Buxton Homers Twice, Saints Crush Five, But Lose 16-9
ST. PAUL, MN (June 10, 2021) -- If Byron Buxton didn’t feel good about his at bats from Tuesday night he sure looked like he felt great on Thursday night at CHS Field. He crushed two home runs, drove in five, and the St. Paul Saints as a team hit
ST. PAUL, MN (June 10, 2021) -- If Byron Buxton didn’t feel good about his at bats from Tuesday night he sure looked like he felt great on Thursday night at CHS Field. He crushed two home runs, drove in five, and the St. Paul Saints as a team hit a season high five home runs, but it wasn’t enough in a 16-9 loss to the Omaha Storm Chasers at CHS Field in front of 4,852.
The Saints were digging out of an early hole from the word go as the Storm Chasers put up five runs in the first and five more in the second. Ryan O’Hearn, who knocked two home runs on Wednesday night, delivered two home runs and five RBI in his first two at bats over the first two innings on Thursday night. His three runs homer in the first inning combined with RBI singles from Gabriel Cancel and Sebastian Rivero made it 5-0.
Buxton wasted little time exciting the crowd in the bottom of the inning with a two-run opposite field home run to cut the deficit to 5-2.
The Storm Chasers put up five more in the second behind a two-run homer from O’Hearn, an RBI single from Meibrys Viloria, and a two-run double by Rivero to make it 10-2 Storm Chasers.
The Saints added four in the bottom of the second on a two-run homer from Keon Broxton, his first of the season, and a two-run homer from Buxton to the deepest part of the ballpark in left-center cutting the deficit to 10-6.
With the Saints down 11-6 in the fourth, Buxton took his final at bat. With David Bañuelos on at third after he doubled and moved to third on a groundout, Buxton crushed one to deep center that was caught on the warning track for a sacrifice fly. Buxton finished the night 2-2 with two home runs, five RBI and two runs scored.
With the Saints down 16-7 in the bottom of the seventh Brent Rooker drilled a solo homer to left, his eighth of the season, making it 16-8.
The Saints finished up their scoring in the ninth on a solo homer by Drew Maggi, his first of the season.
Along with Buxton, Bañuelos went 3-4 with a double and two runs scored.
The same two teams meet in the fourth game of the six-game series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. The Saints send RHP Rob Whalen (0-1, 1.08) to the mound against Storm Chasers RHP Scott Blewett (1-1, 5.40). The game can be seen on FOX 9+ and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.