Coming through in the clutch once again
The late show, starring Jake Hager, was a must see for fans of the Missions on a breezy Tuesday night at Wolff Stadium.Hager punched a one-out, RBI double to left field in the bottom of the eighth to score the winning run in a 2-1 victory over the Iowa Cubs."It's
The late show, starring Jake Hager, was a must see for fans of the Missions on a breezy Tuesday night at Wolff Stadium.
Hager punched a one-out, RBI double to left field in the bottom of the eighth to score the winning run in a 2-1 victory over the Iowa Cubs.
"It's always nice to come off the bench and win it for the team," said Hager, who entered in the top half of the inning as a defensive substitute.
With his dramatics, Hager added to a burgeoning list of big moments this season.
The 26-year-old Nevada native slapped a go-ahead, pinch-hit triple in the top of the ninth on opening day at Oklahoma City to spark the Missions' first victory as a Triple-A franchise.
He added a walk-off single in a home victory over Round Rock on May 3.
The hit against Iowa may have been the biggest of all, considering that the Missions have been playing sub-.500 baseball over the past few weeks and needed something good to happen in the fourth game of a five-game series against a fellow division leader in the Pacific Coast League.
Hager, a ninth-year veteran in the minors, acknowledged that he relishes the opportunity to make a difference in key moments.
"That's what you play for," he said. "You want to be the hero every night, just having that mindset, just locking it in and really studying the pitcher before I get up there."
The eighth inning proved to be the most pivotal and inning in the game - and maybe in the series -- which is now tied 2-2 leading into Wednesday's 5:05 p.m. finale.
Iowa loaded the bases in the top half, but San Antonio reliever Taylor Williams ended the threat by blowing a fastball past Donnie Dewees for the strikeout.
In the bottom half, slumping Missions outfielder Tyrone Taylor led off against reliever Tim Collins with a single to left, only his second hit in the first eight games of the homestand.
Hager followed by ripping a ball deep to left. Landing near the fence, it bounced up, and then caromed back onto the field.
A ground-rule double call was a possibility, which would have stopped Taylor at third base, but it wasn't called and the play continued.
Consequently, Taylor raced around third and scored easily, much to the consternation of Iowa manager Marty Pevey.
With Taylor safe at home and the Missions leading by the eventual final score, Pevey bolted from the dugout to have a conversation with the officiating crew.
After he didn't get the umpires to see it his way, he was ejected.
Missions manager Rick Sweet was coy when asked what he saw when the ball bounced.
"I can't see that far," he said. "I tell you what a good part of it is, their players played it. That tells me it's in play."
Pitching prowess
Starting pitcher Burch Smith and relievers Deolis Guerra, Taylor Williams and Jay Jackson combined to throw a seven-hitter and shut down a team that had won six of its last seven games.
Top-notch defense was supplied by center fielder Trent Grisham, who ran down several fly balls on a windy night, and shortstop Mauricio Dubón, who robbed Taylor Davis of a hit in the seventh.
Also, first baseman Lucas Erceg had his moments, as well. He smothered the low throw on the end of Dubon's play.
Also, he stopped an Ian Happ chopper and made a nice flip to Jackson covering the bag for the last out.
Taylor's moment
Tyrone Taylor hasn't been swinging the bat with much success since he returned June 25 from a month on the injured list.
He was in a 1-for-21 slump on the homestand. In that regard, his base hit and the subsequent run scored in crunch time felt good.
"It always feels good to score a big run for the team like that, and especially to finally find the barrel (on the hit)," he said.
Sweet said he's confident that Taylor will come around with his bat.
"He's working very hard," Sweet said. "He's going to come out of it, and when he does, it's going to be unbelievable, because he's been set back for awhile. When he goes off, I'm going to put him in the lineup every night."
PCL standings
American Southern Division -- San Antonio 52-33, Round Rock 50-34, New Orleans 46-39, Oklahoma City 34-49.
American Northern Division - Iowa 48-37, Omaha 38-47, Nashville 37-47, Memphis 35-50.
