Category: Missions

Missions watch: Corey Ray

The Brewers' Corey Ray in right field in a spring training game Feb. 26 at Scottsdale Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Brewers’ Corey Ray in right field in a spring training game Feb. 26 at Scottsdale Stadium.
One in a series on players with ties to the San Antonio Missions as we get ready for the 2020 baseball season.

One thing we know Corey Ray can do is chase down fly balls.

Ray has been roaming center field and right field in the Milwaukee Brewers’ first Cactus League games of spring training.

The hope is he regains the form that made the 2016 first-round draft pick a rising star in the Brewers’ minor league system. In 2018, Ray hit .239 and showed his power with 27 home runs in 135 games with Double-A Biloxi.

As a San Antonio Missions center fielder in 2019, he was limited to 53 games due to injuries and had a tough time getting in a groove at the plate for most of the season. He was on the injured list from May 23 to July 3. From there he spent a week on a rehab assignment, then went to Double-A Biloxi.

Ray didn’t rejoin the Missions until Aug. 1, when the Pacific Coast League season was more than half over. He batted .188 for the year with seven home runs.

The 25-year-old from Chicago looks healthy enough to have a sunnier 2020 based on his showing in early Cactus League games. Ray was a late-inning sub in the Brewers first spring training game of 2020, taking over in center field on Feb. 23 at American Family Fields of Phoenix.

He was in the starting lineup the next day. He started in right field on Feb. 26 when the Brewers played at the San Francisco Giants’ home field at Scottsdale Stadium. He has gone 1-for-10 to start the spring, but the one hit was a home run.

Adam McCalvy of MLB.com projects Ryan Braun, Avisail García, Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich and Ben Gamel as locks to be outfielders on the Brewers’ opening day roster. That might leave room for a spot for Ray, who is currently on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster.

If not, the 25-year-old from Chicago would probably start the season tracking down fly balls at Wolff Stadium for the second year in a row.

Corey Ray on Twitter

Missions watch: Jacob Nottingham

Jacob Nottingham was hit on the right hand during the Milwaukee Brewers' first spring training game of 2020 at American Family Fields of Phoenix. - photo by Joe Alexander
Jacob Nottingham was hit on the right hand during the Milwaukee Brewers’ first spring training game of 2020 at American Family Fields of Phoenix.
First in a series of brief looks at players with ties to the San Antonio Missions as we get ready for the 2020 baseball season.

As if playing catcher isn’t tough enough.

During the Milwaukee Brewers’ first spring training game in the Cactus League on Feb. 23, Jacob Nottingham was hit on the right hand while batting and had to leave the game.

The Brewers reported that Nottingham wasn’t seriously injured. He returned to action as Milwaukee’s starting catcher three days later.

Jacob Nottingham was in the Milwaukee Brewers' starting lineup on Feb. 26 against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Field, three days after being hit on the right hand in the Brewers' first spring training game of 2020. - photo by Joe Alexander
Jacob Nottingham was in the Milwaukee Brewers’ starting lineup on Feb. 26 against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Field, three days after being hit on the right hand in the Brewers’ first spring training game of 2020. – photo by Joe Alexander

He has played in four of Milwaukee’s first eight Cactus League games.

The 6-foot-2 Nottingham, who turns 25 years old on April 3, started more games at catcher for the San Antonio Missions in 2019 than any other player. He played in 83 games as a catcher, first baseman and designated hitter. Nottingham batted .231 with five home runs and 40 RBIs.

Nottingham had limited action with the Brewers last summer. He played in nine games and had two hits in six at-bats including his first major league home run.

According to an MLB.com projection by Adam McCalvy, Nottingham has a possibility of making the Brewers 2020 opening day roster. David Freitas, who was a teammate of Nottingham on the 2019 Missions, is also listed as a possible at catcher.
Brewers’ projected 2020 roster on MLB.com

Jacob Nottingham on Twitter

Todd Rosiak of The Athletic tweeted an interview with Nottingham on Feb. 24:

Closeups of the 2019 San Antonio Missions

San Antonio Missions catcher/first baseman David Freitas won the Pacific Coast League batting title. - photo by Joe Alexander
San Antonio Missions catcher/first baseman David Freitas won the Pacific Coast League batting title. – photo by Joe Alexander
Even front row seats are a long way from some positions on a baseball field.

During the course of the 2019 San Antonio Missions season, I occasionally got closer a look at some of the players.

That seemed like a good way to wrap up my summer from Wolff Stadium.

Former Missions trip wraps up at Wrigley Field

Former San Antonio Missions second baseman Keston Hiura playing for the Milwaukee Brewers against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 30, 2019, at Wrigley Field. - photo by Joe Alexander
Former Missions second baseman Keston Hiura playing for the Brewers against the Cubs on Aug. 30, 2019, at Wrigley Field. – photo by Joe Alexander
The third and final game of my trip to catch up with some former 2019 San Antonio Missions players was on a sunny afternoon at Wrigley Field.

The Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019.

