San Antonio Missions infielders and San Diego Padres prospects CJ Abrams (2) and Eguy Rosario (19) at the Missions’ season opener Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi. – photos by Joe AlexanderCJ Abrams and Eguy Rosario were together in the San Diego Padres’ 2021 spring training in Arizona.
The two Padres prospects are together early this season with the San Antonio Missions. Abrams was the starting shorstop and Rosario the starting second baseman for the Missions on opening day on May 4.
Abrams is 20 years old and was a first-round draft pick, No. 6 overall, by the Padres in 2019. He batted 8-of-25 (.320) with one home run, three doubles, four walks and five RBIs in the Missions’ just completed six-game series in Corpus Christi.
Rosario is 21 years old and from the Dominican Republic. He is off to a slower start at the plate, going 1-of-16 with three walks while seeing action in four of the Missions’ first six games.
UTSA players line up to celebrate after beating 19th-ranked Old Dominion 12-10 Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader at Roadrunner Field. – photos by Joe AlexanderUTSA’s bid for an upset of 19th-ranked Old Dominion got off to a fast start.
The Roadrunners got home runs by Griffin Paxton and Dylan Rock and a bases-loaded triple by Leyton Barry to score nine runs in the first inning of a 12-10 victory in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at Roadrunner Field.
Even after jumping out to a 9-3 lead, the victory didn’t come easy. UTSA went scoreless over the next four innings and Old Dominion fought back to take a 10-9 lead after five innings of the seven-inning game.
UTSA put together two hits, a walk and a hit batter in the bottom of the sixth inning and take the lead back.
Roadrunners relief pitcher Arturo Guajardo came in with one out in the sixth and got final five outs to finish the game for UTSA.
Update: UTSA beat Old Dominion 11-0 in Saturday’s second game to sweep the doubleheader. UTSA pitchers Jacob Jimenez, Grant Miller and Hunter Mason combined to hold Old Dominion to two hits.
UTSA piled up 23 runs and 27 hits in the two seven-inning games of the doubleheader. UTSA didn’t bat in bottom of seventh in either game, so all their offense basically came in 12 innings.
The four-game weekend series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.
Joshua Lamb singles with the bases loaded in the first inning to drive in Dylan Rock (top right) with UTSA’s first run of the game.Shea Gutierrez singles with the bases loaded in the first inning to drive in Nick Thornquist (top right) with UTSA’s second run of the game.Leyton Barry triples with the bases loaded in the first inning to give UTSA a 5-3 lead.UTSA’s Chase Keng (4) scores with Joshua Lamb (2) close behind on Leyton Barry’s first-inning triple.UTSA’s Shea Gutierrez (left) heads home to score from first on Leyton Barry’s first-inning triple.UTSA’s Chase Keng (4), Joshua Lamb (2) and Shea Gutierrez (3) all scored in the first inning on a triple by Leyton Barry (top), who slides into third.UTSA’s Joshua Lamb (2), Shea Gutierrez (center) and Chase Keng (4) celebrate after they scored on a first-inning triple by Leyton Barry.Leyton Barry looks into the UTSA dugout after hitting a bases-loaded triple in the first inning to give the Roadrunners a 5-3 lead.UTSA’s Griffin Paxton hits a three-run homer to give the Roadrunners an 8-3 lead in the first inning.Griffin Paxton celebrates with UTSA coach Pat Hallmark on the way home after hitting a three-run homer in the first inning.UTSA’s Griffin Paxton (left) and Jonathan Tapia (1) celebrate at home after Paxton’s three-run homer in the first inning.The Roadrunners celebrate after Griffin Paxton (22) hit a three-run homer in the first inning.The Roadrunners celebrate after Griffin Paxton (22) hit a three-run homer in the first inning.Dylan Rock blasts a home run to score for the second time in the first inning and give UTSA a 9-3 lead.Dylan Rock waves at the UTSA dugout as he rounds third base after hitting a first-inning home run.The Roadrunners celebrate after Dylan Rock (27) hit a first-inning home run to give UTSA a 9-3 lead.The Roadrunners celebrate after Dylan Rock (27) hit a first-inning home run to give UTSA a 9-3 lead.Leyton Barry advances to third base in the sixth inning on a hit by Jonathan Tapia.Leyton Barry heads home after an Old Dominion error. Barry scored on the play to tie the game 10-10 in the bottom of the sixth inning.Jonathan Tapia (1) makes it to third after a single and an Old Dominion error in the sixth inning.Griffin Paxton singles in the bottom of the sixth to drive home two runs and give UTSA a 12-10 lead.Jonathan Tapia (1) scored the go-ahead run and Josh Kileen scored right behind him on a hit by Griffin Paxton to put UTSA in front 12-10 in the bottom of the sixth inning.Josh Kileen (5) heads for home on the play that gave UTSA the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning.Josh Kileen slides safely into home in the bottom of the sixth inning with UTSA’s final run of the game.UTSA reliever Arturo Guajardo recorded the final five outs of the game for the Roadrunners.Left fielder Leyton Barry catches a fly ball for the final out in UTSA’s victory over Old Dominion.UTSA’s outfielders celebrate after the final out against Old Dominion.