Note: Division winners in the American Southern and the American Northern meet in the first round of the playoffs.
Facing Colin Rea
Former Missions pitcher Colin Rea is expected to start the series finale Wednesday night for the Cubs. Rea pitched for the Missions in 2015 and 2018 when he was with the San Diego Padres.
With the Cubs, Rea made the PCL all-star team after producing a 9-2 record with a 3.27 earned run average. Rea will oppose Zack Brown of the Missions. Brown is 2-5 with a 5.94 ERA.
Calling on Drew Smyly
Former major league pitcher Drew Smyly is expected to join the Missions later this week in New Orleans, Sweet said.
''It gives us a starter we need," Sweet said. "We've been short a starter for awhile."
The Missions close out the homestand on Wednesday against Iowa. They'll open a four-game series at New Orleans on Thursday.
Released by the Rangers
Smyly, 30, was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers on June 20.
He was 1-5 with an 8.42 ERA in 13 games with Texas after not pitching in the majors the past two seasons.
Smyly, who had Tommy John elbow surgery in July of 2017, has compiled a 32-32 record with a 4.13 ERA in 169 appearances in the majors.
[Empty Body]
Mexican League Returns to San Antonio on March 28-30
SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 31, 2025 — The San Antonio Missions, playing as the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio, will host the Acereros de Monclova of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (LMB) in an exhibition series at Nelson Wolff Stadium. Games are scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Friday, March 28, and
Padres Unveil 2025 San Antonio Missions Coaching Staff
SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 17, 2025 — The San Antonio Missions, in accordance with the San Diego Padres, are thrilled to announce their coaching staff for the 2025 season. Luke Montz returns for his third consecutive season as manager. Joining Montz is pitching coach Jeff Andrews, who will also be in
Missions in the Bigs - 2024
73 Players Across 28 Teams SAN ANTONIO – Year in and year out, Missions players are leaving their mark on Major League Baseball. The Missions have an illustrious history dating back to 1888. Over that time, players like Adrian Beltre, Pedro Martinez, Joe Morgan, Mike Piazza, Brooks Robinson and Fernando
2025 Home Game Times Announced
Home Opener Friday, April 4th at 7:05 p.m. Against Amarillo SAN ANTONIO – The official game times for the San Antonio Missions 2025 season have been announced. The Missions will host the Amarillo Sod Poodles for opening night at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, April 4th. San Antonio will play most
Banana Ball Coming to Wolff Stadium in 2025
Texas Tailgaters to Play the Party Animals on September 12th and 13th SAN ANTONIO – Nelson Wolff Stadium will host Banana Ball on Friday, September 12th and Saturday, September 13th of 2025. This was announced during the Banana Ball World Tour City Draft Thursday night. The Texas Tailgaters will square
Henry Baez Named Padres MiLB Pitcher of the Year
Former Missions OF Tirso Ornelas Named MiLB Player of the Year SAN ANTONIO – The San Diego Padres announced Sunday their 2024 MiLB Player and Pitcher of the Year. Missions pitcher Henry Baez and former Missions outfielder Tirso Ornelas were each recognized for their performances this season. Baez, 21, made
San Antonio Ends the Season with A Victory
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Missions concluded the 2024 season on Sunday. The club finished the season on a high note with a 9-5 victory over the Springfield Cardinals. With a strong start from Daniel Camarena, plus a four-run sixth inning, the Missions defeated the Cardinals. San Antonio finished
Mears Leaves the Yard in Saturday Night Defeat
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Missions continued their six-game series with the Springfield Cardinals Saturday night. Both clubs were held scoreless until the fifth inning when Springfield plated three runs. Joshua Mears homered for the second straight night to cut the deficit to 3-2. Matt Svanson converted his 27th
Three-Run 7th Inning Lifts Missions Past Cardinals
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Missions continued their six-game series with the Springfield Cardinals Friday night. In a 1-1 game, the Missions plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. With an insurance run in the eighth inning, San Antonio secured a 5-2 victory. Braden Nett was
Baez Tosses Another Quality Start in Thursday Night Victory
SAN ANTONIO – The Flying Chanclas de San Antonio returned to Wolff Stadium Thursday night for the final time this season. Henry Baez continued his brilliance and recorded his fifth win of the season on Thursday. San Antonio plated four runs in the fourth inning paving the way for a
