TL1 Texas League

Texas League report

Published on August 18, 2008 under Texas League (TL1) News Release


NORTH NOTES

Arkansas Travelers

(Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)

21-34, Fourth Place, North Division

August 11...During a 9-6 loss at San Antonio, Corey Smith launched his 23rd home run of the season, a solo shot to center in the second inning. Smith ranks second in the Texas League in homers, three short of league leader Kila Kaaihue. Smith finished at 3-for-5, adding a RBI single in the fourth. Chris Pettit also went deep for the Travs with a two-run homer in the fourth. Mark Trumbo contributed with a pair of RBI singles. Adam Greenberg went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a steal.

August 13...Arkansas fell to Corpus Christi 9-8. Trailing 6-1 at one point, the Travelers made a valiant comeback attempt by tying the score twice at 6-6 and 7-7. Mark Trumbo went 2-for-4 with a solo home run (6), a run scoring double and two runs scored. During the top of the seventh, Trumbo crushed a tape measure shot over the left field fence, tying the score at 7-7. Trumbo has clubbed 32 home runs between Double-A and high Single-A this season. Adam Greenberg led the Travelers with three hits.

August 14...In an 8-1 loss to Corpus Christi, Travelers relievers Yosandy Ibanez, Fernando Rodriguez and Barrett Browning combined to surrender only one run in 5.2 innings. Ryan Leahy doubled and scored the team's only run.

August 15...Fueled by Nate Sutton's four RBI performance, Arkansas blanked Corpus Christi 4-0. In the second, Sutton put the Travelers on the board with a two-run homer to right. Sutton, who was 3-for-4 in the game, drove in two more runs with a pair of RBI singles. Corey Smith went 2-for-4, with a double and two runs scored. Travelers hurlers Daniel Davidson, Barret Browning and Rafael Rodriguez combined on a six-hit shutout of the Hooks. The pitching trio did not issue a walk all game. Davidson (1-0) earned his first win after getting touched for four hits in 5.1 innings. The Travelers placed relief pitcher Ryan Aldridge on the disabled list. Right-hander Marco Albano was called up from high Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.

August 16...In a 5-2 Arkansas win over San Antonio, four Travs hurlers combined on a four-hitter. Winning pitcher David Austen (1-2) pitched six solid innings, giving up one run, three hits and no walks. Rafael Rodriguez hurled 1.2 perfect innings, notching his ninth save. Rodiguez has not surrendered a run in an appearance since July 29, a span of nine games. Spearheading the offensive efforts, catcher Ben Johnson went 3-for-4, with two doubles, two runs scored and a RBI. Johnson and Austen rejoined Arkansas on August 8 after stints with Triple-A Salt Lake. Reaching base four times, Corey Smith went 2-for-2, with two walks and a RBI double.

August 17...Despite tallying 10 hits, Arkansas was blanked 3-0 by San Antonio. Ben Johnson and Wil Ortiz both went 2-for-4 at the plate in the loss. Third baseman Corey Smith was promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake. In 120 games, Smith hit .275, with 23 home runs, 76 RBIs and had 14 stolen bases for the Travs. Smith leaves the Texas League ranking second in homers. Outfielder Jordan Czarniecki was reassigned to Arkansas from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals

(Kansas City Royals)

32-23, First Place, North Division

August 11...Completing a three-game sweep, Northwest Arkansas cruised to a 10-3 win over Frisco. The Naturals were anchored by three RBI performances from Juan Richardson, Mario Lisson and Adam Donachie. In the second, Donachie broke a scoreless tie by stroking a three-run homer to left-center. Richardson belted a three-run homer (13) in the third and scored three time, while Lisson ripped two doubles. Sinkerballer Julio Pimentel improved to 6-10 after giving up three runs on seven hits in six innings. The Naturals have been victorious in 19 of their last 21 games at home.

August 13...In a 13-7 loss at Midland, Irving Falu went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. Catcher Kiel Thibault also contributed in the losing cause with a two-run double.

August 14...In 11 innings, Northwest Arkansas fell to Midland 3-2. Starting pitcher Daniel Cortes struck out nine RockHounds in six masterful innings of work. In his quest to win his fifth consecutive game, the right-hander did not factor in the decision after yielding one run, three hits and three walks. Naturals hurlers Cortes, Chris Nicoll and Chris Hayes combined to fan 16 batters in 10.1 innings. In the top of the first, Juan Richardson cracked a two-run double, which was the Naturals only scoring play of the evening. In the bottom of the 10th, with runners on the corners in a 2-2 tie ballgame, second baseman Marc Maddox made a game saving diving stop on a ground ball hit up the middle. Maddox quickly flipped the ball to shortstop Mario Lisson, recording the third out on a force play at second.

August 15...Northwest Arkansas lost to Midland 2-0 despite outhitting the RockHounds nine to four. Blake Wood lost the game, having allowed both runs and all four hits in six innings of work. Gilbert de la Vara and Kyle Crist combined to shutout Midland over the final two innings. Juan Richardson, Cory Aldridge and Brian McFall had multiple-hits.

August 16...Northwest Arkansas lost their fourth straight game, dropping a 3-2 decision to Frisco. In the fifth inning, Jose Duarte put the Naturals on the board with a sacrifice fly, snapping a 23-inning scoreless streak. In the last three games, the Naturals have managed only three runs. Designated hitter Cory Aldridge had three of the Naturals' six hits on the evening. In the fifth, Duarte recorded his Texas League leading 15th outfield assist, retiring Miguel Pina on a throw to the plate.

August 17...With a 6-3 loss to Frisco, Northwest Arkansas dropped to 0-5 on their six-game road trip. Ed Lucas and Adam Donachie led the Naturals with two hits. During the Naturals' two-run eighth, Donachie doubled home Lucas and eventually scored on a ground out. The Naturals (32-23) lead second place Springfield (31-24) by one game in the second-half standings.

Springfield Cardinals

(St. Louis Cardinals)

31-24, Second Place, North Division

August 11...In the top of the 11th, Donovan Solano snapped a 3-3 tie with a two-out, RBI double to left-center, which propelled Springfield to a 4-3 triumph over Corpus Christi. Solano finished at 3-for-5, with two RBIs. Casey Rowlett, who scored the go-ahead run in the 11th, went 4-for-6 hitting in front of Solano in the leadoff spot. Cardinals relievers Luke Gregerson, Fernando Salas and Luis Perdomo combined to hold the Hooks scoreless over 6.2 innings, while yielding just four hits and two walks. Salas was dominating, as he fanned five in his two innings on the hill.

August 13...With a 6-2 loss to San Antonio, Springfield (27-24) remained five games back of division lead Northwest Arkansas. The Cardinals left 17 men on-base, hitting only 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Making his home debut at Hammons Field, recent callup Brandon Buckman went 4-for-5, with a double.

August 14...Springfield defeated San Antonio 6-5, thwarting the Missions' four-run, ninth inning rally. Led by three hit efforts from Donovan Solano and Jose Martinez, the Cardinals outhit the Missions 13-5. In the first inning, Andrew Brown slammed a three-run homer to left, putting Springfield ahead 3-1. Martinez added a two-run single in the third. Making his Double-A debut, Brad Furnish (1-0) got the win after holding the Missions to one run, on two hits, in five innings of work. One day earlier, Furnish was called up from high Single-A Palm Beach, where the left-hander compiled an 8-8 record in 25 games. After surrendering two hits in the first, Cardinals pitchers Furnish, Luke Gregerson and Luis Perdomo collectively no-hit the Missions for seven straight innings.

August 15...Hitting with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Brandon Yarbrough stroked a walk-off RBI single, lifting Springfield to a 3-2 victory over San Antonio. During the second inning, the Cardinals scored twice with a pair of RBI singles by Jose Martinez and Yarbrough.

August 16...Anchored by a brilliant rehab start from Adam Wainwright, Springfield cruised to a 5-2 victory over Corpus Christi. In 4.2 shutout innings, Wainwright fanned seven, while issuing no walks and four hits. The St. Louis Cardinals right-hander is recovering from a sprained middle finger on his pitching hand. In the second, Wainwright singled, then scored when Daryl Jones tripled. Hitting out of the leadoff spot for the first time with Springfield, Jones went 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. In 20 games, Jones has coaxed 18 walks, which has helped him post an admirable .455 on-base percentage. Donovan Solano, hitting in the two-hole, went 2-for-5, with a double and two RBIs. Cardinals pitchers Wainwright, Josh Dew, Marco Gonzalez, Zack Zuercher and Luke Gregerson combined to strike out 15 Hooks batters. Dew, the winning pitcher, fanned five in 2.1 innings of relief. The victory helped push the Cardinals (30-24) a game closer to first place Northwest Arkansas (32-22), who leads the second-half standings by two games.

August 17...In the bottom of the 11th, Jose Martinez swatted a game-winning, two-run single, giving Springfield a 9-8 win over Corpus Christi. Trailing 7-2 in the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals rallied for five runs, sending the game into extra-innings at 7-7. Martinez capped the five-run comeback with a ground-rule double that brought home two runs. Martinez finished the game at 3-for-6 with four RBIs. The Cardinals two through five hitters, Donovan Solano, Brandon Buckman, Andrew Brown and Isa Garcia, all had multiple hits. Brown launched his 11th home run of the season and scored three times. Buckman had three RBIs, combining with Martinez to drive in seven of the team's nine runs.

Tulsa Drillers

(Colorado Rockies)

24-31, Third Place, North Division

August 11...The final game of a three-game set between Tulsa and Midland was postponed due to rain. The game will be replayed on August 16 as part of a Saturday doubleheader at Midland's Citibank Park.

August 13...In a 5-1 loss to Frisco, the Drillers failed to capitalize on a brilliant outing by Keith Weiser. In seven innings of work, Weiser held the RoughRiders to one run, four hits and a walk, while fanning four. The left-hander, who was making his second Double-A start, did not factor in the decision. For the second time this season, infielder Jeff Dragicevich was promoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs. In 92 games with Tulsa, Dragicevich hit .271, with nine home runs and 42 RBIs. The Rockies signed infielder Gary Cates and assigned him to Tulsa. Cates, a 10-year minor league veteran, has previously played for the Baltimore Orioles, the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies organizations. By joining the Texas League, Cates has played in all three Double-A baseball leagues during his minor league career.

August 14...Led by Gary Cates' five-hit performance, Tulsa clobbered Frisco 11-1. Making his Drillers debut, Cates finished at 5-for-5 with three runs scored. Overshadowed by Cates' debut, teammates Chris Nelson, Tony Blanco, and Eddie Cornejo contributed with three hits each. Chris Nelson ripped a three-run triple, tallying four RBIs total. In the third, Cornejo drove in a pair with a double. Justin Nelson cracked a solo home run, his 16th of the year. Jeff Kindel was the only Drillers player who did not contribute to the Drillers' 18-hit effort. In seven innings, Chaz Roe gave up only one run, four hits and a walk, improving his record to 5-3. The Drillers placed relief pitcher Darren Clarke on the disabled list. Tulsa received right-hander Josh Hall from Triple-A Colorado Springs, where compiled a 3.96 ERA in four starts. Hall began the season in the Washington Nationals organization with Double-A Harrisburg. At the Olympics in Beijing, China, Casey Weathers fanned two batters in one inning of work as the United States defeated the Netherlands 7-0.

August 15...In Tulsa's 2-1 loss to Frisco, Eric Young, Jr. went 3-for-4, with a double and run scored. Not factoring in the decision, starting pitcher Alan Johnson permitted only one run to score in 7.1 innings. The Drillers, who lead the Texas League in errors, were plagued by their defensive woes once again. With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, left fielder Justin Nelson committed a costly error by dropping a fly ball that allowed Steven Murphy to reach second. Adam Fox, the next batter, knocked in Murphy with a game-winning double.

August 16...In game one of a double header, Tulsa stormed to a 6-0 advantage en route to a 7-4 victory over Midland. Tony Blanco, a one-man wrecking crew, went 3-for-3, with two home runs (20, 21) and four RBIs. In the top of the first, Blanco socked a two-run homer to left. Blanco later provided a run scoring single in the second and a solo home run in the seventh. Hitting in front of Blanco, Chris Nelson went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored. Winning pitcher Brandon Hynick improved to 8-7 after yielding four runs in 6.2 innings. Tulsa dropped game two to Midland by the score of 7-6. The Drillers surged to an early 6-1 lead, but were shutout over the final four innings of the game. Daniel Carte went 2-for-2 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored. Right fielder Justin Nelson doubled and drove in two.

August 17...In a 7-6 loss to Midland, Tony Blanco and cracked his 30th double of the year and knocked in three runs. Leadoff hitter Eric Young, Jr. went 2-for-5, with two runs scored and stole his 39th base of the season. Justin Nelson hit his 17th home run of the season. Tulsa led 5-2 after batting in the top of the second, but scored only one run over the final seven innings.

SOUTH NOTES

Corpus Christi Hooks

(Houston Astros)

19-35, Fourth Place, South Division

August 11...In 11 innings, Corpus Christi lost to Springfield 4-3. Leadoff hitter Wladimir Sutil went 3-for-6, with a two-run single in the second. In the third, Drew Sutton clubbed his career high 17th home run of the season. Right-hander Paul Estrada, who had tossed 2.2 scoreless innings in a three-game rehab stint, will remain with the club on the active roster. Infielder Richard Paz was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock. Paz hit .287 with a .421 on-base percentage in 67 games with the Hooks this season.

August 13...Spearheaded by Mitch Einertson's four RBI efforts, the Hooks held on to edge Arkansas 9-8. Einertson went 4-for-4, finishing a home run short of the cycle. In the first, Einertson put the Hooks on the board with a two-run double to left-center. In the fourth, Einertson socked a two-out, run scoring triple, giving the Hooks a 7-6 lead. Tied at 7-7 in the seventh, the Hooks scored two runs to seal the victory, which ended a six-game losing skid. Hitting in front of Einertson, Drew Sutton scored four runs. Jonny Ash went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.

August 14...Corpus Christi rolled to an 8-1 victory over Arkansas. It was the Hooks fourth win in five games. Winning pitcher Andy Van Hekken (5-3) stymied the Travelers, tossing seven strong innings, while limiting them to one run on seven hits. Hooks pitchers Van Hekken, Chris Blazek, and Samuel Gervacio combined for 10 strikeouts, while issuing no walks. Leadoff batter Jarred Ball went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a pair of RBIs and two stolen bases. Van Hekken and Ball both began the season in the independent Atlantic League. They joined the Hooks following the Texas League All-Star break. Backstop Lou Santangelo collected multiple hits for the second straight game.

August 15...In a 4-0 loss to Arkansas, starting pitcher Bud Norris fanned nine Travelers in five innings. Norris (3-6) drew the lost despite allowing only two runs on five hits and no walks. Since returning from the disabled list, Norris has compiled a 2.05 ERA in seven starts. The Hooks were shutout for the 14th time this season, a franchise record. Brian Bogusevic went hitless at the plate, snapping his 11-game hitting streak.

August 16...The Hooks lost 3-2 to Springfield in the opener of a three-game series. In the eighth, the Hooks scored two runs, ending a 20-inning scoreless inning streak. The Hooks activated reliever Ryan McKeller from the disabled list and placed fellow relief pitcher Bo Hall on the inactive list.

August 17...In 11 innings, Corpus Christi fell 9-8 to Springfield. It was the Hooks' 26th loss this year by a one-run margin. Brian Bogusevic, Ole Sheldon and Wladmir Sutil led the Hooks with three hits. Bogusevic cracked a pair of doubles, scored three times and stole a base. In the fourth, Mitch Einertson launched a grand slam (10) to left, giving the Hooks a 6-1 lead. Tied at 7-7 in the top of the 11th, Jonny Ash singled home the go-ahead run, giving the Hooks a brief 8-7 lead. The Cardinals' five-run comeback in the ninth spoiled an impressive outing by starter Polin Trinidad, who hurled seven innings, giving up two runs, six hits and one walks. Catcher Jose Lopez was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock. Backstop Jonathan Fixler was brought up from low Single-A Lexington to take his spot.

Frisco RoughRiders

(Texas Rangers)

33-22, T-First Place, South Division

August 11...With a 10-3 loss, Frisco dropped their third straight to Northwest Arkansas. Third baseman Adam Fox cracked a two-run homer in the fifth, his seventh of the year. Dustin Majewski went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Elvis Andrus stole his 47th base of the season.

August 13... Behind Derek Holland's stellar Double-A debut on the mound, Frisco beat Tulsa 5-1. In eight dominant innings, Holland fanned 10 Drillers en route to his first Texas League victory. The 21-year-old southpaw allowed one unearned run on four hits and a walk. In the eighth inning, Holland was still touching 95 mph on the Dr. Pepper Ballpark radar gun. Tied at one-all in the bottom of the eighth, the RoughRiders came to Holland's aid by scoring four runs. Jose Vallejo went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. During a 2-for-2 night, cleanup hitter Dustin Majewski knocked in two. In 17 starts for low Single-A Clinton, Holland was a perfect 7-0, with a 2.40 ERA and compiled 91 strikeouts in 93.2 innings. After a promotion to high Class-A Bakersfield, the 6'2" left-hander posted a 3-1 record, a 3.19 ERA and fanned 37 batters over 31 innings of work. Holland was promoted to Frisco after the club placed pitchers Thomas Diamond (ankle) and Brennan Garr (shoulder) on the disabled list.

August 14...In an 11-1 loss to Tulsa, Julio Borbon went 2-for-4, driving in the RoughRiders' only run.

August 15...In the bottom of the ninth, Adam Fox stroked a game-ending RBI double to center, propelling Frisco to a 2-1 triumph over Tulsa. Fox's clutch hit produced Frisco's 13th walk-off victory this season. Fox led the RoughRiders with two hits. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth, Elvis Andrus evened the score with a RBI double. Pitching against his former team, starting pitcher Zach Parker allowed one run, six hits and three walks in seven innings. The RoughRiders went 8-4 against the Drillers this season. With the victory, the RoughRiders (31-22) remained a half game back of division leader Midland (31-21).

August 16...Frisco squeaked by Northwest Arkansas 3-2. Tied at one-all in the sixth, Chad Tracy belted a two-run homer (2), giving the RoughRiders a lead they would not relinquish. Promoted to Frisco on August 8, Tracy is the son of former Pittsburgh Pirates skipper Jim Tracy. Julio Borbon, who was 2-for-4, drove in the RoughRiders' other run with a two-out single in the fifth. Brandon Puffer, who tossed two scoreless innings of relief, picked up the win, improving to a perfect 7-0.

August 17...In a 6-3 win over Northwest Arkansas, winning pitcher Jared Hyatt (3-3) put on a masterful display. In 6.1 shutout innings, Hyatt gave up only two hits and walked none, while striking out eight. The Georgia Tech alum retired the first 16 batters he faced before losing his perfect game with one out in the sixth inning. The RoughRiders erupted for two runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth, breaking open what had been a scoreless game. Elvis Andrus, Jose Vallejo, Thomas Berkery and Tim Gradoville all had multiple hits for the 'Riders. Andrus doubled, drove in two and stole his 48th base of the season.

Midland RockHounds

(Oakland Athletics)

33-22, T-First Place, South Division

August 13...Using a 17-hit attack, Midland thumped Northwest Arkansas 13-7. The RockHounds surged to an early 8-0 advantage after scoring five runs in the first and three runs in the second inning. Jon Zeringue capped the five-run first by belting a grand slam (19) to left field. Zeringue finished with three runs scored. In the eighth, Anthony Recker swatted a three-run homer (9). The RockHounds eight and nine hitters, Adrian Cardenas and Justin Sellers, combined to go 7-for-10 at the plate. All nine of Midland's starters collected at least one hit, while Sellers was the only RockHounds player without a run scored. Winning pitcher Ryan Webb (8-7) hurled eight solid innings, yielding one run, four hits and three walks.

August 14...In the bottom of the 11th, Anthony Recker catapulted his club into first place with a walk-off solo home run (10) to left, lifting Midland to a 3-2 win over Northwest Arkansas. With the victory, the RockHounds (30-21) moved a half-game ahead of Frisco (30-22) in the second-half standings. Recker's blast was his first game-winning home run since accomplishing the feat two years ago with low Single-A Kane County of the Midwest League. RockHounds pitchers Jason Windsor, Chris Farley, Jared Lansford, Andrew Carignan and Andrew Bailey combined to handcuff the Naturals hitters over 11 innings, holding them to two runs on seven hits. Jon Zeringue stroked a solo home run in the second, his 20th round-tripper of the season.

August 15...In a 2:30 affair, the RockHounds shutout Northwest Arkansas 2-0, completing a three-game sweep of the North Division leader. The RockHounds held the Naturals scoreless during the last 19 innings of the series. Winning pitcher James Simmons (8-6) struck out five over seven scoreless innings, while allowing seven hits and three walks. During his hottest stretch from the third through the sixth inning, Simmons retired 11 straight hitters. Setup man Andrew Bailey pitched a scoreless eighth, striking out two. Closer Andrew Carignan struck out the side in a perfect ninth, earning his 20th save. The RockHounds scored both of their runs in the fifth, capped by Javier Herrera's RBI single that plated Myron Leslie. Right-hander Justin Murray was promoted to Midland from the Athletics' rookie club in the Arizona League. The Kansas St. alumnus recorded a 1.69 ERA in three games with the rookie team. This past June, Murray was selected by the Athletics in the 29th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

August 16...Midland dropped the first game of a twin-bill with a 7-4 loss to Tulsa. Third baseman Tommy Everidge went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Jon Zeringue went 1-for-3 with a RBI single. In game two, Zeringue put on a hitting clinic, helping the RockHounds edge the Drillers 7-6. Zeringue went 3-for-3, with a home run, a double and six RBIs. With the RockHounds down 4-0 in the second, Zeringue put his team on the board with a RBI double. The 25-year-old cracked a two-run single in the third, cutting the Drillers lead to 6-3. In the fifth, Zeringue capped a four-run inning with a three-run homer (21), giving Midland a 7-6 lead. Batting in front of Zeringue, Sean Doolittle went 2-for-2 with two doubles and a pair of runs. Picking up his third save, Jared Lansford fanned four in two perfect innings.

August 17...With a 7-6 victory over Tulsa, Midland won their 18th game in their last 22 contests. The RockHounds prevailed largely in part to a strong effort by their bullpen. Relievers Andrew Bailey, Chris Michalak and Andrew Carignan combined to one-hit the Drillers over six innings, allowing just one unearned run. Bailey (4-9), the winner, no-hit the Drillers in three scoreless frames, while notching four strikeouts. Justin Sellers went 3-for-5, with three runs scored. Tommy Everidge and Sean Doolittle each drove in a pair of runs for the RockHounds

San Antonio Missions

(San Diego Padres)

26-28, Third Place, South Division

August 11...San Antonio pounded 17 hits, en route to a 9-6 victory over Arkansas. Both teams combined for 30 hits in a rare slugfest at Wolff Stadium. All nine Missions hitters recorded at least one hit. Trailing 6-4, the Missions roared back into the lead, scoring five unanswered runs. In the sixth inning, Kyle Blanks went 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored. During a 3-for-4 evening, Gabe Lopez scored twice, doubled and knocked in a run. Missions relievers Mike Ekstrom, Jonathan Ellis and Greg Burke combined to throw four shutout innings down the stretch, sealing the win. Following the game, the San Diego Padres purchased the contract of shortstop Sean Kazmar. Kazmar led all Texas League shortstops with a .964 fielding percentage. In 111 games, Kazmar hit .264, with three homers and 39 RBIs. The Padres signed former Midland infielder Brian Snyder to take Kazmar's spot. Snyder played for the RockHounds in three consecutive seasons (2006-08).

August 13...Overcoming four errors, San Antonio won their third straight game with a 6-2 victory over Springfield. Chad Huffman went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Starter Matt Buschmann (8-6) notched the victory despite issuing five walks and throwing three wild pitches. Over five innings, Buschmann held the Cardinals to one run on three hits. Prior to the game, pitchers Manny Ayala and Jonathan Ellis were promoted to Triple-A Portland. In 16 games, Ayala registered a 6-2 record, with a 3.86 ERA. Pitching out of the bullpen, Ellis posted a 9-5 mark, 2.91 ERA and racked up 62 strikeouts in 63.2 innings.

August 14...San Antonio fell 6-5 to Springfield. Trailing 6-1 entering the ninth, the Missions made a last ditch comeback attempt by scoring four runs. Chad Huffman started the ninth inning rally by singling home Mike Baxter. Baxter led off the inning with a triple. Drew Macias then launched a three-run homer to right-center, closing the Cardinals lead to one run at 6-5. Macias finished at 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Gabe Lopez doubled, walked three times and scored two runs.

August 15...Drew Macias and Kyle Blanks both had three hits in a 3-2 loss to Springfield. In the top of the third, the Missions scored twice on three consecutive two-out doubles off the bats of Macias, Blanks and Mike Baxter. Not factoring in the decision, starter Stephen Faris surrendered two runs on four hits through five innings of work.

August 16...In a 5-2 loss to Arkansas, Kyle Blanks clubbed a pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning, his 15th dinger of the season. Prior to the game, infielder Jon Schemmel was activated from the disabled list. Infielder Beamer Weems, who hit .294 in five games, was returned to short-season A-ball club Eugene. Shortstop Jesus Lopez, a 20-year-old shortstop from Guasave, Mexico, was promoted to the Missions from high Single-A Lake Elsinore.

August 17...With a 3-0 victory over Arkansas, San Antonio picked up their league leading 18th shutout of the season. Missions pitchers Mike Ekstrom, Mauro Zarate, Gabe DeHoyos and Greg Burke collectively struck out 11 Travelers, while walking none. Ekstrom, who made two relief appearances earlier in the week, pitched impressively in an emergency start on three days rest. In five innings, Ekstrom struck out eight, improving his record to 9-6. Chad Huffman had three hits, doubled and scored twice. Kyle Blanks (2-for-3) clubbed a two-run double. Drew Macias socked two doubles, which gives him 27 on the season.

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Texas League Stories from August 18, 2008


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