Winning the every-day battles

Players in the Pacific Coast League probably spend a little time every day thinking about reaching the majors. But on some days, it's harder than usual to keep those thoughts separate from the focus required to execute every-day tasks.
The Missions may have experienced just such a day on Sunday before and after they whipped the Omaha Storm Chasers, 8-3, at Wolff Stadium.
When they arrived at the ball park for a 2:05 p.m. game against Omaha, the parent-club Milwaukee Brewers already had announced the call up of veteran starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson and hard-throwing relievers Taylor Williams and Jacob Barnes.
In addition, veteran major league infielder Travis Shaw was penciled into the Missions' lineup for one last time on a rehabilitation assignment before he was scheduled to leave town, as well.
It's only natural that some others in the Missions clubhouse would contemplate their futures, as well.
Outfielder Nate Orf, who experienced big-league life for 15 game with the Brewers last summer, admitted that it is sometimes "a battle" for players to avoid getting too caught up in long-term dreams or management decisions.
"I just think a day is a terrible thing to waste," Orf said. "I feel like, letting those kinds of thoughts creep in and steal the joy of the day that we're in, (that) is a shame. And it happens, too. That's kind of the battle at this level."
Orf and the Missions won the latest battle, rallying from an early two-run deficit to score eight unanswered runs, including five in the fourth inning.
As a result, the leaders in the PCL's American Southern Division earned a 2-2 series split with the Storm Chasers leading into a day off Monday and then a seven-game road trip starting Tuesday at Salt Lake City.
Orf emerged as one of the standouts in the series finale against Omaha, scoring three runs after reaching base four times - once on a single, once on a double and twice when he was hit by a pitch.
Other major contributors included Cory Spangenberg, who had a game-high three hits, plus David Freitas, Troy Stokes, Jr., and Jake Hager, who drove in two runs apiece.
Pitcher Thomas Jankins (4-2) completed a five-inning work day and earned the victory after allowing two runs on four hits in the first inning.
Omaha's Zach Lovvorn (2-5) took the loss.
Known all season for making momentum-changing plays, Orf pulled off another one when he stole third base in the fifth inning and scored when an errant throw to third by Omaha catcher Xavier Hernandez skipped into the outfield.
Orf has been creating this kind of mayhem for the past month, with his batting average (.356) and on base percentage (.453) in May both ranking in the top ten in the PCL.
Manager Rick Sweet said Orf has made a career by getting on base.
"When he came to me four years ago, he was an extra guy," Sweet said. "He's got himself to the big leagues (once). He's going to get to the big leagues again one day. He's what we call a baseball player. He's a professional baseball player. Just very, very smart."
He's also highly competitive and ambitious. But he knows he can't allow his emotions to affect the way he approaches his daily routine.
Orf said it's easy to stay focused with the personnel in the Missions' clubhouse.
"You know, we're super fortunate to have a clubhouse filled with really good dudes, and that helps so much to enjoy the day," he said. "We got guys who compete, who are trying to learn. Couldn't be luckier to (be with) this group and try to get the max out of every day here."
Having played 373 games in Triple-A since 2016, Orf, a former Baylor University athlete, knows what to expect on how to roll with roster changes in the next few months.
"You know things are going to shift and change," he said. "That's just part of the game. As the season goes on, it makes it more important to just enjoy every day that we get together and try to maximize it. Then, hopefully, your dreams come true."
PCL Standings
American Southern Division - San Antonio 36-22, Round Rock 34-23, New Orleans 32-26, Oklahoma City 22-34.
American Northern Division - Iowa 34-24, Omaha 27-31, Memphis 23-35, Nashville 22-35.
Nelson's return
A flurry of transactions in the works for a few days were announced Sunday, headlined by veteran pitcher Jimmy Nelson getting the call to re-join the Brewers this week.
Completing his rehabilitation from a right shoulder injury in Triple-A, Nelson was 3-0 with a 3.75 earned run average in five appearances for the Missions.
His first scheduled appearance on April 28 at Wolff Stadium memorably had to be postponed, with his wife, Melissa, giving birth that day to twin daughters, Riley James and Naomi Lynn, in Houston.
Nelson had been penciled in to start again for the Missions in the series opener at Salt Lake City on Tuesday, but the new plan now calls for him to take the mound Wednesday at home against the Miami Marlins.  
He hasn't pitched in the big leagues since September of 2017 when he severely injured his right (throwing) shoulder in Chicago.
The Brewers made room for Nelson on the roster when they placed starter Jhoulys Chacin on the injured list with a lower back strain.
Nottingham returns to S.A.
Catcher Jacob Nottingham has been optioned from the Brewers to the Missions. But the Missions are losing two hard-throwing relievers in Taylor Williams and Jacob Barnes, who have been called up.
With veteran infielder Travis Shaw set to re-join the Brewers after spending the past 12 days with the Missions on a rehabilitation assignment, the parent club is in the process of trying to determine how to make room on the roster for him.
One option might be to send 22-year-old Keston Hiura back to San Antonio so that he can play every day. "I'm glad I don't have to make the decision," Missions manager Rick Sweet said late Saturday night.
With the Brewers, Hiura is hitting .281 with five home runs and nine RBI in 64 at bats.   He started the season with the Missions, where he hit .333 with 11 homers and 26 RBI in 129 at bats.
Jankins' day
Commenting on his first-inning performance against Omaha, Missions pitcher Thomas Jankins said he "didn't really come out of the gates too strong" against the Storm Chasers.
But he said he started making better pitches as the game progressed, and, as a result, he won for the third time against one loss in his last five starts.
"I just feel like my stuff picked up and my mentality was in the right place as the game went on," he said.
Jankins, in his first season at Triple-A, is earning the respect of the veterans.
"He's got guts," outfielder Nate Orf said. "Every time he goes out there, he's going to give you everything he's got … He had some tough breaks early and just pitched through them. He just pitched his game … I'll play behind him any day."
Spangenberg's surge
Missions outfielder/infielder Cory Spangenberg, a former first-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres, is on a batting spree of .421 since he was activated on May 18 after being designated for assignment. He is 24 of 57 at the plate in that time, with three home runs and eight RBI.