Saints Bats Silenced By Storm Chasers Lynch IV In 9-2 Loss
ST. PAUL, MN (July 27, 2024) - After nearly two turns through the rotation of dominant pitching, the last three of which came against one of the best teams in the Minor Leagues, the St. Paul Saints finally met their match. The offense did very little against Omaha Storm Chasers
ST. PAUL, MN (July 27, 2024) - After nearly two turns through the rotation of dominant pitching, the last three of which came against one of the best teams in the Minor Leagues, the St. Paul Saints finally met their match. The offense did very little against Omaha Storm Chasers starter Daniel Lynch IV and Saints starter Zebby Matthews gave up a career-tying high nine hits in a 9-2 loss on Saturday night at CHS Field in front of 8,090.
The Storm Chasers got to Matthews in the second from an unlikely source. Nick Pratto led off the inning with a single to center. With two outs Kevin Padlo, who had been seven for his last 80, delivered a two-run homer to left, his eighth of the season, giving the Storm Chasers a 2-0 lead.
In the third the Storm Chasers tacked on another run on back-to-back doubles from CJ Alexander and Brian O’Keefe making it 3-0.
The Storm Chasers added another run in the fourth as Padlo singled to left, moved to third on a double from Cam Devanney, and scored on a two-out infield single by Tyler Gentry increasing the lead to 4-0. Matthews lasted 4.0 innings allowing four runs on nine hits while striking out four. The four runs were his most allowed since he allowed five on August 8, 2023 while with Cedar Rapids at Quad Cities.
The Saints cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning. With two outs Chris Williams singled to center and Wynton Bernard followed with a two-run homer to left, his first with the Saints and fourth of the season, making it 4-2. Those were the lone two runs they scored against Lynch IV who went 7.2 innings allowing two runs on six hits and fanned six.
Two home runs by the Storm Chasers in the sixth gave them a five-run cushion. With two outs John Rave deposited a solo homer to right, his 16th of the season, increasing the lead to 5-2. Gentry’s infield single to short was followed by a two-run homer to left by Alexander, his 13th of the season, giving the Storm Chasers a 7-2 lead.
The Storm Chasers hit their fourth home run of the night in the seventh. With one out Nelson Velázquez singled to left and that was followed by a two-run homer to left from Nate Eaton, his 12th of the season, making it 9-2.
The same two teams meet in the finale of the six-game series at CHS Field on Sunday afternoon at 2:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Louie Varland (3-7, 5.34) to the mound against Storm Chasers RHP Dinelson Lamet (NR). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities area, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, and the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.