it 5-2.

In the third the Explorers made it 7-2 as Steve Pearson doubled, advanced to third on a singe by Derek Schermerhorn and a throwing error by right fielder Chad Gabriel allowed Pearson to score and sent Schermerhorn to third. Javier Brown's single scored Schermerhon to give the Explorers a five run lead.

The Saints took the lead in the bottom of the inning by flexing their muscles. Josh Alley led off with a single to left-center and on a grounder to second by Hector Bernal, Alley was safe at second when Schermerhorn's throw pulled Brown off the bag. That would cost the Explorers because Ole Sheldon would follow with an RBI single to make it 7-3. With two outs Burrus hit his second homer of the night, his sixth of the season, a three-run shot to left-center to make it 7-6. Chad Gabriel followed with an infield single and Gerard Haran clubbed his 12th homer of the season, a two-run shot to give the Saints an 8-7 lead.

The lead didn't last long as the Explorers got a lead off double from Bohn in the fourth. Cruz followed with a walk and on a strikeout to Kent Sakamoto, Bohn and Cruz pulled off a double steal. A ground out by Serrano scored Bohn to tie the game at eight. Pearson followed with a strikeout, but the ball got away from the catcher Haran allowing Cruz to score for a 9-8 lead, a lead the Explorers wouldn't relinquish.

Every Explorer collected a hit by the fifth inning as they pounded out 19 on the night, seven of them doubles, three of which were by Bohn.

The same two teams meet in the finale of the three game series and the final home game of the season for the Saints at 7:05 p.m. at Midway Stadium. The Saints send RHP Jake Schmidt (8-7, 5.55) to the mound against Explorers RHP Chad Povich (5-2, 5.32). It is Fan Appreciation Night with postgame fireworks presented by Cub Foods. The game can be seen on the Saints Cable Network (check saintsbaseball.com for the channel in your area) and heard on Relevant Radio 1330.

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