The Missions’ Jake Hager (right) and Jacob Nottingham celebrate after Hager’s walk-off hit. – photo by Joe AlexanderTwice in three days, Jake Hager stepped up to the plate with the game on the line.
Both times Hager came through with a hit that gave the San Antonio Missions a victory.
After producing a walk-off hit on Sunday at Wolff Stadium, Hager did it again Tuesday night.
This time Hager’s single in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Missions a 1-0 victory over the New Orleans Baby Cakes.
Under the extra-innings rule, the Missions started the bottom of the 10th with Cory Spangenberg on second base. Nate Orf had a bunt single to advance Spangenberg to third. Jacob Nottingham got an intentional walk to load the bases.
That brought Hager to the plate. He responded with his 12th RBI of the season.
The Missions used five pitchers to combine for the 10-inning shutout. Aaron Wilkerson started and pitched five innings. Alex Wilson (1-0) pitched the top of the 10th inning and got the win. The Missions got the final two outs in the top of the 10th with a double play.
Cory Spangenberg
Jake Hager
Cory Spangenberg
Jake Hager
Jake Hager
Jake Hager
Missions shortstop Mauricio Dubon turns a double play that ended the top of the 10th inning and kept the game scoreless. – photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Jake Hager drills a game-ending single to center against the Express. – photo by Joe AlexanderJake Hager’s clutch hit brought a sudden end to a game that started two days before.
Hager drove in Cory Spangenberg with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the San Antonio Missions’ 10-9 victory over the Round Rock Express on Sunday at Wolff Stadium.
The game was a continuation of the game suspended Friday night due to weather.
The game resumed Sunday with the Express leading 6-1 in the fourth inning. The Missions scored five runs in the fourth to tie it 6-6.
The Express took a 9-6 lead with three runs in the top of the sixth. The Missions cut it to 9-7 with a run in the bottom of the sixth.
The Missions came back for good with a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth. Mauricio Dubon led off the inning and eventually scored to cut it to 9-8. Spangenberg doubled to drive in Keston Hiura to tie it.
And at long last, Hager’s line drive single to center scored Spangenberg to end the game.
The resumed game was played as the first game of a doubleheader. The Missions won the second game 6-1.
David Freitas, like all the Missions’ catchers, also plays first base. – photo by Joe AlexanderAmong 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.
Relief pitcher Miguel Sanchez got the win as three Missions pitchers combined for a shutout in a 6-0 victory over the Dodgers on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderThe San Antonio Missions shut out the Oklahoma City Dodgers for the second time in the last three games with a 6-0 victory Saturday at Wolff Stadium.
It was the sixth straight win for the Missions, including the first four games of the current series.
Missions reliever Miguel Sanchez (1-2) entered the game in the fifth inning and pitched 2 1/3 innings to earn the win.
Missions starter Corbin Burnes went 4 2/3 innings, leaving the game one out short of having a chance for the win. He allowed three hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. Jon Olczak pitched the last two innings.
San Antonio left fielder Cory Spangenberg hit his second home run of the season in the fourth inning.
Mauricio Dubon, Keston Hiura and David Freitas had three hits each for the Missions. Spangenberg, Nate Orf and Jacob Nottingham had two hits each as the Missions finished with 15 hits.
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
Jay Jackson pitches the ninth inning to get the save Sunday. The Missions beat the Sounds 5-4 at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderTyler 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 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 AlexanderTyler 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.
Mauricio Dubon hits a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the ninth in the Missions’ 6-5 victory over the Redbirds on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe AlexanderThe San Antonio Missions scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Memphis Redbirds 6-5 on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium.
The game was the 2019 home opener for the Missions and their first game in San Antonio as a Triple-A team.
Missions shortstop Mauricio Dubon had the winning hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
Missions third baseman Lucas Erceg, who had two home runs and drive in three runs earlier in the game, scored the tieing run and Jake Hager scored the winning run.
The Redbirds took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Erceg walked to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Pinch-hitter Jake Hager produced a one-out single. Erceg and Hager advanced to third and second on a wild pitch.
Dubon came up with two outs and lashed a hit to center to drive in Erceg and Hager and end the game.
