Missions’ Freitas, Hiura, Jackson, Saladino named to PCL All-Star roster

Missions second baseman Keston Hiura playing against the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Keston Hiura was named to the 2019 Pacific Coast League All-Star roster. – photo by Joe Alexander
From a San Antonio Missions news release

The Pacific Coast League announced today their 33-man roster for the 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game. Second baseman Keston Hiura, infielder Tyler Saladino, catcher David Freitas, and relief pitcher Jay Jackson will represent the San Antonio Missions in their inaugural season as a member of the Pacific Coast League.

The 32nd Annual Triple-A All-Star Game will pit the Pacific Coast League All-Stars against the International League All-Stars and will be played on Wednesday, July 10 at Southwest University Park, home of the El Paso Chihuahuas. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 PM CDT. The game will be televised on MLB Network with Scott Braun, Bill Ripken, Jim Callis, and Kelly Nash on the call. The telecast will be available online at MiLB.tv, the MiLB First Pitch app, and MLBNetwork.com. The game can be heard on KONO 860 AM with El Paso Chihuahuas broadcaster Tim Hagerty and Louisville Bats broadcaster Nick Curran calling the action.

Hiura is ranked as the top prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization and has been named to a mid-season all-star team for the second consecutive season after being tabbed a 2018 Carolina League All-Star while with Advanced-A Carolina. In 56 games with the Missions the second baseman is batting .332 with 44 runs, 16 doubles, 19 home runs, and 46 RBI. His .692 slugging percentage and 1.104 OPS are each ranked third in the Pacific Coast League. His 19 home runs are tied for seventh in the league and his batting average is good for ninth. The 22-year-old made his Major League debut this season and in 17 games with the Brewers hit .281 with 5 home runs and 9 RBI.

Freitas joined the Missions on April 14 after being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers from the Seattle Mariners. In 53 games the 30-year-old is batting .369, which is good for third in the PCL. He has scored 28 runs, tallied 15 doubles, 5 home runs, and driven in 46, which is tied with Hiura for the second most on the Missions. His on-base percentage of .444 is also third on the circuit. This is the fourth mid-season all-star nod for Freitas and first since 2012. He was named a mid-season all-star in each of his first three professional seasons.

Saladino has played all over the diamond for the Missions this season having seen time at all four infield positions along with left field and right field. In 66 games for the Missions the 29-year-old is batting .293 with 43 runs, 18 doubles, 14 home runs and 57 RBI. His 57 runs driven in are tied for seventh in the PCL. This will be Saladino’s second appearance in the Triple-A All-Star game as he was selected to represent the International League while with Charlotte in 2014.

Jackson has been named a mid-season all-star for the third time in his career and first since 2013. The right-hander has been one of the elite options out of the bullpen in the PCL in 2019 as he sports a 4-2 record with a miniscule 1.14 ERA in 25 appearances for San Antonio. He has converted six of seven save opportunities, which are tied for sixth in the league. Opponents are hitting just .171 against Jackson, which is the second lowest among relievers. He also boasts the fewest baserunners per nine innings among relievers at 7.11.

David Freitas. The San Antonio Missions beat the Round Rock Express 10-9 Sunday at Wolff Stadium in the first game of a doubleheader. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ David Freitas was named to the 2019 Pacific Coast League All-Star roster. – photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions' Tyler Saladino watches his three-run homer sail over the right-field fence in the sixth inning against the Redbirds on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Tyler Saladino was named to the 2019 Pacific Coast League All-Star roster. – photo by Joe Alexander
Jay Jackson got the save. The Missions beat the Oklahoma City Dodgers 4-3 Friday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Jay Jackson was named to the 2019 Pacific Coast League All-Star roster. – photo by Joe Alexander

Missions manager Rick Sweet wins No. 2,000

Missions manager Rick Sweet celebrates his 2,000 career win after Tuesday night's victory over Round Rock at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions manager Rick Sweet celebrates his 2,000 career win after Tuesday night’s victory over Round Rock at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Rick Sweet has spent a lot of his life tending to the success of others.

Sweet has put in 30 seasons as a minor league manager, guiding young baseball players on the way to the majors.

