Author: Joe Alexander

Hooks’ big inning sinks Missions

Esteury Ruiz, catching a fly ball near the right-field line, had the San Antonio Missions' only RBI in Friday's loss to the Corpus Christi Hooks at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Esteury Ruiz, catching a fly ball near the right-field line, had the San Antonio Missions’ only RBI in Friday’s loss to the Corpus Christi Hooks at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions and Corpus Christi Hooks got solid pitching for most of Friday night.

The Hooks made the top of the fifth inning the exception. They broke out for seven runs in the fifth as they beat the Missions 9-2 at Wolff Stadium.

Corpus Christi’s Ross Adolph hit a three-run homer and Scott Manea and Dave Hensley had run scoring hits as part of the top of the fifth. The surge put the Hooks in front 8-0 and it was never close after that.

The Missions’ runs came on an RBI ground-out by Esteury Ruiz in the bottom of the sixth and a Hooks error on an Olivier Basabe grounder in the ninth.

Missions starting pitcher Matt Waldron held the Hooks to one run over the first four innings but got roughed up in the fifth. He went 4 1/3 innings and was tagged for seven runs on seven hits with six strikeouts. Waldron is 0-3 with the Missions since being promoted from Class A.

Hooks starter Joe Record (4-1) went six innings and allowed one run to get the win. Hooks reliever Cesar Rosado went the final three innings and allowed only one unearned run.

Missions manager Phillip Wellman has missed back-to-back games. Missions radio reported he was serving a two-game suspension and is expected back for Saturday’s game.

Michael Curry’s home run not enough for Missions in extra-innings loss to Hooks

Michael Curry hit a 3-run homer in the second inning in the San Antonio Missions' loss to the Corpus Christi Hooks on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Michael Curry hit a 3-run homer in the second inning in the Missions’ loss to Corpus Christi on Thursday at Wolff Stadium.
San Antonio Missions outfielder Michael Curry started hitting home runs at the beginning of July and added another on Thursday night at Wolff Stadium.

Curry hit his sixth homer since July 2, a three-run shot in the second inning for the first runs of the game. The Missions couldn’t hang on to the lead in a 7-5 loss to the Corpus Christi Hooks in 10 innings.

The Hooks had three homers of their own, including a two-run shot by Corey Julks in the top of the 10th that turned out to be the game-winner.

Curry also had a sacrifice fly and had four RBIs in the game. Eguy Rosario had two doubles and drove in the Missions’ other run.

Flying Chandlas earn spot in TCL championship game

Flying Chanclas de San Antonio center fielder Cole Modgling dives to catch a short fly ball in Wednesday's playoff victory over the Brazos Valley Bombers at St. Mary's University. - photo by Joe Alexander
Flying Chanclas center fielder Cole Modgling dives to catch a short fly ball in Wednesday’s playoff victory over Brazos Valley.
The Flying Chanclas de San Antonio beat the Brazos Valley Bombers 4-2 on Wednesday at St. Mary’s University in Game 2 of their Texas Collegiate League playoff series.

The Chanclas swept the best-of-three series and will play at home Saturday at noon at Wolff Stadium in a single-game championship.

The Chanclas held off the Bombers with solid pitching. Starter Kolby Lunsford allowed two runs on five hits through seven innings and left with a 4-2 lead. Jarek Wells was the Chanclas’ first reliever, taking care of the eighth inning. Connor Schmidt came in to close it out in the ninth.

The Chanclas took their first lead of the game and went in front for good when Ryan Flores drove in Cole Modgling with two outs in bottom of fourth. Rody Barker’s hit into short right-center brought in Cole Modgling in the bottom of the sixth to make it 4-2.

The Chanclas scored twice in the bottom of the third to tie it 2-2 after the Bombers scored twice in the top of the inning. Justin Thompson drove in Ryan Flores for the Chanclas’ first run and Zac Vooletich’s grounder scored Thompson with the tying run.

Missions drop series opener against Hooks; Kelvin Melean drives in all three runs

San Antonio second baseman Kelvin Melean doubles in the second inning to drive in the Missions' first run of the game on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
San Antonio second baseman Kelvin Melean doubles in the second inning to drive in the Missions’ first run of the game.
The Corpus Christi Hooks scored three runs in the top of the third inning and led the rest of the way in a 6-3 victory over the San Antonio Missions on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium in the opener of a six-game series.

The Missions trailed 6-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth. They loaded the bases and Kelvin Melean singled in Kyle Overstreet and Allen Cordoba to trim the lead to three runs. That was their final hit.

The Missions’ other run came in the bottom of the fifth when Juan Fernandez doubled and scored on a double by Melean, who drove in all three of the team’s runs on the night.

UTSA’s Luke Malone pitching for Flying Chanclas

Luke Malone from UTSA pitching for the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Luke Malone from UTSA pitching for the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium.
Luke Malone has made seven starts for the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio during the 2021 Texas Collegiate League Season.

The 6-foot-3 right-hander from Round Rock appeared in 17 games for UTSA in 2021 with seven starts and a 2-2 record. He had a 6.41 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings.

Jalen Battles returns to Wolff Stadium with Flying Chanclas

Jalen Battles playing shortstop for the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio in Tuesday's 10-9 victory over the Brazos Valley Bombers at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Jalen Battles playing shortstop for the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio in Tuesday’s victory over Brazos Valley at Wolff Stadium.
Jalen Battles was a member of the 2020 Flying Chanclas de San Antonio team in the Texas Collegiate League.

