Saints pitching staff earns first shutout of season, beats Omaha 5-0

OMAHA – Jermaine Palacios continued his tear with two more home runs and four pitchers combined to throw an eight-hit shutout — the Saints' first of the season — in a 5-0 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Saturday night at Werner Park.

Despite getting no-hit for the first five innings, the Saints improved to 51-51, the the first time they have reached .500 since July 7. They were one of four minor league teams that had yet to throw a shutout this season.

Ariel Jurado pitched around a couple of early jams, with shortstop Michael Helman throwing out Freddy Fermin at home to end the second inning, and ended up going four innings.

John Andreoli took care of the no-hitter and shutout with one swing of the bat leading off the sixth, a solo shot to right for his ninth home run of the season. Two batters later, Palacios continued his torrid pace with a homer to left-center to make it 2-0.

Juan Minaya let four runners reach in the fifth inning but got out of it in part because of a double play lined into by former Twins outfielder Brent Rooker. Evan Sisk pitched around a leadoff double in the seventh and a one-out double in the eighth, and after the Saints added three runs in the ninth on a Braden Bishop solo homer and a two-run shot for Palacios, Michael Feliz pitched a scoreless ninth to complete the shutout.

Palacios has hit six home runs in his past eight games.