Sod Poodles overpower Missions in series opener

San Antonio Missions infielder Kelvin Melean pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions infielder Kelvin Melean pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
The Amarillo Sod Poodles hit two home runs and took advantage of San Antonio’s early errors to beat the Missions 9-4 Tuesday at Wolff Stadium.

The game was the opener of a seven-game series. The Missions and Sod Poodles have a 5 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday at Wolff Stadium.

The Sod Poodles scored single runs in the first and second innings while the Missions committed three errors in the first three innings.

Amarillo got a two-run homer from Dominic Canzone in the fourth inning and a three-run shot from Ryder Jones in the seventh.

The Missions got two hits each from Esteury Ruiz and Ethan Skender. Skender had run-scoring hits in the fifth and ninth innings.

Missions starting pitcher Pedro Avila (0-3) went four innings and took the loss. He allowed five runs (three earned), three hits including one home run, one walk and struck out five.

Missions infielder Kelvin Melean pitched the ninth inning. He retired the Sod Poodles in order with most of his pitches in the mid to high 50s on the radar.

Olivier Basabe’s homer, strong relief pitching not enough for Missions in loss to RockHounds

The San Antonio Missions' Dwanya Williams-Sutton (left) greets Olivier Basabe at the plate after they both scored on Basabe's fifth-inning home run on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Dwanya Williams-Sutton (left) greets Olivier Basabe at the plate after they both scored on Basabe’s fifth-inning home run.
Olivier Basabe had two hits including a fifth-inning home run but the San Antonio Missions fell to the Midland RockHounds 4-3 on Sunday at Wolff Stadium.

Basabe’s home run came after Dwanya Williams-Sutton led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk. That cut into what had been a 4-1 RockHounds lead. Neither team scored again after Basabe’s homer.

Basabe also scored the Missions’ first run of the game. He doubled with one out in the third and scored on a single by Esteury Ruiz.

Missions starting pitcher Jerry Keel worked five innings, allowed four runs and took the loss. Missions relievers Henry Henry, Sam McWilliams and Sam Williams combined for four innings of scoreless relief.

Williams-Sutton has reached base in 16 straight games. Michael Curry had his 16-game on-base streak come to an end.

The Missions are off Monday and begin a six-day, seven-game home series against the Amarillo Sod Poodles on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. The series includes a 5 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday.

Esteury Ruiz homer carries Missions past RockHounds, Tyler Viza picks up first win

The San Antonio Missions' Esteury Ruiz watches his fifth-inning home run fly out in left field on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Esteury Ruiz watches his fifth-inning home run fly out in left field.
Esteury Ruiz’s eighth home run of the season lifted the San Antonio Missions to a 4-2 victory over the Midland RockHounds on Saturday at Wolff Stadium.

Ruiz homered in the bottom of the fifth after Augustin Ruiz led off the inning with a single and Chandler Seagle reached base on an error. The three-run blast pushed the Missions in front after the RockHounds had taken a 2-1 lead in the first two innings.

Esteury Ruiz scored the Missions’ first run on a sacrifice fly by Allen Cordoba in the bottom of the first.

Three Missions pitchers combined to hold the RockHounds scoreless over the final seven innings.

Missions starter Tyler Viza picked up his first win since being signed to a minor league contract 10 days earlier by the San Diego Padres – and his first win in affiliated pro baseball since June 20, 2019.

Viza allowed one run in each of the first two innings. He went on to complete six innings and didn’t give up any more runs. The 6-foot-3 right-hander allowed four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Tom Cosgrove pitched two scoreless innings in relief and Carlos Belen pitched the ninth inning for his second save of the season.

The Missions’ Michael Curry walked in the fourth inning to extend his on-base streak to 16 games.

Ethan Skender a hit in Missions debut in win over RockHounds

Ethan Skender had two hits including an RBI triple in his San Antonio Missions debut on Friday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Ethan Skender had two hits including an RBI triple in his Missions debut.
Ethan Skender joined the San Antonio Missions on Friday after being promoted by the San Diego Padres.

Skender made a quick impact with an RBI triple in his second at-bat at Wolff Stadium. His big hit was part of a 3-run fourth-inning rally by the Missions in a 3-1 victory over the Midland RockHounds.

Skender, who was the designated hitter, also had a double later in the game.

The 24-year-old infielder was batting .258 with two home runs in 60 games in Class A Fort Wayne before moving up to the Double-A Missions.

Eguy Rosario got a leadoff walk to start the bottom half of the fourth inning. He scored on a double by Michael Curry for the first run of the game. Olivier Basabe’s sacrifice bunt brought in Curry from third to make it 2-0. Skender’s triple drove in Juan Fernandez, who had followed Curry’s hit with a single.

Missions starting pitcher Osvaldo Hernandez pitched five scoreless innings to get the win.

The RockHounds’ scored their only run in the top of the seventh. Missions closer Jose Quezada pitched the ninth inning for his 14th save of the season and second of the current series against Midland.

The Missions’ Allen Cordoba, who entered Friday with a 12-game hitting streak, went 0-for-4 and saw his streak end.

Allen Cordoba extends hit streak, Michael Curry homers in Missions’ loss to RockHounds

Michael Curry (right) and Allen Cordoba celebrate near home plate after they both scored on Curry's home run on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Michael Curry (right) and Allen Cordoba celebrate near home plate after they both scored on Curry’s second-inning home run.
Michael Curry hit his seventh home run of the season for the San Antonio Missions’ only runs in a 3-2 loss to the Midland RockHounds on Thursday at Wolff Stadium.

