Esteury Ruiz keys rally as Missions top Hooks

Esteury Ruiz had this catch in center field in addition to two run-scoring hits for the San Antonio Missions on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Esteury Ruiz had this catch in center field in addition to two run-scoring hits for the Missions.
Esteury Ruiz’s three-run double in the seventh inning gave the San Antonio Missions the lead for good in an 8-6 victory over the Corpus Christi Hooks on Thursday at Wolff Stadium.

Ruiz’s key hit was a bases-loaded cracked-bat bloop that landed near the right-field line. That broke a 3-3 tie and put the Missions up 6-3. The Missions weren’t done that inning as they put up five runs with RBI hits by Ethan Skender and Eguy Rosario to surge in front 8-3.

The Hooks made it interesting when they scored a run in the eighth and loaded the bases in the top of the ninth and scored two more.

The Missions’ first three runs came in the second inning. Esteury Ruiz had a two-run hit. Michael Curry doubled to drive in Dwanya Williams-Sutton with the first run of the game.

Missions starting pitcher Jerry Keel went six innings and allowed three runs, two earned. Sam Williams (3-2) pitched a scoreless seventh inning and earned the win.

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.

Missions fall to Springfield after reports of trade involving Jack Suwinski; Esteury Ruiz homers in return

Jack Suwinski watches from the San Antonio Missions dugout during the fifth inning of Sunday's loss to the Springfield Cardinals. There were reports that Suwinski will be part of a trade between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates. - photo by Joe Alexander
Jack Suwinski watches from the Missions dugout during the fifth inning of Sunday’s loss. There were reports that Suwinski will be part of a trade between the Padres and Pirates.
Jack Suwinski spent Sunday night watching from the dugout in what might have been his final game in a San Antonio Missions uniform.

Suwinski was replaced in the Missions’ starting lineup prior to the game, a 10-6 Springfield Cardinals victory.

According to reports from multiple members of the media who cover Major League Baseball, Suwinski will be part of a trade between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates. The big name in the trade is Pirates second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier going to the Padres.
Trade story on MLB.com

The Missions got a second-inning home run from Esteury Ruiz in his first at-bat since suffering a finger/hand injury on June 13. Dwayna Williams-Sutton homered in the sixth inning.

The Cardinals pounded out 12 hits including home runs by Ivan Herrera and Luken Baker.

The Missions begin a six-game road series on Tuesday in Amarillo. They return Aug. 3 for a six-game series at Wolff Stadium against the Corpus Christi Hooks.

San Antonio Missions outfielder Esteury Ruiz celebrates his home run. He was activated from the injured list on Sunday and played in his first game since June 13. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions outfielder Esteury Ruiz celebrates his home run. He was activated from the injured list on Sunday and played in his first game since June 13.

Jordan Humphreys gets 1st win, Michael Curry homers as Missions blank Cardinals

San Antonio Missions starter Jordan Humphreys was the winning pitcher in Friday's victory over the Springfield Cardinals at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions starter Jordan Humphreys was the winning pitcher in Friday’s victory over the Springfield Cardinals at Wolff Stadium.
Jordan Humphreys pitched five scoreless innings to start off a combined shutout as the San Antonio Missions beat the Springfield Cardinals 4-0 on Friday at Wolff Stadium.

Brandon Komar went the next 2.0 innings, James Reeves pitched 2/3 of an inning and Nick Kuzia closed out the final 1 1/3 innings and picked up his his third save.

Kuzia entered the game in the eighth with the bases loaded and two outs and struck out the first batter he faced. He retired the Cardinals in order in the ninth.

The Missions’ scoring came on Jose Azocar’s two-run double off the wall in left in the third inning and Michael Curry’s third home run of the year coming with a runner on base in the fourth. Azocar has 12 hits in the last eight games and is batting .387 over that stretch.

Curry entered the game as a replacement after Dwanya Williams-Sutton limped off following what looked like a near collision with Eguy Rosario as they went after a shallow fly ball.

Jack Suwinski, Missions rally past Naturals

San Antonio Missions left fielder Jack Suwinski drove in two runs including the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh in a 6-5 win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions left fielder Jack Suwinski drove in two runs including the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh in a 6-5 win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Saturday at Wolff Stadium.
Jack Suwinski had three hits and drove in San Antonio’s first and last runs of the game as the Missions beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 6-5 on Saturday night at Wolff Stadium.

The Missions wore uniforms commemorating the San Antonio Black Aces of the Negro Leagues.

Northwest Arkansas led 3-0 in the middle of the sixth inning and 5-3 in the middle of the seventh. The Missions did all their scoring in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings with three runs in each frame.

Suwinski drove in Eguy Rosario with the Missions’ first run in the bottom of the sixth. Dwanya Williams-Sutton drove in Kyle Overstreet and Suwinski later in the inning to tie the game 3-3.

A Naturals error in the bottom of the seventh allowed Rosario to reach base and Chandler Seagle to score. Overstreet singled in Rosario from second to tie the game 5-5. Chris Givin pinch ran for Overstreet and Suwinski drove him in.

Suwinski’s game-winning double was the only extra-base hit of the game for the Missions, who finished with nine hits.

Reliever Nick Kuzia entered the game in the seventh. He pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and got his first win of the season in 10 relief appearances. Jose Quezada pitched the ninth inning and picked up his eighth save of the season.

The Missions have won their last two games and seven of their last nine. The six-game Missions-Naturals series concludes Sunday with a 2:05 p.m. start.

CJ Abrams, Aaron Leasher help Missions get back on track to beat Naturals

San Antonio Missions shortstop CJ Abrams had four hits against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Friday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
San Antonio Missions shortstop CJ Abrams had four hits against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Friday at Wolff Stadium.
The San Antonio Missions combined strong starting pitching from Aaron Leasher with 17 hits to beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 14-6 on Friday at Wolff Stadium.

Leasher (4-2) pitched 5.0 innings. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out five to earn the win.

Highly regarded San Diego Padres prospect CJ Abrams led the Missions on offense with four hits, including two doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored.

Dwanya Williams-Sutton, in his second game with the Missions, had four hits and an RBI and scored three runs. Those were his first hits and first runs scored above the Class A level.

Eguy Rosario had two hits, including his second triple of the season, and three RBIs. He is batting .333 (12-of-36) in the current homestand.

Chandler Seagle had two hits, both doubles, two RBIs and three runs scored.

The Missions had been on a hot streak before losing the previous two games against the Naturals. The six-game series continues Saturday night and concludes with a 2:05 p.m. game Sunday.

Naturals roll late to beat Missions

Juan Fernandez hit his third home run of the season to give the Missions a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Juan Fernandez hit his third home run of the season to give the Missions a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Thursday at Wolff Stadium.
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals scored seven runs over the final three innings to beat the San Antonio Missions 10-3 on Thursday at Wolff Stadium.

The Missions’ scoring came on an RBI single by Kyle Overstreet in the first inning and a two-run homer by Juan Fernandez in the fourth.

Missions starting pitcher Osvaldo Hernandez held the Naturals scoreless over the first four innings but was tagged for three unearned runs before he left in the sixth.

Dwanya Williams-Sutton made his debut with the Missions after being promoted from Class A Fort Wayne. He started in left field and had one walk.