Kyle Overstreet made his Missions debut Thursday and drove in the team’s only run in a 6-1 loss to the Corpus Christi Hooks.The San Antonio Missions struggled at the plate for the second straight night and lost to the Corpus Christi Hooks 6-1 on the road Thursday.
The Missions managed only three hits and struck out 13 times.
Robbie Podorsky accounted for the Missions’ only run. The leadoff batter opened the game with a single, stole second and scored on a hit by Kyle Overstreet. That gave the Missions a 1-0 lead, but they managed only one more hit the rest of the way.
The Hooks recorded only five hits, but blasted three home runs including two by David Hensley.
Robbie Podorsky rounds third base on the way to scoring the Missions’ only run in the first inning Thursday against the Corpus Christi Hooks. – photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Jose Azocar tracks down a fly ball against the Corpus Christi Hooks on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. – photo by Joe AlexanderCorpus Christi Hooks pitching held the San Antonio Missions in check for all but one inning on Wednesday night.
The Hooks beat the Missions 4-2 to even the series after the Missions won Tuesday night’s season opener.
The Missions strung together three hits in the fifth inning to score twice. But the Missions only had one other hit the rest of the night, that coming in the ninth inning.
Juan Fernandez ignited the Missions’ fifth-inning rally with a leadoff single. Mat Batten followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position with no outs.
The Hooks got the next two batters on a ground out and a strikeout. Robbie Podorsky, who had four hits in Tuesday’s opener, came through again with a two-out single to center that brought in both Fernandez and Batten.
The Hooks went in front for on a two-run homer by Grae Kessinger that gave Corpus Christi a 3-2 lead.
Three Hooks pitchers combined to allow four hits while striking out 17 Missions batters.
Random observations:
Missions second baseman Eguy Rosario is listed at 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds. That’s probably how big he was when he signed his first contract as a teenager. I’m guessing he is more like 5-11 and 190 pounds. He has some muscle on him.
Podorsky is one of the smaller guys on the team and looks like a contact hitter. Two games is a small sample size, but so far he is the Missions’ most consistent batter at putting the ball in play. He has five hits and three RBIs while batting in the No. 9 spot.
Fernandez looks like a guy who has fun playing the game. I think he will be a fan favorite in San Antonio.
The sun angles at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi are very different from Wolff Stadium in San Antonio. At Whataburger, the right fielder is staring into the sun as it sets over the grandstand. At the Wolff, the left fielder is the one fighting the sun before it sets.
Pedro Avila pitched the final inning for the San Antonio Missions in their 8-3 victory over the Corpus Christi Hooks in Tuesday’s season opener. – photo by Joe AlexanderSan Antonio Missions relievers were one pitch away from four scoreless, hitless innings in the season opener.
Four Missions pitchers worked one inning each in relief in the Missions’ 8-3 victory over the Corpus Christi Hooks on Tuesday.
