Hernan Perez playing for the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium this season. – photo by Joe AlexanderSan Antonio Missions infielder Hernan Perez has been hitting the ball well as of late.
On Friday, that earned him a promotion back to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brewers also announced infielder Travis Shaw is being sent back down to the Missions and pitcher Burch Smith was designated for assignment.
The Brewers sent Perez to the Triple-A Missions after he hit .235 in 59 games in the majors this season.
Perez joined the Missions on July 5. He got off to a slow start in San Antonio, hitting .250 with no home runs in his first 10 games.
More recently, things have turned around. The 28-year-old infielder is hitting .313 with five home runs in his last 17 games.
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported Perez is returning to the Brewers.
Burch Smith did not allow a run in 5 1/3 innings on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderSan Antonio Missions pitcher Burch Smith had a perfect game working through five innings on Thursday at Wolff Stadium.
Smith left the game one out into the sixth inning. After getting the first out in the sixth, he gave up a groundball single and a walk.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander struck out four batters. He got a no-decision after leaving the game with a 2-0 lead but lowered his ERA to 2.34.
The Sacramento River Cats rallied for one run in the seventh inning and two in the eighth to beat the Missions 3-2.
The first Missions reliever, Miguel Sanchez, finished the sixth inning and pitched the seventh. He allowed one run on three hits.
Missions reliever Jimmy Nelson, who has been working his way back from a shoulder injury, entered the game at the beginning of the eighth inning. He recorded one out while giving up two runs on two hits and two walks with one strikeout. Nelson (3-1) took the loss.
Devin Williams was the Missions’ final pitcher of the night. Williams made his first appearance at Wolff Stadium and third career appearance in Triple-A after being called up from Double-A on July 26. He recorded five outs without allowing a base runner. He struck out three batters. The 6-foot-3 right-hander was throwing his fastball in the high 90s and hit 100 on the outfield radar at least once.
Missions relief pitcher Devin Williams made his first appearance at Wolff Stadium on Thursday. He was a recent call-up from Double-A. – photo by Joe AlexanderMissions relief pitcher Jimmy Nelson gave up two runs in the eighth inning on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Trent Grisham (12) is congratulated by Blake Allemand (right) and Lucas Erceg after hitting a fourth-inning home run Sunday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderTrent Grisham lashed out four hits including two home runs as the San Antonio Missions beat the Omaha Storm Chasers 9-5 Sunday at Wolff Stadium.
The Missions swept the four-game series with the Storm Chasers, scoring at least eight runs and piling up double-digit hits in every game:
July 14: W 9-5, 11 hits, 3 home runs
July 13: W 8-2, 11 hits, 2 home runs
July 12: W 10-9, 11 hits, 2 home runs
July 11: W 9-2, 10 hits, 2 home runs
On Sunday, Grisham hit his sixth and seventh home runs in 20 games since joining the Missions from Double-A Biloxi.
Tuffy Gosewisch, a catcher who doesn’t see much playing time for the Missions, hit his second home run of the season. His solo homer gave the Missions a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning and they led the rest of the way.
Bubba Derby was the Missions starting pitcher. He went four innings, allowed five runs and did not get a decision.
Burch Smith had been the expected starting pitcher for the Missions on Sunday. It was announced to the media about an hour before game time that Derby would start instead.
Missions reliever Donnie Hart (3-2) pitched two scoreless innings and got the win.
The Missions’ Tuffy Gosewisch hits his second home run of the season Sunday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderThe Missions’ Trent Grisham trots around the bases in the sixth inning after hitting his second home run of the game Sunday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderThe Missions’ Cory Spangenberg slides into second base on his 23rd double of the season Sunday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Tyrone Taylor slides into home with the final run of the game on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderJake Hager, who had two walk-off hits early in the season, didn’t wait until the ninth inning this time.
Hager drove in Tyrone Taylor in the bottom of the eighth with the winning run as the San Antonio Missions beat the Iowa Cubs 2-1 on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium.
Taylor led off the eighth with a single. Hager came up with one out and doubled to left to bring in Taylor and break the 1-1 tie.
That was the only at-bat of the game for Hager, who entered the game in the top of the eighth inning as part of a double-switch.
Missions starting pitcher Burch Smith went six innings and did not get a decision. He allowed one run on three hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Missions reliever Taylor (3-1) got the last out in the eighth and got the win. Jay Jackson pitched the top of the ninth and notched his seventh save of the season.
The Missions’ Keston Hiura, shown earlier this season, is expected to officially be called up by the Brewers on Friday. – photo by Joe AlexanderOn a night when the San Antonio Missions combined stellar pitching with couple of home runs, the biggest story was two players who weren’t at Thursday’s game.
Keston Hiura and Tyler Saladino packed their bags before the game and left Wolff Stadium. Next stop, the big leagues.