It was a tough day for the former Missions. Keston Hiura started at second but suffered a hamstring strain and went on the injured list the next day.

Hernan Perez started at third base. Trent Grisham and Cory Spangenberg both got in the game late.

Former Missions pitchers Ray Black and Jay Jackson each threw one scoreless inning in relief.

Game photos taken from my seat in Section 225.

Former Missions star Keston Hiura homers in Game 2 of Brewers trip

The Milwaukee Brewers' Keston Hiura celebrates after hitting a fourth-inning home run on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at Miller Park. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Milwaukee Brewers’ Keston Hiura celebrates after hitting a fourth-inning home run on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at Miller Park. – photo by Joe Alexander
The second game of my Milwaukee Brewers trip was a sunny afternoon at Miller Park.

Keston Hiura hit his 16th major league home run as the Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 Wednesday, Aug. 28.

Former San Antonio Missions in the Brewers’ starting lineup were Trent Grisham in center, Hiura at second and Cory Spangenberg at third.

Hiura had two hits including a double and three RBIs. Grisham also had two hits with a double.

Game photos from my seat in section 208.

Former Missions with the Brewers and my first visit to Miller Park

Former San Antonio Missions players Keston Hiura, Trent Grisham and Cory Spangenberg in uniform for the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 27 at Miller Park. - photo by Joe Alexander
Former San Antonio Missions players Keston Hiura, Trent Grisham and Cory Spangenberg in uniform for the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 27 at Miller Park. – photo by Joe Alexander
After a summer of watching the San Antonio Missions, I got a chance to see some former Missions in the majors.

Tuesday, Aug. 27 was also my first visit to Miller Park in Milwaukee.

Trent Grisham in left field, Keston Hiura at second, Cory Spangenberg at third and Adrian Houser on the mound were all in the starting lineup for the Brewers.

Game photos were taken from my seat in Section 212.

The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Brewers 6-3.

Brewers’ Brent Suter turns in another scoreless effort for Missions

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brent Suter on the mound for the San Antonio Missions on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Brewers pitcher Brent Suter on the mound for the Missions on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brent Suter made his fourth appearance with the San Antonio Missions on Sunday.

Just like the previous three, Suter did not allow a run.

The 29-year-old left-hander from Harvard pitched four innings and faced 13 batters Sunday at Wolff Stadium. He gave up one hit with no walks and struck out six.

Suter threw 57 pitches, including 39 strikes.

Tyrone Taylor, Corey Ray homer as Missions roll into showdown with Express

The San Antonio Missions' Tyrone Taylor hit his 13th home run of the season in the first inning on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Tyrone Taylor hit his 13th home run of the season in the first inning on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Tyrone Taylor stayed hot with a home run for the second night in a row as the San Antonio Missions beat the Oklahoma City Dodgers 4-0 Sunday night at Wolff Stadium.

Sunday marked the Missions’ last home game before the Pacific Coast League playoffs.

The Missions, who swept the three-game series against the Dodgers, are one game behind the Round Rock Express in the American Southern division. The Missions and Express open a crucial four-game series Monday in Round Rock.

The Missions got the jump on the Dodgers when Taylor hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning.

It was was the 13th homer of the season for Taylor, who is on a 12-game hitting streak. Since Aug. 12, Taylor has hit five home runs and his batting average has climbed from .238 to .275.

The Missions’ other run came when Corey Ray hit his sixth home run of the season in the seventh inning.

The San Antonio Missions' Corey Ray hit his sixth home run of the season in the seventh inning on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Corey Ray hit his sixth home run of the season in the seventh inning on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander

Nate Orf, Tyrone Taylor power Missions past OKC

The San Antonio Missions' Nate Orf watches his fourth-inning grand slam sail out to left on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Nate Orf watches his fourth-inning grand slam sail out to left on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Nate Orf hit his first professional grand slam and Tyrone Taylor added a home run as the San Antonio Missions pounded the Oklahoma City Dodgers 15-3 Saturday at Wolff Stadium.

The Missions are two games behind the Round Rock Express in the Pacific Coast League American Southern division. The Missions play their final home game of the regular season on Sunday at 6:05 p.m.

Orf’s 10th home run of the season came in the fourth inning, when the Missions scored six runs and batted around. That turned the game around, changing a 3-0 Dodgers lead to a 6-3 Missions advantage.

The Missions also put up six runs in the seventh inning. Taylor’s 12th home run of the season came in the eighth inning with one on and accounted for the Missions’ final runs of the game.

Orf finished with two hits, three runs and five RBIs. Taylor had three hits, three runs and four RBIs.

Corey Ray and Jacob Nottingham had two hits each for the Missions.

Trey Supak pitched the first four innings for the Missions and did not get a decision. He allowed three runs on five hits.

Missions reliever Jake Faria (1-0) pitched the fifth and sixth innings to earn the win. He did not allow a run on one hit and one walk with four strikeouts.

The San Antonio Missions' Tyrone Taylor had three hits including a home run Saturday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Tyrone Taylor had three hits including a home run Saturday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander