Missions play musical outfielders and shuffle their catchers

David Freitas, like all the Missions' catchers, also plays first base. - photo by Joe Alexander
David Freitas, like all the Missions’ catchers, also plays first base. – photo by Joe Alexander
Among the oddities on the roster of the Triple-A San Antonio Missions:

There is currently only one active player on the roster listed as an outfielder and there are four players listed as catchers.

Tyrone Taylor was the Missions’ only active outfielder on Sunday. And he didn’t start in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the Oklahoma City Dodgers at Wolff Stadium.

Corey Ray and Troy Stokes Jr. are listed on the roster as outfielders, but are both currently on the injured list. Ray was the Missions’ main center fielder to start the season. Taylor played primarily in right, but had been playing center with Ray out.

Sunday’s starting outfielders on Sunday were Jake Hager in left, Cory Spangenberg in center and Nate Orf in right. All three are listed on the roster as infielders.

Spangenberg has seen action all over the field this season. He has played first base, third base, shortstop, left field and now center field.

While the Missions are short on players listed as outfielders, they have four active players listed as catchers: Skyler Ewing, David Freitas, Tuffy Gosewisch and Jacob Nottingham. All four got into the game on Sunday. All four have also gotten work as first basemen this season.

Twice during Sunday’s game, three of them batted in a row and the other was coaching first base. The Missions use a player as a first base coach, so that part of the equation wasn’t unusual.

Freitas was the No. 7 batter in the order on Sunday and played first base. Nottingham was No. 8 in the order and played catcher.

In the fifth inning, after Freitas and Nottingham batted, Gosewisch went to the plate as a pinch-hitter. Ewing was coaching first base.

In the seventh inning, after Freitas and Nottingham batted, Ewing went to the plate as a pinch-hitter. Gosewisch was coaching first base.

Sounds win series finale against Missions

Lucas Erceg had two hits including a two-run homer. The Sounds beat the Missions 10-5 Monday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Lucas Erceg had two hits including a two-run homer. The Sounds beat the Missions 10-5 Monday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
The Nashville Sounds had 10 hits including four home runs to beat the San Antonio Missions 10-5 on Monday at Wolff Stadium.

The Missions play their next seven games on the road beginning Tuesday night against the Memphis Redbirds.

Willie Calhoun, Jett Bandy, Hunter Cole and Matt Davidson homered for the Sounds.

The Missions had 15 hits. Tyrone Taylor had four hits, one RBI and one run scored. Lucas Erceg had two hits including his third home run of the season.

Keston Hiura had a double and a triple. Corey Ray also had two hits.

Missions take afternoon game from Sounds

Jay Jackson pitches the ninth inning to get the save Sunday. The Missions beat the Sounds 5-4 at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Jay Jackson pitches the ninth inning to get the save Sunday. The Missions beat the Sounds 5-4 at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Tyler Saladino kept up his hot hitting with a two-run triple as the San Antonio Missions beat the Nashville Sounds 5-4 Sunday afternoon at Wolff Stadium.

Saladino hit three home runs over the previous two games. He is now batting .294 for the season.

Saladino singled in the second inning Sunday and scored the first run of the game when Tuffy Gosewisch drew a bases-loaded walk.

Saladino tripled in the fifth inning to drive in Corey Ray and Tyrone Taylor and give the Missions a 3-0 lead.

The Sounds scored two runs in the top of the sixth on solo home runs by Willie Calhoun homers and Matt Davidson. That trimmed the Missions’ lead to 3-2.

Mauricio Dubon and Keston Hiura both had run-scoring hits in the bottom of the sixth to stretch the Missions’ lead back to 5-2.

The Sounds made it close on a two-run homer by Andy Ibanez in the top of the eighth.

Missions starting pitcher Adrian Houser earned his first win of the season. He held the Sounds scoreless for five innings before giving up the two home runs in the sixth inning. Jay Jackson pitched the ninth inning and got his first save of the season.

The four-game series between the Missions and Sounds concludes early Monday with an 11:05 a.m. first pitch at Wolff Stadium.