The Milwaukee Brewers are expected to announce on Friday that Hiura and Saladino are being called up. Both have spent time with the Brewers earlier this season. Speculation about when Hiura would be called back up has been constant since he was sent back to San Antonio.
Apparently the call came Thursday afternoon. Both players were at batting practice at Wolff Stadium. At about 4:20 p.m. Central time, Hiura walked off the field as teammates waved at him.
A short time after that a member of the gameday staff reported that Saladino had exited the stadium. A team official confirmed both players were headed up.
Hiura hit .329 in 57 games in Triple-A with a team-high 19 home runs. Saladino hit .288 in 67 games and was second on the team in homers with 14.
The Missions’ Tyler Saladino, shown earlier this season, is expected to officially be called up by the Brewers on Friday. – photo by Joe Alexander
By the way, Missions win
The Missions beat the Round Rock Express 3-0 on Thursday at Wolff Stadium.
Lucas Erceg and Jake Hager both homered for the Missions. Nate Orf drove in the other run.
Missions starting pitcher Burch Smith (6-3) went six innings and got the win. He allowed one hit with seven strikeouts and four walks. Deolis Guerra, Donnie Hart and Taylor Williams each pitched one inning in the combined shutout.
Missions starter Burch Smith pitched six innings and got the win against the Express on Thursday night 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 AlexanderKeston 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.
Burch Smith pitching on June 1 at Wolff Stadium in his last start with the San Antonio Missions before being called up by the Milwaukee Brewers. – photo by Joe AlexanderBurch Smith pitched in eight games for the San Antonio Missions in the first two months of the season.
Smith was recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
In Triple-A this season, Smith made eight starts and recorded a 3-2 record with a 2.45 ERA. The 6-foot-4 right-hander pitched 40 1/3 innings and allowed 11 earned runs on 27 hits with 45 strikeouts and 20 walks.
Tyler Saladino hits a seventh-inning home run in the Missions’ 4-0 victory over the Redbirds. – photo by Joe AlexanderTyler Saladino and the San Antonio Missions made life miserable for the Memphis Redbirds over the last five games.
Saladino had a two-run pinch-hit homer in the seventh inning Monday as the Missions beat the Redbirds 4-0 at Wolff Stadium to complete a sweep of their series.
In the five games against the Redbirds, Saladino batted .643 (9-of-14) with five runs scored, two home runs, two doubles and 10 RBIs. He has nine home runs and 23 extra-base hits on the season.
Jake Hager and Tuffy Gosewisch drove in the other two runs Monday.
Missions reliever Taylor Williams (1-0) pitched the fifth and six innings and got the win. He allowed no runs and two hits with two strikeouts. Burch Smith was the starter and did not get a decision. Smith went four scoreless innings and allowed two hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
The Missions’ Jake Hager hits a pinch-hit home run with Jacob Nottingham on base in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Dodgers at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderThe San Antonio Missions hit three home runs and scored all their runs in their last two innings at bat in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday at Wolff Stadium.
Cory Spangenberg, Nate Orf and Jake Hager homered in the Missions’ 8-3 seven-inning victory over the Oklahoma City Dodgers. The Missions scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Orf hit a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth inning. Spangenberg hit a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth. Hager hit a two-run, pinch-hit home run in the bottum of the sixth.
Missions starting pitcher Bubba Derby lasted five innings and got a no-decision. He allowed three runs in the second inning and held the Dodgers scoreless in his other four innings. Reliever Josh Fields pitched the sixth inning and got his first win of the season.
The Missions’ Nate Orf hits a solo home run in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Dodgers at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderThe Missions’ Cory Spangenberg rounds first base after hitting a home run in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Dodgers at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Missions pitchers throw combined shutout in second game
Starting pitcher Burch Smith threw 5 1/3 innings as the Missions beat the Dodgers 3-0 in the second game of the doubleheader.
Smith (3-0) allowed two hits with one walk and stuck out five batters. Donnie Hart came in for Smith in the sixth. Taylor Williams went to the mound in relief in the top of the seventh inning and a runner on base and got the save.
Missions pitcher Burch Smith started Thursday’s second game and got the win against the Dodgers at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Missions pitcher Burch Smith earned his first win of the season against the Sounds on April 13 at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderSan Antonio Missions pitcher Burch Smith is scheduled to start in tonight’s 7:05 p.m. road game against the Memphis Redbirds.
This will be Burch’s third game of the season – all as a starter. He has a 1-0 record with a 0.82 ERA, 13 strikes, 6 walks and 5 hits in 11.0 innings.
In his last outing, Smith got the win in a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Sounds. He pitched six innings and allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts and one walk on April 13.
Smith got a no-decision against the Oklahoma City Dodgers in the opening series of the season. He pitched five shutout innings with two hits, eight strikeouts and five walks on April 8.
Last season with the Kansas City Royals, Burch appeared in 38 games with six starts. He had a 1-6 record with a 6.92 ERA.
