Rookie right-hander Tom Buske threw seven innings of shutout baseball as the St. Paul Saints blanked the Cats 4-0 on Tuesday night at LaGrave Field.
In the first meeting of the season between the two teams, St. Paul took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Josh Alley reached on a one-out error. After Brent Krause walked, Jason Cooper singled to left, bringing home Alley with the first run of the game.
They added a run in the third inning as Cooper delivered his second run-scoring single of the game, scoring Alex Fonseca for a 2-0 lead.
Andrew Schmiesing singled home Scott Knazek in the fourth to make it 3-0 and Fonseca hit a solo homer to lead off the seventh, his first dinger of the season for a 4-0 St. Paul advantage.
Buske did not allow a hit until the fourth inning and wound up going seven innings, permitting just five hits while striking out two and walking three. It is Buske's second career victory as his record improves to 2-1 on the season.
Mike Bille worked a scoreless eighth inning before Kerry Ligtenberg closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
It was only the second time this season through the first 55 games that the Cats have been shutout.
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Cats' starter Ryan Riddle went seven innings, and gave up four runs, three earned on five hits. He walked five and struck out five in the game as his record dropped to 4-5 with the loss.
The series continues on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. with Jae Jung on the mound for the Cats and Mitch Wylie taking the hill for St. Paul.
