Hosting a PCL division rival

Hoping to snap out of a three-game losing streak, the Missions open an eight-game Pacific Coast League homestand Friday night at Wolff Stadium against division-leading Round Rock.
After four games against the Express, the Missions will host the New Orleans Baby Cakes for four more starting next Tuesday.
All three teams are bunched together near the top of the PCL's American Southern Division.
Traffic cone trophy
The Missions and Express announced earlier this week that they would compete for a 'traffic cone trophy' to mark the first games between I-35 rivals since they last competed in the Texas League from 2000-2004. The Express joined the PCL in 2005, followed by the Missions this year. Round Rock is affiliated with the Houston Astros, while San Antonio is linked with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Division race at a glance
Round Rock 16-10, New Orleans 15-12, San Antonio 15-12, Oklahoma City 8-18.
Recently
The Missions won their series opener on Monday at Iowa. But after a rainout on Tuesday, they dropped three in a row, including an 8-6 setback on Thursday afternoon. The Missions held leads of 3-0, 4-1 and 6-4 but couldn't close the door on the Cubs.
The Express were washed out on Monday and Tuesday at Oklahoma City. After that, Round Rock swept two from the Dodgers in a doubleheader on Wednesday, and then rallied for a 10-4 victory in 10 innings on Thursday night.
Players to watch
Missions - Second baseman Keston Hiura is considered one of the top hitters in the Brewers organization, at any level. In his first year in Triple-A, the 22-year-old Californian ranks in the top ten in in the PCL in multiple categories. He's batting .309 with eight home runs and 18 RBI. He also has 10 doubles. The power numbers translate into a .680 slugging percentage. He is the top-rated prospect among all Brewers minor leaguers, according to MLB Pipeline.
Express - Slugging outfielder Yordan Alvarez is among the leaders in the PCL in batting average (.402), home runs (12) and RBI (36). He was 9-of-12 with six extra base hits and seven RBI in three games at Oklahoma City. Alvarez is a 21-year-old from Las Tunas, Cuba. Originally signed by the Dodgers, he was traded to the Astros in 2016 for pitcher Josh Fields. Fields has been released by both the Dodgers and Brewers this spring. He pitched in eight games for the Missions before his release on Tuesday.
Starting pitchers
Friday, 7:05 p.m. - Thomas Jankins (1-1) for San Antonio vs. Rogelio Armenteros (1-2) for Round Rock.
Saturday, 7:05 p.m. - Adrian Houser (2-0) for San Antonio vs. Forrest Whitley (0-2) for Round Rock.
Sunday, 2:05 p.m. - TBD vs. Cy Sneed (0-3) for Round Rock.
Monday, 11:05 am. - Zack Brown (1-3) for San Antonio vs. TBD.
More moves coming?
The Brewers are considering dropping Freddy Peralta from the starting rotation, which could have ramifications in San Antonio, mlb.com has reported. According to reporter Adam McCalvy, the Brewers could replace Peralta with one of the Missions' starters. Houser, Brown and Burch Smith were mentioned as possibilities. If the Brewers can wait, two other possibilities would be Chase Anderson or Aaron Wilkerson, who are both on the injured list with the big-league club. Also, Corbin Burnes, recently promoted out of San Antonio and into the Milwaukee bullpen, is a possibility.
Local flavor
The Missions-Express series will have a distinct local flavor. Missions infielder Blake Allemand and Express pitchers Forrest Whitley and Ralph Garza grew up in the area. Born in San Antonio, Allemand played in high school at Boerne Champion and in college at Texas A&M. He moved up from Double-A Biloxi to join the Triple-A Missions on Monday. Round Rock's Whitley led Alamo Heights to the 2016 state high school tournament. That year, the Houston Astros picked the 6-foot-7 right-hander in the first round of the draft. He is scheduled to pitch on Saturday night. Garza is a former four-year player at New Braunfels High School. He went on to play at Oklahoma.
Texas ties
Round Rock pitchers Whitley, Garza, Corbin Martin (Cy Ranch) and Brady Rodgers (Lamar Consolidated) all played high school baseball in Texas. Martin and Garza pitched Thursday night at Oklahoma City. Garza (3-0) got the win by working the last 1.2 innings.
Nate Orf's day
Missions leadoff man Nate Orf had a big day on Thursday afternoon in Iowa. He led off the game with his second home run of the season. He also added an RBI single in a two-run seventh inning that lifted the Missions into a 6-4 lead. The former all-Big 12 player at Baylor is batting .225 with two home runs and eight doubles.
Whitley's struggles
Whitley, rated as one of the top pitching prospects in the minors, has struggled this season with an 0-2 record and a 7.71 earned run average. He pitched in relief in his last appearance on Sunday in Round Rock, allowing four runs on four hits in three innings. He is 6-10 with a 3.69 ERA in the minors, including 221 strikeouts in 151.1 innings.
Triple-A home run surge
USA Today reports that home runs in Triple-A have spiked by 47.1 percent this year - 2.56 per game, compared to 1.74 at this time a year ago. It is the first season that major league balls are being used in Triple-A games.

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