Tag: Lake Bachar

Late homers by Graham Pauley, Nathan Martorella carry Missions past Cardinals

Graham Pauley hits a home run in the eighth inning to give the Missions a 6-5 lead. The San Antonio Missions beat the Springfield Cardinals 7-6 on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Graham Pauley hits a home run in the eighth inning to give the Missions a 6-5 lead.
The San Antonio Missions hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to escape with a 7-6 victory over the Springfield Cardinals on Saturday at Wolff Stadium.

Graham Pauley’s third hit of the night was a solo home run that put the Missions in front 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth. Nathan Martorella followed with another homer, giving the Missions a 7-5 lead and an insurance run they would need.

The Cardinals scored a run in the ninth to make it closer.

The Missions scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 5-4 lead. Springfield bounced back with a run in the top of the eighth to tie it 5-5.

The Missions’ seventh-inning rally included a two-run homer by Michael De La Cruz and an RBI sacrifice bunt by Ripken Reyes that scored Cole Cummings.

San Antonio starting pitcher Jairo Iriarte didn’t get a decision but had a solid outing. He went five innings and allowed three runs, three hits, two walks and struck out nine batters.

Jason Blanchard pitched two innings in relief, Lake Bachar worked the eighth inning and got the win and Efrain Contreras handled the ninth inning to pick up his fourth save.

Nathan Martorella celebrates his eighth-inning home run that gave the Missions a 7-5 lead. The San Antonio Missions beat the Springfield Cardinals 7-6 on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Nathan Martorella celebrates his eighth-inning home run that gave the Missions a 7-5 lead.

Padres prospects a hit in Missions debuts after Ethan Salas’ walk-off double

San Diego Padres prospect and new San Antonio Missions catcher Ethan Salas ended Tuesday's game with a walk-off double in the 10th inning. The Missions beat the Amarillo Sod Poodles 8-7 on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
San Diego Padres prospect and new San Antonio Missions catcher Ethan Salas ended Tuesday’s game with a walk-off double in the 10th inning.

The No. 1 prospect in the San Diego Padres organization had a memorable conclusion to his first game in Double-A ball.

Ethan Salas had a walk-off double to deep right-center field in the 10th inning.

The 17-year-old catcher drove in Connor Hollis with the winning run in the San Antonio Missions’ 8-7 victory over the Amarillo Sod Poodles on Tuesday at Wolff Stadium.

Salas was one of four players in the Missions’ lineup for the first time after being promoted from the Class A Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Jakob Marsee, Graham Pauley, Nathan Martorella and Salas all saw their first action at Wolff Stadium on Tuesday and all recorded their first Double-A hits.

– Martorella played first base and had three hits and three RBIs. After producing an RBI single in the 10th inning that tied the game 7-7, he was replaced by Hollis as the pinch-runner who scored the game-ending run.

– Marsee played center field and batted in the leadoff spot and had a hit, a walk and scored twice.

– Pauley played left field and had a hit, an RBI and scored a run.

Marcos Castanon, a relative veteran with the Missions after being promoted from Fort Wayne on July 14, had three hits including a double and an RBI and scored a run.

Missions reliever Lake Bachar (4-0) pitched the final two innings to earn the win.

Jakob Marsee's first hit with the Missions. The Missions beat the Amarillo Sod Poodles 8-7 on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Jakob Marsee’s first hit with the Missions.
Graham Pauley's first hit with the Missions. The Missions beat the Amarillo Sod Poodles 8-7 on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Graham Pauley’s first hit with the Missions.
Nathan Martorella's first hit with the Missions. The Missions beat the Amarillo Sod Poodles 8-7 on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Nathan Martorella’s first hit with the Missions.

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.

