Missions split series with Naturals

CJ Abrams doubled for the Missions' only extra-base hit of the game and drove in one of the team's two runs. The Northwest Arkansas Naturals beat the Missions 8-2 on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
CJ Abrams doubled for the Missions’ only extra-base hit of the game and drove in one of the team’s two runs. The Northwest Arkansas Naturals beat the Missions 8-2 on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals beat the San Antonio Missions 8-2 on Sunday at Wolff Stadium.

The teams split the six-game series 3-3.

The Missions managed only four hits Sunday. CJ Abrams had an RBI double and Kyle Overstreet had an RBI single. Jose Azocar and Allen Cordoba both singled and scored.

Missions starting pitcher Reggie Lawson left the game with two outs in the first and gave up three runs on two hits and two walks. Dylan Rheault finished the first inning and took care of the second.

Adrian Martinez took over on the mound in the third inning and pitched five innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits. Martinez has been a starter for most of the season but has come on in relief in all three of Martinez’s starts.

Missions outfielder Esteury Ruiz, who is out on the injured list, worked as the first base coach for part of the game.

The Missions are off on Monday and open a six-game road series against the Frisco RoughRiders on Tuesday. Frisco leads the Double-A Central League South Division with the Missions in second place.

Jack Suwinski, Missions stay hot in series opener against Naturals

Eguy Rosario slides into home to score the San Antonio Missions' first run of the game. The Missions beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 5-3 on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Eguy Rosario slides into home to score the Missions’ first run of the game.
Tuesday night in San Antonio followed a familiar pattern, and that’s a good thing for the Missions.

Jack Suwinski hit his 11th home run of the season and the Missions piled up 10 hits to beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 5-3 at Wolff Stadium in the opener of a six-game series.

The Missions have won five in a row and eight of their last nine. Suwinski has four home runs in the last three games.

Eguy Rosario had three hits and scored twice for the Missions and leadoff batter Jose Azocar had two hits and scored a run.

Rosario scored a rather unusual run in the bottom of the second inning. He broke from second base to steal third at the same moment as a wild pitch, allowing Rosario to come all the way around for the first run of the game.

Missions third baseman Allen Cordoba, in just his third game of the season, had a hit and a walk. He has had a hit or a walk or both in all three games. He also took a hard hit ball off his leg at or near his knee that was clearly painful, but he stayed in the game.

Missions starting pitcher Reggie Lawson, in his second game of the season, went two scoreless innings and struck out two batters. There was a rain delay after the second inning and he did not return, but wasn’t expected to make a long appearance.

Adrian Martinez, who has been a starter most of the season, pitched five innings and earned the win (2-3). He allowed three runs on four hits with five strikeouts.

Henry Henry pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Tom Cosgrove pitched the ninth to pick up his first save of the season.

Padres prospect Reggie Lawson makes season debut in Missions loss

San Diego Padres pitching prospect Reggie Lawson saw his first action of the season when he started for the San Antonio Missions on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium.

The Midland RockHounds won 9-1, ending the Missions’ win streak at three games.

Lawson had Tommy John surgery early in 2020 and was still on the injured list when the 2021 season opened. He was 3-1 in six games in Double-A in 2019.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander is listed as the No. 7 prospect in the Padres organization according to MLB.com. Now 23 years old, he is the third highest pitcher among Padres prospects. Lawson was the No. 71 overall pick by the Padres in the 2016 draft.

Lawson pitched a scoreless first inning on Wednesday. It appeared he was scheduled to pitch the first two innings, but he left with one out in the second.

He finished with 1 1/3 innings, four runs, one earned, three hits, one walk and no strikeouts. The Missions committed three errors while he was in the game, including a pickoff throw to second base that went into the outfield.

San Diego Padres assign pitchers to Missions

The San Antonio Missions’ 2021 pitching staff is starting to take shape.

The San Diego Padres assigned pitcher Anderson Espinoza to the Missions on March 24.

The Padres assigned pitchers Reggie Lawson and Jordan Humphreys to the Missions on March 16.

– Espinoza pitched in one game for the Padres last summer, going one inning for his only major league experience. The 6-foot right-hander from Venezuela pitched in the minors at the rookie league and Single-A level in 2015 and 2016. He had Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2017.

– Lawson pitched in two games in relief for the Padres last season. The 6-4 right-hander pitched in six games, all starts, for Amarillo in the Texas League in 2019. He had a 3-1 record with a 5.20 ERA

– Humpreys was picked up by the Padres earlier this month after the San Francisco Giants designated him for assignment. The 6-2 right-hander pitched in 33 games in the minors in 2015-17 and missed the 2018 season due to injury. He pitched in two games in 2019.

The Missions will play this season in the Double-A Central League – basically the old Texas League, where the Missions have played throughout much of franchise history.