Tuesday night, Sweet’s San Antonio Missions players doused him with ice-water after the team’s 10-2 victory over the Round Rock Express at Wolff Stadium. It was Sweet’s 2,000th win.

The Missions currently have the best record in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League at 49-29.

Mauricio Dubon, Zack Brown lead surging Missions past Aces

Missions shortstop Mauricio Dubon hits a second-inning home run Monday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions shortstop Mauricio Dubon hits a second-inning home run Monday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions won their fifth straight and 10th of the last 14 games with Monday’s 8-4 victory over the Reno Aces at Wolff Stadium.

Mauricio Dubon had three hits including his 10th home run of the season.

Missions starting pitcher Zack Brown (2-4) got the win and also hit an RBI double and walked. Brown pitched five innings and allowed four earned runs. He gave up six hits, struck out five and walked three.

In addition to his home run, Dubon had a single and a double. It was his fifth straight game with multiple hits. During that stretch he has raised his batting average from .290 to .312.

The Missions took control of the game with three runs in the second inning and four runs in the third.

All the Missions’ damage in the second inning came with two outs. Lucas Erceg started the rally with his seventh double of the season. Brown doubled down the first base line to score Erceg. Dubon’s homer with Brown on gave the Missions a 4-1 lead.

The Missions’ half of the third inning included a sacrifice fly by Erceg and a two-RBI single by Dubon. Dubon had four RBIs in the game and now has 36 for the season.

Former Reagan star Anthony Vasquez’s odyssey through the minors brings him back to San Antonio

Former Reagan High School and Texas A&M pitcher Anthony Vasquez is now with the Reno Aces, the Triple-A farm club of the Arizona Diamondbacks. - photo by Joe Alexander
Former Reagan High School and Texas A&M pitcher Anthony Vasquez is now with the Reno Aces, the Triple-A farm club of the Arizona Diamondbacks. – photo by Joe Alexander
Anthony Vasquez has traveled a lot of miles since his days as a pitcher and outfielder at Reagan High School in San Antonio.

After earning all-state honors as a senior outfielder at Reagan in 2005, Vasquez played his college ball first at Texas A&M, then at Southern Cal. He has been pitching in the minors since 2009, including four stints in the Mexican winter league.

The 6-foot, left-hander is now with the Reno Aces, the Triple-A farm club of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Vasquez and the Aces are currently in San Antonio for a four-game series with the San Antonio Missions.

This season in the Pacific Coast League, Vasquez has a 3-4 record with a 6.23 ERA. He has appeared in 13 games including seven starts.

Vasquez pitched two innings in relief on Sunday against the Missions. He also pinch-hit in Saturday night’s 12-inning game at Wolff Stadium.

David Freitas helps Missions belt Aces

David Freitas drove in three runs for the Missions with a fifth-inning double on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
David Freitas drove in three runs for the Missions with a fifth-inning double on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
David Freita had a three-RBI double and a solo home run as the San Antonio Missions beat the Reno Aces 8-3 Sunday at Wolff Stadium.

Nate Orf drove in the Missions’ first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Orf was one of three Missions to score when Freitas doubled with the bases loaded later in the inning to give the Missions a 4-2 lead.

Michael O’Neill had an RBI double and scored on a single by Mauricio Dubon as the Missions added two more runs in the sixth to make it 6-2.

Freitas hit his fourth home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the seventh and make it 7-2.

Orf doubled in O’Neill in the bottom of the eighth for the Missions’ final run.

The Aces scored the first two runs of the game on solo home runs by Abraham Almonte in the third and fifth innings.

Missions starting pitcher Aaron Wilkerson (6-1) went five innings and got the win. He gave up the two home runs to Almonte – the only runs Wilkerson has allowed in home games at Wolff this season.

Nate Orf caps Missions’ 12th-inning rally

Nate Orf celebrates with Missions teammates after his walk-off sacrifice fly in the 12th inning on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Nate Orf celebrates with Missions teammates after his walk-off sacrifice fly in the 12th inning on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Nate Orf’s sacrifice fly ended the San Antonio Missions’ four-hour, 12-inning 5-4 victory over the Reno Aces on Saturday night at Wolff stadium.