Missions walk off Wichita on Tirso Ornelas’ 3-run double

Tirso Ornelas rips a walk-off double with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning. The San Antonio Missions beat the Wichita Wind Surge 6-5 on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Tirso Ornelas rips a walk-off double with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning. Connor Hollis (far right) is at third base.
Connor Hollis scores and Ray-Patrick Didder (far right) rounds third as the Missions won on Tirso Ornelas' walk-off double. The San Antonio Missions beat the Wichita Wind Surge 6-5 on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Connor Hollis comes in to score and Ray-Patrick Didder (far right) rounds third as the Missions won on Tirso Ornelas’ walk-off double.
Ray-Patrick Didder crosses home with the run that tied the game and Ripken Reyes (far right) rounds third on Tirso Ornelas' walk-off double. The San Antonio Missions beat the Wichita Wind Surge 6-5 on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Ray-Patrick Didder crosses home with the run that tied the game and Ripken Reyes (far right) rounds third on Tirso Ornelas’ walk-off double.
Ripken Reyes slides into home with the winning run on Tirso Ornelas' walk-off double. The San Antonio Missions beat the Wichita Wind Surge 6-5 on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Ripken Reyes slides into home with the winning run on Tirso Ornelas’ walk-off double.

The San Antonio Missions never led Tuesday night until the final batter of the game.

Tirso Ornelas went to bat with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Missions trailing the Wichita Wind Surge 5-3. Ornelas ripped a line drive to center that drove in Connor Hollis, Ray-Patrick Didder and Ripken Reyes to win the game 6-5.

The Missions’ Pedro Castellanos led off the frame with a walk and was replaced by Hollis, a pinch-runner. Didder walked and then Reyes was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Wichita scored three runs in the top of the first first inning and two runs in the second inning to lead 5-0.

Yorman Rodriguez hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, his second homer since joining the Missions on May 31. A Cole Cummings ground out drove in a run and Castellanos had an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 5-3.

The Missions’ bullpen kept them in the game after the Wind Surge’s fast start. Lake Bachar, Kevin Kopps and Michel Baez (W 2-0) combined to hold Wichita to no runs and two hits over the final seven innings.

Tirso Ornelas celebrates after his walk-off double. The San Antonio Missions beat the Wichita Wind Surge 6-5 on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Tirso Ornelas celebrates after his walk-off double.
Yorman Rodriguez hit a home run in his first home game since joining the Missions. The San Antonio Missions beat the Wichita Wind Surge 6-5 on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Yorman Rodriguez hit a home run in his first home game since joining the Missions.

Sod Poodles’ Chad Patrick out-duels Missions’ Duncan Snider

Missions starting pitcher Duncan Snider allowed only one run in five innings but took the loss. The Amarillo Sod Poodles beat the San Antonio Missions 1-0 on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions starting pitcher Duncan Snider allowed only one run in five innings but took the loss.
The San Antonio Missions’ four-game win streak ended in a 1-0 loss to the Amarillo Sod Poodles on Saturday at Wolff Stadium.

Sod Poodles starting pitcher Chad Patrick and reliever Andrew Saalfrank combined on a two-hit shutout. Patrick went seven innings for the win (2-5) and allowed the two hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Saalfrank pitched the final two innings for his first save of the season.

The Missions faced Patrick at the wrong time. After losing his first five starts of the season, the 6-foot-1 right-hander has gone 2-0 in his last three starts and allowed two earned runs over his last 17 2/3 innings.

Missions starting pitcher Duncan Snider went five innings and gave up one run but took the loss (0-3). He allowed five hits and four walks with two strikeouts. The San Antonio bullpen combined to hold Amarillo scoreless over the final four innings. Aaron Leasher pitched two innings and Lake Bachar and Michel Baez one inning each.

The Sod Poodles scored the only run of the game in the top of the first inning. Jordan Lawlar walked with one out, stole second and scored on a single to center by Juan Centeno.

The Missions won the first four games of the current six-game series, which wraps up Sunday with a 1:05 p.m. start at Wolff Stadium.

Sod Poodles starter Chad Patrick threw seven shutout innings and got the win. The Amarillo Sod Poodles beat the San Antonio Missions 1-0 on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Sod Poodles starter Chad Patrick threw seven shutout innings and got the win.

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.