Missions starter Reiss Knehr went five innings before turning things over to the bullpen with San Antonio leading 5-2.
Things didn’t look so promising right after Knehr left the game. The Hooks’ first batter of the sixth inning, David Hensley, hit a home run off of Sam Williams. That cut the Missions’ lead to 5-3. But the Hooks didn’t record a hit the rest of the night.
Williams, a 6-foot-3 left-hander, got through the sixth inning with no more damage, allowing one walk with one strikeout.
Carlos Belen pitched the seventh. The 6-1 right-hander from the Dominican Republic struck out two batters with no walks.
Tom Cosgrove pitched the eighth. The 6-2 left-hander also struck out two batters with no walks.
Pedro Avila closed out the game. The 5-11 right-hander from Venezuela pitched the bottom of the ninth with no hits, no strikeouts and no walks.
For the game the Missions’ relievers allowed one run on one hit with five strikeouts and one walk in four innings.
It was this kind of night for the San Antonio Missions and for Juan Fernandez. The Missions catcher celebrates one of his three hits in Tuesday’s opening night victory. – photos by Joe AlexanderThe 20-month layoff from minor-league baseball finally came to an end Tuesday.
The San Antonio Missions won their first game game since September 2019, beating the Corpus Christi Hooks 8-3 on opening night in Corpus Christi.
The return to action meant fun to a sold out but socially distant crowd. For minor league players, it means a return to the journey they hope leads to the major leagues.
Missions starting pitcher Reiss Knehr went five innings and allowed two runs to get the win. He gave up three hits and struck out five batters with three walks.
Robbie Podorsky, the No. 9 batter in the Missions’ batting order, led the team with four hits and scored twice. Cather Juan Fernandez had three hits, CJ Abrams, the team’s top prospect, had two. In all, seven different Missions batters had hits as the Missions out-hit the Hooks 13-4.
Reiss Khern started on the mound for the Missions and got the win in Tuesday’s season opener in Corpus Christi.Esteury Ruiz slides into home with the San Antonio Missions’ second run of the game in Tuesday’s season-opening victory over the Corpus Christi Hooks.
San Diego Padres infield prospect CJ Abrams at the Padres’ 2021 big league spring training in Peoria, Arizona, in March. – photo by Joe Alexander
Opening day roster also includes five pitching prospects
CJ Abrams and Eguy Rosario were both part of 2021 big league spring training with the San Diego Padres.
The two young infielders spent February and March with the Padres’ stars and first team in Peoria, Arizona.
When the San Antonio Missions open the season tomorrow, things are in place for Abrams and Rosario to be anchoring the middle of the San Antonio defense.
The Missions released their 2021 opening day rosters today. Abrams, ranked the No. 2 prospect in the Padres organization, and Rosario, ranked No. 18, are both on the list.
Abrams is a 20-year-old shortstop from Georgia and a first-round pick by the Padres in the 2019 draft coming out of high school. He is 6-foot-2 and bats left-handed.
Abrams played in 32 games in rookie league and two games in Single A in 2019 and batted .393 with three home runs and 22 RBIs.
Rosario is a 21-year-old second baseman from the Dominican Republic and bats right-handed. He has played in the minors and winter league since being a 16-year-old in 2016.
Rosario spent three games with the San Antonio Missions in 2018 after being called up from High-A. In 2019, he batted .278 in High A in seven home runs and 72 RBIs in 122 games.
The Missions’ roster also includes five pitchers from the Padres’ top 30 prospects.
Right-hander Reggie Lawson is the top rated Padres pitching prospect on the Missions’ roster at No. 8.
Right-handed Missions pitcher Efrain Contreras is No. 16 on the Padres’ prospect list.
Right-handed pitcher Mason Fox is No. 22 on the Padres’ prospect list.
Right-handed pitcher Jordan Humphreys (no, not the former Longhorns receiver) is No. 24 on the Padres’ prospect list.
Lefty Osvaldo Hernandez is No. 29 on the Padres’ prospect list.
The Missions open the season Tuesday night in Corpus Christi, weather permitting.
