Royal Flush: Sabato's Historic Night With Three Homers And Seven RBI Leads Six Long Ball Barrage In 15-7 Win Over Las Vegas

SUMMERLIN, NV (May 5, 20206) - In their first ever game in a Pacific Coast League ballpark the St. Paul Saints came up aces. They smashed six home runs, three by Aaron Sabato, and beat up on the Las Vegas Aviators 15-7 on Tuesday night at Las Vegas Ballpark.

In a 15-hit barrage, eight of the nine Saints collected a hit, all nine scored, a run, and five of nine had an RBI. The story was Sabato who went 4-5 with a double, three homers, a career-high seven RBI, and four RBI. The three homers ties a franchise record joining Jose Miranda, Brent Rooker, Spencer Steer, Chris Williams, and Kyler Fedko, who was the last to do it on on April 12 of this season, as the only Saints to homer three times in a game (the Saints also had four, three-homer games as an Independent team). His seven RBI tied a franchise record with Brent Rooker and Miranda.

An error proved costly for the Saints in the first inning as the Aviators plated two. Henry Bolte reached on a two base throwing error by Tanner Schobel. After a groundout moved Bolte to third, Cade Marlowe’s triple into the right field corner gave the Aviators a 1-0 lead. Joey Meneses made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Saints wasted no time responding putting up four in the second and the Sabato show started with his lone non home run. They loaded the bases with the first three hitters in the inning as Orlando Arcia led off with a double to center, Alex Jackson walked, and Ben Ross looped a single to center. Aaron Sabato unloaded the bases with a double to left putting the Saints up 3-2. With two outs Kaelen Culpepper doubled to right scoring Sabato making it 4-2.

With the Saints up 4-3 in the fourth Sabato began the homer barrage with a solo blast to left-center, his third of the season, putting the Saints up 5-3.

Three runs with two outs in the fifth inning put the Aviators back on top. Bolte led off the inning with a walk. With Bolte at second and two outs reliever Kendry Rojas gave up four consecutive singles that led to three runs. Meneses had an RBI single, Bryan Lavastida singled to put runners at the corners, and back-to-back RBI singles from Michael Stefanic and Chad Wallach gave the Aviators a 6-5 lead.

Sabato continued his incredible night as he started the sixth inning launching a solo homer to left-center, his second of the night and fourth of the season, tying the game at six. Schobel followed with a walk and Noah Cardenas blooped a single to center and he advanced to second on the throw to third. With two outs, and following a pitching change, Ryan Kreidler swung at a 3-0 fastball and ripped a two-run double down the third base line putting the Saints back up 8-6. Gabby Gonzalez then broke out of a 0-25 slump with an RBI single to center making it 9-6.

Sabato capped his amazing night in the seventh. With one out Ross smoked a double to right. On the very first pitch of his at bat, Sabato hit a splitter up in the zone and he line a two-run homer to left, his third of the game and fifth of the season, increasing the Saints lead to 11-6.

The home run party was in full effect in the eighth for the Saints as they went deep three times. Culpepper led off with a solo blast to right-center, his seventh of the season, giving the Saints a 12-6 lead. With one out Gonzalez smashed a solo homer to center, his eighth of the season, making it 13-6. After a walk to Arcia, Jackson hit a two-run homer into the pool in right-center, his fifth of the season, increasing the leaf to 15-6.

The Saints have now homered 24 times in their last seven games and their 59 home runs on the season trail only the New York Yankees 60, for most in baseball.

The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series at Las Vegas Ballpark at 9:05 p.m. (CT). The Saints send RHP Mike Paredes (1-1, 4.76) to the mound against Aviators RHP Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang (0-1, 9.39). The game can be heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.