Gabe Mosser starts Missions’ combined shutout against Hooks

Gabe Mosser pitched four scoreless inning to start the Missions' shutout of the Hooks. The San Antonio Missions beat the Corpus Christi Hooks 9-0 on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Gabe Mosser pitched four scoreless inning to start the Missions’ shutout of the Hooks.
Five San Antonio Missions pitchers teamed up to shut out the Corpus Christi Hooks 9-0 on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium.

Gabe Mosser, who was recently promoted to the Missions from Class A Fort Wayne, started and went four innings. He allowed two hits and one walk with one strikeout.

Jose Espada was the first Missions reliever out of the bullpen and went 2 2/3 innings to earn the win.

Justin Lopez got the final out of the seventh inning. Jairo Iriarte and Jose Quezada pitched one inning each to finish the game.

The Missions dominated the game with 11 hits. Ripken Reyes, Daniel Johnson, Marcos Castanon and Michael De La Cruz had two hits each. Johnson and Castanon had triples and Korry Howell and Juan Fernandez both had doubles. Castanon extended his hitting streak to nine games.

Marcos Castanon had two hits including a triple, scored twice and had two RBIs. The San Antonio Missions beat the Corpus Christi Hooks 9-0 on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Marcos Castanon had two hits including a triple, scored twice and had two RBIs.

Frisco rallies past Missions despite Daniel Johnson’s homer

Daniel Johnson's home run gave the Missions a 4-1 lead. The Frisco RoughRiders beat the San Antonio Missions 6-4 on Sunday, July 2, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Daniel Johnson’s home run gave the Missions a 4-1 lead.
The Frisco RoughRiders scored twice in the top of the ninth to beat the San Antonio Missions 6-4 on Sunday at Wolff Stadium.

The Missions managed only five hits. One of those was a three-run home run by Daniel Johnson in the bottom of the third inning, giving San Antonio a 4-1 lead. It was his fourth home run and 13th extra-base hit of the season.

Ripken Reyes scored the Missions’ other run when he came home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first.

Missions pitcher Bobby Milacki made his first start of the season after 14 relief appearances at Single A Fort Way and three recently with San Antonio. He went five innings and was an out away from being in position to get a win before allowing a two-run homer to Frisco’s Thomas Saggese with two outs in the fifth.

Milacki’s final line was five full innings, four runs, seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Fans at Wolff Stadium got to see a member of the Texas Rangers on the mound. Jose Leclerc, who went in the unjured list in June 21 with an ankle injury, pitched one inning as part of a rehab assignment. He retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the fifth.

Ray-Patrick Didder has key hit as Missions rally past RoughRiders; Blake Cederlind wins in San Antonio debut

Ray-Patrick Didder's two-run single in the sixth inning put the Missions in front for good. The San Antonio Missions beat the Frisco RoughRiders 3-2 on Thursday, June 29, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Ray-Patrick Didder’s two-run single in the sixth inning put the Missions in front for good.
Ray-Patrick Didder drove in two crucial runs in the San Antonio Missions’ 3-2 victory over the Frisco RoughRiders on Thursday at Wolff Stadium.

Didder’s two-run single was part of a three-run Missions rally in the sixth inning. His hit brought in Michael De La Cruz with the go-ahead run and Juan Fernandez with a run that gave the Missions a 3-1 cushion they would need.

Daniel Johnson led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. He advanced to second when De La Cruz walked, then scored the Missions’ first run on a hit by Fernandez to tie the game 1-1.

Frisco took the first lead of the game with a run in the top of the third inning. After the Missions went ahead 3-1 in the sixth inning, the Rough Riders made it close with a run in the top of the ninth.

Relief pitcher Blake Cederlind made his San Antonio Missions debut and got the win. He pitched the top of the sixth inning and allowed no runs, one hit, two walks and two strikeouts.

Missions starter Daniel Camarena had a strong outing but got no decision. He went five innings and allowed one run on three hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Jose Quezada pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings for the Missions. Alek Jacob pitched the ninth inning, allowed one run, and got his fifth save of the season.

Justin Farmer also made his Missions debut and played in right field.

Daniel Johnson led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and scored the Missions' first run later in the inning. The San Antonio Missions beat the Frisco RoughRiders 3-2 on Thursday, June 29, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Daniel Johnson led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and scored the Missions’ first run later in the inning.

Missions use lots of little hits – including 4 by Ripken Reyes – to edge Wind Surge

Ripken Reyes bunts for a run-scoring hit in the fifth-inning. The San Antonio Missions beat the Wichita Wind Surge 5-4 on Friday, June 9, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Ripken Reyes bunts for a run-scoring hit in the fifth-inning.
None of the San Antonio Missions’ run-scoring at-bats were extra-base hits on Friday night.

Instead they piled up 12 hits – including five in the pivotal four-run fifth inning – to beat the Wichita Wind Surge 5-4 at Wolff Stadium.

The Missions’ runs in the inning scored on an RBI single by Chandler Seagle, an RBI bunt single by Ripken Reyes, an RBI single by Tirso Ornelas and a sacrifice fly by Yorman Rodriguez. Ray-Patrick doubled in the frame and later scored, but didn’t drive in a run with his hit.

Wichita, on the other hand, did all its scoring on home runs. Seth Gray had a three-run homer in the second inning and Yunior Severino had a solo shot in the eighth.

Missions starting pitcher Efrain Contreras had a strong night other than Gray’s home run. Contreras pitched six innings to get the win. He allowed three runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Missions reliever Lake Bachar pitched 1 2/3 innings and gave up one run on Severino’s homer. That was the only hit given up by Bachar, who struck out one batters. Missions closer Nick Hernandez went to the mound with two outs in the eighth inning and got the last four outs. Hernandez struck out three batters and earned his sixth save of the season.

The Missions’ first run of the game came when Reyes led off the bottom of the first inning with a single, went to third on a Rodriguez single and scored on a ground out by Daniel Johnson.

Reyes finished with four hits including a double and scored twice. Cole Cummings had two hits and scored once. Didder had two hits including his double and scored once.

Winning pitcher Efrain Contreras walks off the mound after getting a strikeout to finish the top of the sixth inning. The San Antonio Missions beat the Wichita Wind Surge 5-4 on Friday, June 9, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Winning pitcher Efrain Contreras walks off the mound after getting a strikeout to finish the top of the sixth inning.

Sod Poodles beat up Missions in series finale

Missions outfielder Daniel Johnson had three hits on Sunday. The Amarillo Sod Poodles beat the San Antonio Missions 9-3 on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions outfielder Daniel Johnson had three hits on Sunday.
The Amarillo Sod Poodles piled up 12 hits to beat the San Antonio Missions 9-3 Sunday afternoon at Wolff Stadium.

Camden Duzenack had three hits including a double to lead the Sod Poodles, Tim Tawa had two hits including a double and Ryan Bliss had two hits. Duzenack and Tawa had three RBIs each.

Daniel Johnson had three hits for the Missions and Juan Fernandez and Michael De La Cruz had two hits each. De La Cruz and Korry Howell both doubled.

Michael De La Cruz helps Missions score season-high 14 runs

Missions catcher Michael De La Cruz had three hits. The San Antonio Missions beat the Amarillo Sod Poodles 14-4 on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions catcher Michael De La Cruz had three hits.
Four San Antonio Missions batters had multi-hit nights as they rolled to a 14-4 victory over the Amarillo Sod Poodles on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium.

Michael De La Cruz, who has been the Missions’ No. 2 catcher this season, had a team-high three hits including a double. He walked twice, drove in two runs and scored three times.

San Antonio had 13 hits and seven walks and dominated the game despite not hitting any home runs.

Tirso Ornelas, Daniel Johnson and Connor Hollis had two hits each. Johnson walked twice, scored four runs and had two RBIs.

Juan Fernandez, who leads the Missions with a .330 batting average, had a double to extend his current hitting streak to five games. Hollis, last season’s Texas League batting champion, also hit in his fifth straight game.

Missions outfielder Korry Howell played in his first game since going on the injured list on April 27. He didn’t have a hit but he walked twice, drove in one run and scored twice.

Daniel Johnson had two hits, two walks and scored four times. The San Antonio Missions beat the Amarillo Sod Poodles 14-4 on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Daniel Johnson had two hits, two walks and scored four times.
Korry Howell returned from the injured list and started in center field. The San Antonio Missions beat the Amarillo Sod Poodles 14-4 on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Korry Howell returned from the injured list and started in center field.

Starter Nolan Watson holds Hooks in check, Pedro Castellanos homers in Missions win

Pedro Castellanos hit his fifth home run of the season. The San Antonio Missions beat the Corpus Christi Hooks 5-2 on Friday, May 12, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Pedro Castellanos hit his fifth home run of the season.
The San Antonio Missions got a big effort from their starting pitcher for the second night in a row on Friday.

Missions starter Nolan Watson pitched six innings and got his first win of the season in a 5-2 victory over the Corpus Christi Hooks at Wolff Stadium. On Thursday night, starter Efrain Contreras got his first win of the season.

Watson, a 6-foot-2 right-hander, allowed two runs on seven hits, but walked only one and struck out two.

Kevin Kopps pitched the final two innings for his second save of the season. He did not allow a hit and struck out three.

The Missions went in front for good with three runs in the second inning. Michael De La Cruz had a sacrifice fly and Ripken Reyes hit a two-run double to make it 3-2.

Reyes, a switch-hitting middle infielder, has hits in six of his last seven games with three doubles and a triple in that stretch.

Pedro Castellanos hit a solo home run in the third inning, his fifth homer of the season, to make it 4-2.

Connor Hollis scored from third base on a De La Cruz groundup in the sixth inning to complete the scoring.

Daniel Johnson and Tirso Ornelas had two hits each for the Missions.