Since then, Battles gained national attention as a star on the Arkansas team that captured the SEC Tournament title. In the tournament he batted .538 with a home run and drove in five runs and was named the MVP. On the season, Battles batted .269 in 61 games with six home runs and 43 RBIs.

Tuesday night the former Madison High School star was back at Wolff Stadium. A recent addition to this season’s Flying Chanclas roster, he had a walk-off single in a 10-9 victory over the Brazos Valley Bomber. He finished the night with four hits, three RBIs and a run scored.

Battles is playing shortstop and batting .471 in four games with the Flying Chanclas (8-of-17).

Jalen Battles playing for Flying Chanclas: Summer 2020

Missions fall to Springfield after reports of trade involving Jack Suwinski; Esteury Ruiz homers in return

Jack Suwinski watches from the San Antonio Missions dugout during the fifth inning of Sunday's loss to the Springfield Cardinals. There were reports that Suwinski will be part of a trade between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates. - photo by Joe Alexander
Jack Suwinski watches from the Missions dugout during the fifth inning of Sunday’s loss. There were reports that Suwinski will be part of a trade between the Padres and Pirates.
Jack Suwinski spent Sunday night watching from the dugout in what might have been his final game in a San Antonio Missions uniform.

Suwinski was replaced in the Missions’ starting lineup prior to the game, a 10-6 Springfield Cardinals victory.

According to reports from multiple members of the media who cover Major League Baseball, Suwinski will be part of a trade between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates. The big name in the trade is Pirates second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier going to the Padres.
Trade story on MLB.com

The Missions got a second-inning home run from Esteury Ruiz in his first at-bat since suffering a finger/hand injury on June 13. Dwayna Williams-Sutton homered in the sixth inning.

The Cardinals pounded out 12 hits including home runs by Ivan Herrera and Luken Baker.

The Missions begin a six-game road series on Tuesday in Amarillo. They return Aug. 3 for a six-game series at Wolff Stadium against the Corpus Christi Hooks.

San Antonio Missions outfielder Esteury Ruiz celebrates his home run. He was activated from the injured list on Sunday and played in his first game since June 13. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions outfielder Esteury Ruiz celebrates his home run. He was activated from the injured list on Sunday and played in his first game since June 13.

Missions pitchers Adrian Martinez, Osvaldo Hernandez dominate in sweep of Cardinals

San Antonio Missions right fielder Jack Suwinski had three hits Saturday including his 15th home run of the season. - photo by Joe Alexander
San Antonio Missions right fielder Jack Suwinski had three hits Saturday including his 15th home run of the season.
San Antonio Missions pitchers Adrian Martinez and Osvaldo Hernandez started combined shutouts in both halves of a doubleheader Saturday at Wolff Stadium.

The Missions won both seven-inning games 2-0.

Jack Suwinski scored three of the Missions’ four runs on the day. He went 3-for-4 in the doubleheader with his team-leading 15th home run, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

The six-game series concludes on Sunday with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch.

FIRST GAME

Martinez (6-3) went six innings in the first game, allowing two hits with three strikeouts. Jose Quezada pitched the seventh for his 10th save of the season

Eguy Rosario led off the bottom of the first inning with his ninth home run. The Missions’ other run also came in the first when Kyle Overstreet drove in Suwinski.

SECOND GAME

Hernandez (3-6) went 5 2/3 innings in the second game, leaving with a 2-0 lead and a runner on second base. Pedro Avila got the final out of the sixth inning and retired the Cardinals in order in the seventh for his second save.

Suwinski hit a solo shot in the second inning. Allen Cordoba doubled in Suwinski in the bottom of the fourth for the second run.

Jordan Humphreys gets 1st win, Michael Curry homers as Missions blank Cardinals

San Antonio Missions starter Jordan Humphreys was the winning pitcher in Friday's victory over the Springfield Cardinals at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions starter Jordan Humphreys was the winning pitcher in Friday’s victory over the Springfield Cardinals at Wolff Stadium.
Jordan Humphreys pitched five scoreless innings to start off a combined shutout as the San Antonio Missions beat the Springfield Cardinals 4-0 on Friday at Wolff Stadium.

Brandon Komar went the next 2.0 innings, James Reeves pitched 2/3 of an inning and Nick Kuzia closed out the final 1 1/3 innings and picked up his his third save.

Kuzia entered the game in the eighth with the bases loaded and two outs and struck out the first batter he faced. He retired the Cardinals in order in the ninth.

The Missions’ scoring came on Jose Azocar’s two-run double off the wall in left in the third inning and Michael Curry’s third home run of the year coming with a runner on base in the fourth. Azocar has 12 hits in the last eight games and is batting .387 over that stretch.

Curry entered the game as a replacement after Dwanya Williams-Sutton limped off following what looked like a near collision with Eguy Rosario as they went after a shallow fly ball.

Ivan Herrera: St. Louis Cardinals prospect, Springfield catcher

Ivan Herrera, a St. Louis Cardinals prospect and Springfield catcher, playing against the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium on July 20, 2021. - photo by Joe Alexander
Ivan Herrera, a St. Louis Cardinals prospect, playing against the Missions at Wolff Stadium on July 20.
Ivan Herrera is a 21-year-old catcher from Panama and is the No. 3 prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, according to MLB.com.

Herrera plays for the Double-A Springfield Cardinals, who are currently in the a six-game series against the San Antonio Missions through Sunday at Wolff Stadium.

The 5-foot-11 Herrera was signed as a 16-year-old by the Cardinals in 2016. This season he is batting .213 in Springfield with five home runs and 34 RBIs in 58 games. He played in Class A in 2019, batting .284 with nine home runs and 47 RBIs in 87 games.