Tyler Saladino powers Missions past Sounds

Tyler Saladino is congratulated by third base coach Ned Yost IV as Saladino rounds the bases after hitting his second home run of the game Saturday against the Sounds at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Tyler Saladino is congratulated by third base coach Ned Yost IV as Saladino rounds the bases after hitting his second home run of the game Saturday against the Sounds at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Tyler Saladino hit two home runs as the San Antonio Missions beat the Nashville Sounds 5-3 Saturday night at Wolff Stadium.

On Friday night, Saladino hit an inside-the-park home run.

One night later, he powered two long balls over the left-field fence.

Saladino hit a two-run homer with Cory Spangenberg on base in the second inning. Saladino hit a solo shot in the seventh inning.

The Missions scored two more runs on a two-run double by Keston Hiura in the seventh inning to take a 5-1 lead.

The Sounds also got two home runs: from Andy Ibanez in the top of the second inning and from Adam Moore in the eighth.

Missions starting pitcher Burch Smith earned his first win of the season. He went six innings, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Missions fall to Sounds despite three home runs; Tyler Saladino hits inside-the-parker

The Missions' Tyler Saladino hit an inside-the-park home run against the Sounds on Friday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Tyler Saladino hit an inside-the-park home run against the Sounds on Friday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander

The San Antonio Missions got home runs Keston Hiura, Tyler Saladino and Tyrone Taylor but lost to the Memphis Sounds 7-3 Friday at Wolff Stadium.

Saladino hit an inside-the-park homer in the seventh inning, beating a tag in a close play at the plate, to give the Missions a 2-0 lead.

Hiura homered in the fourth for the first run of the game.

Taylor added his third home run of the season in the ninth.

The Sounds scored all seven of their runs in the eighth inning off Missions relief pitchers.

Missions starting pitcher Aaron Wilkerson threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Flying Chanclas fall to Redbirds

Lucas Erceg dives into home in the second inning with the Flying Chanclas' first run of the game. - photo by Joe Alexander
Lucas Erceg dives into home in the second inning with the Flying Chanclas’ first run of the game. – photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions, playing as the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio, fell to the Memphis Redbirds 6-3 Thursday at Wolff Stadium.

The Missions won the previous two games in the series with ninth-inning rallies.

The Missions briefly led after scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 3-2 lead. Nate Orf had an RBI double, Cory Spangenberg had an RBI single and Jacob Nottingham had an RBI double.

The Redbirds tied it 3-3 with a run in the top of the third and took the lead with three runs in the top of the seventh.

Mauricio Dubon does it again as Missions edge Redbirds

Mauricio Dubon celebrates on his way to first base as Cory Spangenberg (background) comes home with the winning run in the Missions' 6-5 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Mauricio Dubon celebrates on his way to first base as Cory Spangenberg (background right) comes home with the winning run in the Missions’ 6-5 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
For the second night in a row, Mauricio Dubon went to the plate with the game on the line.

For the second straight night, Dubon came through with a walk-off hit.

Dubon’s single to left with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth gave the San Antonio Missions a 6-5 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium.

The night before, the Missions won on his two-run hit in the bottom of the ninth.

This time the Missions went into the ninth inning tied 5-5. Cory Spangenberg led off the bottom of the inning with a double. Jacob Nottingham followed with a walk. Corey Ray walked with one out.

That brought Dubon to the plate. His hit to left field drove in Spangenberg with the game-ending run.

With Wednesday’s clutch hit, Dubon is 2-for-2 with 3 RBIs in the the ninth inning of the Missions’ two home games.

Roster update: The Missions added pitcher Taylor Williams, No. 21, right-hander, 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, Vancouver, WA, spent last season in Milwaukee (MLB) and Colorado Springs (AAA).

Missions media day starts with interviews

Members of the San Antonio media talk to new Missions outfielder Corey Ray on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Members of the San Antonio media talk to new Missions outfielder Corey Ray on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Some of the members of the 2019 San Antonio Missions baseball team talked to members of the media on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium.

The list included:

Keston Hiura, infielder, No. 18, former 1st-round draft pick.

Corey Ray, outfielder, No. 9, former 1st-round draft pick.

Zack Brown, right-handed pitcher, No. 33, former 5th-round draft pick.

All three spent time last season with the Milwaukee Brewers’ Double-A team in Biloxi, Miss.