Krob Tosses Quality Start in Wednesday Night Defeat
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Missions continued their final series of the 2024 season Wednesday night. Despite a quality start from Austin Krob, the Missions dropped their second consecutive contest to the Cardinals. Springfield claimed a 2-1 victory. The Missions put to go-ahead run on base in the ninth
Vilar Homers and Doubles in Game One Loss
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Missions began their final series of the 2024 season Tuesday night. After claiming the series victory in Tulsa, the Missions welcomed the Springfield Cardinals to Wolff Stadium. The Cardinals plated seven runs on 15 hits en route to a game one victory. Sam Whiting
Missions Claim First Series Victory Since Early July
San Antonio Falls to Tulsa in 11-Inning Thriller
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Missions continued their six-game series with the Tulsa Drillers Saturday night. The two clubs needed 11 innings to determine a winner. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Donovan Casey drove in Noah Miller with a single to left field. The Missions held a
Henry Baez Deals, Missions Run Away from Drillers Late
TULSA, Okla. – A tight game through seven innings blew up late when the San Antonio Missions scored six runs in the eighth inning on the way to a 9-3 win over the Tulsa Drillers. For San Antonio, the victory results in a three-game win streak for the first time
Don't sleep on these loaded MiLB teams
Following last Friday’s second Opening Day, all four full-season levels of Minor League Baseball are officially playing their 2024 regular seasons. That has given us a few days to take in and digest rosters across Triple-A, Double-A, High-A and Single-A to determine the best of the best. Some are loaded
Get to know Padres player development's Allison Luneborg
PEORIA, ARIZ – Prospects like Ethan Salas and Jackson Merrill are a large part of why the Padres have the No. 4 farm system in baseball. But there are many folks behind the scenes who also help make the organization shine. One of them is Allison Luneborg. The Ohio native
Hall of Fame trio's road to greatness began in MiLB
The walls of Cooperstown are about to get a little more crowded. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Tuesday night that Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton would be inducted in to the baseball Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024. Players must have their names checked
The quirkiest mascots from across the Minors
Standing out in the Minor Leagues requires talent, commitment and persistence. If you've got none of those things, a ridiculous costume might do. The world of the Minors is filled with all kinds of characters -- from prospects making pro debuts to rehabbing Major League veterans -- but perhaps none
Salas, Snelling highlight Padres' Organization All-Stars
Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each organization and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in each farm system. Next up in our 2023 Organization All-Stars series are the San Diego Padres. 2023 organization summary: Triple-A El Paso:
Copa celebrations bring la Diversión
Each month, MiLB.com spotlights an aspect of Copa de la Diversión, Minor League Baseball's Hispanic fan engagement initiative sponsored by Nationwide, the program's official insurance partner. This edition celebrates the unique ballpark entertainment that lives up to the spirit of the Copa program. Check out our look at the similar
17-year-old Salas heading to Double-A (report)
Ethan Salas won’t turn 18 years old until June 2024. But the Padres' top prospect continues to rise up the Minor League ranks. Salas, MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 prospect, has been promoted to Double-A San Antonio, according to multiple reports. The club has not confirmed the news. The 17-year-old catcher
Fans recall first Minor League experiences
This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. Subscribe HERE.
The best of the Padres' Minor League ballparks
The Minor League Ballpark Guides series presented by Wyndham brings all the most fun features of Minors ballparks across America (and one in Canada!) onto your desktop, tablet or mobile device, whether you're interested in taking a virtual tour from where you sit or planning a trip to catch some
20 for ‘22: Looking back on a monumental year
It’s been two seasons since the Minor Leagues’ transformation into its current shape. Some clubs are settled into new surroundings while others continue to build on their illustrious histories. An expanded Minor League schedule and the elevation of many teams to full-season play have brought about cumulative franchise records –