Curry homered in the second inning with Allen Cordoba on base. Cordoba led off the bottom of the inning with a single, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. It is the longest streak of any Missions player this season.

Cordoba and Curry had two hits each, accounting for four of the Missions’ five hits on the night.

The RockHounds scored all three of their runs off Missions starting pitcher Moises Lugo. Missions relievers Sam Williams, Jordan Humphreys and Carlos Belen pitched two scoreless innings each.

Allen Cordoba keeps hitting, Missions pitchers dominate Midland

Allen Cordoba dodges a tag attempt by Midland RockHounds catcher JJ Schwarz to score the San Antonio Missions' final run in the bottom of the eighth inning on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Allen Cordoba dodges a tag attempt by Midland RockHounds catcher JJ Schwarz to score the San Antonio Missions’ final run in the bottom of the eighth inning on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Allen Cordoba didn’t just keep his hitting streak alive at 11 games. The San Antonio Missions cleanup hitter drove in the go-ahead run and scored an insurance run in Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over the Midland RockHounds at Wolff Stadium.

Cordoba doubled in the bottom of the third inning to score Eguy Rosario and give the Missions a 2-1 lead.

Cordoba doubled in the eighth and scored on a hit by Michael Curry to extend the Missions’ lead to two runs.

Cordoba is batting .305 on the season and .377 in the month of August. He has nine RBIs during his hitting streak.

Esteury Ruiz scored the Missions’ first run. He led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk, stole second and went to third on an error on the steal, and scored on a wild pitch.

Five Missions pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts and allowed only two hits. Starter Pedro Avila couldn’t get the win because he only went 4.0 innings, but he allowed just the one run with two hits while striking out five.

Sam McWilliams, the first pitcher out of the Missions’ bullpen, went two scoreless innings and got the win. Nick Kuzia and Tom Cosgrove pitched one scoreless inning each. Jose Quezada pitched the ninth inning and earned his 13th save of the season.

Jorge Ona, Augustin Ruiz records hits in their first game at Wolff as Missions fall

Jorge Ona (left) makes a catch in short left field behind San Antonio Missions shortstop Eguy Rosario on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Jorge Ona (left) makes a catch in short left field behind Missions shortstop Eguy Rosario on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium.
Jorge Ona and Agustin Ruiz are at different stages of their careers, but both played at Wolff Stadium for the first time this season on Tuesday. The San Antonio Missions lost to the Midland RockHounds 9-4.

Ona is on the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster and saw action with the Padres last summer. He joined the Missions last week as part of a rehab assignment.

Ruiz moved up to Double-A for the first time in his career when he was promoted from Class A Fort Wayne to the Missions on Aug. 10, at the beginning of the Missions’ recent 12-game road trip.

Ruiz batted second and played right field on Monday. He had two hits, walked twice and scored twice.

Ona played left field and had two hits and an RBI. He left the game after grounding out in the eighth inning.

The Missions had a rough defensive night with four errors and got behind the RockHounds 9-0.

Ruiz scored the Missions’ first run in the bottom of the sixth, coming home on a wild pitch. The Missions got two runs in the eighth when Kelvin Melean scored on a wild pitch and Ruiz scored on Ona’s ground out.

Juan Fernandez scored the Missions’ final run when he hit his seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the ninth.

Missions third baseman Allen Cordoba had a hit to extend his current hitting streak to 10 games. He is batting .300 on the season.

Missions lose series finale against Hooks; Jose Azocar has 2 hits including homer

Jose Azocar hits his ninth home run of the season for the San Antonio Missions' only run of the game Sunday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Jose Azocar hits his ninth home run of the season for the Missions’ only run of the game.
Jose Azocar homered and had two of the San Antonio Missions’ four hits Sunday in a 3-1 loss to the Corpus Christi Hooks at Wolff Stadium.

The Hooks won five of six games in the series. The Missions are off Monday and play their next 12 games on the road. The next home game at Wolff Stadium is Tuesday, Aug. 24.

Azocar hit his ninth home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth for the Missions’ only run of the game. Allen Cordoba had the Missions’ other two hits.

Hooks leadoff man Corey Julks started off the game with his third home run of the series. Corpus Christi added a second run in the top of the first and scored an insurance run in the eighth.

Missions starting pitcher Pedro Avila went 2 2/3 innings and allowed two runs to take the loss. He gave up five hits including Julks’ homer, walked two and struck out three.

The Missions got some strong work from their bullpen. Joe Beimel pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings, James Reeves went 2.0 scoreless innings and Jose Quezada pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Flying Chanclas win Texas Collegiate League championship

The Flying Chanclas de San Antonio with the Texas Collegiate League championship trophy. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Flying Chanclas de San Antonio with the Texas Collegiate League championship trophy.
The Flying Chanclas de San Antonio won Saturday’s single-game playoff to clinch the 2021 Texas Collegiate League championship.

This was the second summer for San Antonio’s entry in the Texas Collegiate League and the first time the Chanclas won the title.

The Chanclas broke the game open in the late innings to beat the Victoria Generals 8-0 at Wolff Stadium.

Chanclas pitchers Alec Martinez, JT Moeller, Jarek Wells, Evan Maldonado and Connor Schmidt combined to shut out the Generals.

Rody Barker drove in Cole Modgling with the first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth.

The Chanclas got three runs in a sixth inning that included RBI hits by Zac Vooletich and Modgling and a sacrifice fly by Cole Posey. They added four runs in the seventh on two bases-loaded walks and a Generals error.

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.