Missions starter Nolan Watson allowed two runs in six innings. The San Antonio Missions beat the Corpus Christi Hooks 5-2 on Friday, May 12, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions starter Nolan Watson allowed two runs in six innings.

Efrain Contreras earns first win, Juan Fernandez, Ripken Reyes have key hits as Missions beat Hooks

Starting pitcher Efrain Contreras walks off the field after pitching six innings on a humid night at Wolff Stadium. The San Antonio Missions beat the Corpus Christi Hooks 3-1 on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Starting pitcher Efrain Contreras walks off the field after pitching six innings on a humid night at Wolff Stadium.
San Antonio Missions pitcher Efrain Contreras turned his seventh start of the season into his first win on Thursday at Wolff Stadium.

Contreras (1-4) pitched six scoreless innings and allowed three hits with no walks and eight strikeouts as the Missions beat the Corpus Christi Hooks 3-1.

It was Contreras’ longest outing of the season. The 23-year-old right-hander improved his season ERA from 6.50 to 4.88.

The win was a long time coming for Contreras. His last win before Thursday night was in Class A ball on Aug. 27, 2019. He went 6-6 that season.

Contreras didn’t play in 2020 because of the covid season. He had Tommy John surgery in late 2020 and missed all of the 2021 season. Last summer he was 0-5 with a 5.74 ERA in 17 starts in High-A.

Fernandez had a hit and a single. He has three hits and two RBIs so far in the series and is batting .373 for the season – the only Missions player batting better than .300. He finished the month of April with an eight-game hitting streak before going hitless in three road games last week.

The Missions recorded two runs in the first inning when Ripken Reyes scored on a wild pitch and Daniel Johnson had a sacrifice fly to bring in Pedro Castellanos. Fernandez singled to center to drive in Reyes in the fifth.

Reyes put himself in scoring position twice with a triple in the first inning and a double in the fifth.

Corpus Christi made it close by loading the bases and scoring a run in the eighth inning and putting two runners on base in the ninth. Missions reliever Lake Bachar got the final two outs for his second save of the season.

Ripken Reyes tripled in the first inning and scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch. The San Antonio Missions beat the Corpus Christi Hooks 3-1 on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Ripken Reyes tripled in the first inning and scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch.

Daniel Johnson, Luis Aviles Jr. homer as Missions beat Naturals

Luis Aviles Jr. homered in the second inning. The San Antonio Missions beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 5-1 on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Luis Aviles Jr. homered in the second inning.

Daniel Johnson hit a two-run homer in the third inning. The San Antonio Missions beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 5-1 on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Daniel Johnson hit a two-run homer in the third inning.
Luis Aviles Jr. hit his first home run of the season and Daniel Johnson hit his second to give the San Antonio Missions more runs than they needed to beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 5-1 on Thursday night at Wolff Stadium.

Aviles hit a solo shot in the second inning. Johnson added a two-run homer in the third inning.

The Missions also got some offense from some of their veteran players. Tirso Ornelas had two hits and an RBI. Juan Fernandez doubled for the third night in a row and scored a run. Fernandez has a five-game hitting streak and is batting .452 in nine games.

Missions starting pitcher Duncan Snider went 4 1/3 innings and allowed one earned run on four hits and five walks with five strikeouts.

CD Pelham, the first receiver out of the Missions’ bullpen, got the last two outs of the fifth inning to earn his first win of the season. He allowed one hit and struck out one.

Missions relievers Nick Hernandez, Jose Espada and Jared Koenig combined to pitch the last four scoreless innings to hold down the win.

Texas Rangers’ minor league pitchers showing their stuff against Missions

Frisco starting pitcher Nick Krauth got the win. The Frisco RoughRiders beat the San Antonio Missions 7-0 on Friday, April 14, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Frisco starting pitcher Nick Krauth got the win.
Frisco pitchers limited the San Antonio Missions to three hits on Friday night and the RoughRiders rolled to a 7-0 victory at Wolff Stadium.

Frisco, which is the Double-A farm club of the Texas Rangers, has held the Missions to two runs over the last 28 innings in the series and outscored San Antonio 22-2 over the last three games.

RoughRiders starting pitcher Nick Krauth went five innings and got the win. He allowed one hit, two walks and one strikeout.

Four Frisco relievers – Ricky DeVito, Grant Wolfram, Nick Starr and Triston Polley – combined to allow two hits and two walks with three strikeouts over the last four innings.

The Missions used a position player to pitch in the ninth inning. Catcher/infielder Juan Fernandez, who played the first eight innings at third base, retired the RoughRiders in order in the ninth. Missions starting pitcher Duncan Snider went 3.1 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Frisco got a home run from Scott Kapers. The top three batters in the Rough Riders’ batting order piled up the offense with Evan Carter, Luisangel Acuna and Dustin Harris combining for nine hits, three walks, four RBIs and two runs.

Daniel Johnson was the only batter in the top half of the Missions' order with a hit. The Frisco RoughRiders beat the San Antonio Missions 7-0 on Friday, April 14, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Daniel Johnson was the only batter in the top half of the Missions’ order with a hit.