The Aces scored a run in the top of the 12th to take a 4-3 lead.

The Missions’ Mauricio Dubon delivered an RBI single to score Troy Stokes Jr. with the tieing run in the bottom of the 12th.

Orf lofted a fly ball to left field to bring home Jake Hager from third with the winning run.

Dubon finished the game with three hits including a double. David Freitas, who is batting .363, had a hit and two RBIs.

Missions reliever Alex Wilson (3-0) pitched the top of the 12th inning and got the win.

Mariners’ Felix Hernandez has abbreviated appearance against Missions

The Seattle Mariners' Felix Hernandez pitched against the San Antonio Missions on Friday at Wolff Stadium in a rehab assignment. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Seattle Mariners’ Felix Hernandez pitched against the San Antonio Missions on Friday at Wolff Stadium in a rehab assignment. – photo by Joe Alexander
Fifteen years after his last appearance at Wolff Stadium, Felix Hernandez was back on the mound in San Antonio on Friday.

Hernandez played for the then-Double-A Missions in 2004 while coming up through the minors in the Seattle Mariners organization.

The 33-year-old right-hander from Venezuela has been pitching in the majors for the Mariners since 2005. His appearance in San Antonio on Friday for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers was his first rehab game since going on the injured list on May 12.

Hernandez’s night was shorter than expected. There were reports that he would throw in the range of 55 to 65 pitches. Instead, Hernandez left the mound with one out in the third inning. He walked off with the Rainiers’ team trainer.

The Missions put up two runs on two hits and a walk against Hernandez, who threw a total of 31 pitches.

Media reports indicated Hernandez left the game due to fatigue.

Keston Hiura and Tyler Saladino hit home runs to pace the Missions to a 6-1 victory over the Rainers.

Keston Hiura leads Missions’ longball barrage

Keston Hiura celebrates with his teammates at the plate after hitting a grand slam in the second inning on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Keston Hiura (18) celebrates with his teammates at the plate after hitting a grand slam in the second inning on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Keston Hiura continued to pile up big at-bats since returning to the San Antonio Missions.

In the eight games since being optioned down from the Milwaukee Brewers, Hiura has added four home runs, 11 RBIs and hit 11-of-34 (.324).

That includes two home runs and five RBIs Thursday night as the Missions pounded the Tacoma Rainiers 15-1 at Wolff Stadium.

Both of Hiura’s homers came off Rainiers starting pitcher Justus Sheffield. Hiura hit a solo shot in the first inning in his first at-bat. He added a grand slam in the second inning. That boosted his team-leading home run total to 15 for the season.

Hiura had plenty of help in the hitting department as the Missions spent a big part of their night celebrating at the plate.

Tyler Saladino hit his 13th home run of the season, a leadoff shot in the second inning.

Mauricio Dubon hit a two-run homer in the third inning.

Lucas Erceg added a three-run homer in the seventh inning.

The Missions finished with 15 hits including doubles by Dubon and Troy Stokes Jr.

Missions starting pitcher Burch Smith (4-3) went five innings to get the win. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out 10 batters with two walks.

Brewers prospect Keston Hiura back in San Antonio

Missions second baseman Keston Hiura playing against the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions second baseman Keston Hiura playing against the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Keston Hiura made his major league debut after being called up by the Milwaukee Brewers on May 14.

The Brewers needed reinforcements when injuries left the big league club short-handed in the infield.

Hiura showed he could hold his own, batting .281 with five home runs in 17 games.

But once Travis Shaw returned to the Brewers from an injury and rehab assignment, Hiura was optioned back to the Triple-A San Antonio Missions on June 3. The Missions were on the road at the time.

On Wednesday night, for the first time since his stint with the Brewers, Hiura was back playing on the Missions’ home field at Wolff Stadium.

He drew a media crowd before the game when he did a group interview in the Missions’ dugout. Then he had a hit and drove in a run in Wednesday’s 4-2, 10-inning loss to the Tacoma Rainiers.

In 43 games with the Missions this season, Hiura leads the team in home runs with 13, is second in batting at .331 and third in RBIs with 31.

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