SAN ANTONIO - Burch Smith continued his exceptional run of form on the mound for the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio but it was not enough as they fell to the Sacramento River Cats 3-2 in Thursday night's series rubber match.Smith was perfect through 5 1/3 innings having thrown just
SAN ANTONIO - Burch Smith continued his exceptional run of form on the mound for the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio but it was not enough as they fell to the Sacramento River Cats 3-2 in Thursday night's series rubber match.
Smith was perfect through 5 1/3 innings having thrown just 49 pitches. The right-hander finally allowed a base runner on a dribbler through the right side of the infield off the bat of Sacramento's Abiatal Avelino. Following a walk to the next batter, Smith was pulled from the game in favor of Miguel Sanchez. Over his last five starts the San Antonio-born hurler has allowed just three earned runs in 27 1/3 innings of work with 30 punch outs.
David Freitas provided the offense for the Flying Chanclas as he muscled a two-run opposite field bomb in the first inning. The score remained 2-0 thanks to shutdown pitching from both teams until the top of the seventh when Sacramento cut San Antonio's slim lead in half. Mike Gerber drilled a ground rule double over the left center field fence to lead off the frame and came around to score on a Francisco Peña base hit up the middle.
The River Cats scratched across a pair of runs off Jimmy Nelson in the top of the eighth to take the lead and spoil a tremendous start from Smith. Hard-throwing righty Devin Williams came on in relief of Nelson and limited the damage in his Wolff Stadium debut. The flame-thrower fanned both batters he faced in the eighth to keep it a one-run game and retired the side in order in the ninth.
A combination of Conner Menez, Steven Okert, Williams Jerez, and Fernando Abad combined to retire 14 Flying Chanclas in a row until a walk to David Freitas to lead-off the ninth inning.
San Antonio threatened in the bottom of the ninth as Freitas walked and Hernán Pérez singled. Tyrone Taylor then bounced into a double play and Troy Stokes Jr. grounded out to finish off the ball game.
San Antonio opens up a four-game series against the Fresno Grizzlies Friday night at Wolff Stadium. Right-hander Trey Supak (1-0, 7.20) is scheduled to start for the Missions against right-hander Scott Copeland for the Grizzlies First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
Post-Game Notes
-With the loss, San Antonio falls to 68-42 on the season.
-With a ninth-inning single, Hernán Pérez extended his hitting streak to 15 games.
-San Antonio is now on a season-long six-game errorless streak.
2019 is the 118th season of baseball in San Antonio and first as the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Single game tickets are on sale now at the Wolff Stadium Box Office or online at samissions.com. Season seat memberships are available now by calling 210-675-PARK (7275).
