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San Antonio Missions Game Notes: August 22 at Frisco (7:05 PM CST)

August 22, 2014 - Texas League (TL1)
San Antonio Missions News Release


TONIGHT'S GAME: Tonight is the finale of a four-game series between the San Antonio Missions and the Frisco Rough- Riders at Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, TX. This will be the final regular season matchup between the clubs, with the 'Riders having taken 17 of the first 31. The home teams have dominated the season series, especially Frisco, who is 10-5 vs. San Antonio at Dr Pepper Ballpark. San Antonio (28-31, 64-65) enters play third in the South Division, second-half standings, six games behind first-place Frisco (34-25, 74-54) with just 11 left. The RoughRiders currently own the TL's best overall record, the best second-half record and the best overall home record (39-27).

PLENTY TO PLAY FOR: A win tonight would give San Antonio their first series victory in Frisco since 2012 (July 16-19).

The Missions have had their issues at Dr Pepper Ballpark over the last few years, dropping 30 of their last 47 games. The last time the Missions won three straight games in Frisco was back in 2011 (6/11-8/6). A win tonight would also get San Antonio's overall record back to .500 for the first time since August 8 (59-59 after a 14-inning win at NWA).

PITCHING MATCHUP: On the hill for San Antonio tonight is Bryce Morrow, who will be making his 11th start of the season. The Grand Rapids, MI native is back in the Missions' rotation after pitching in relief of rehabber Robbie Erlin on three different occasions. In his last outing on August 17 vs. Northwest Arkansas, Morrow followed Erlin with six and a third innings of one run, seven-hit ball. As a starter with San Antonio, Morrow is 3-3 with a 2.64 ERA and an impressive K:BB ratio of 41:12 over 58 innings. Since his June 14 debut, Bryce is T-6th in the TL in both innings (71) and WHIP (1.12), in addition to being 9th in ERA. Morrow has gone at least five innings in eight of his 10 starts, which includes five different seven-inning efforts. Frisco will counter with fellow righty Alex "Chi Chi" Gonzalez, who is 7-3 with a 2.02 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) at the Double-A level. Gonzalez, who entered the season as the No. 5 prospect in the Texas Rangers' system, made his 'Riders debut on June 10 vs. Midland, striking out six over five innings of one-hit ball. In his only start against San Antonio (July 13 at the Wolff), Gonzalez guided Frisco to an 11-2 rout after allowing five hits and one walk, while striking out four over five shutout innings.

LAST GAME: Alex Dickerson's fifth-inning grand slam powered San Antonio to a 6-2 win over Frisco Thursday night at Dr Pepper Ballpark. RoughRiders' starter Jake Thompson had allowed just two hits over the first four innings before running into major trouble in the fifth. Thompson (2-1) struggled with his control in the frame, walking three, the last of which bringing in San Antonio's first run of the game. That brought up Dickerson, who took Thompson's 2-0 pitch over the wall in left. It was the fifth Missions' slam of the year and their third against Frisco. San Antonio took advantage of an error in the top of the eighth to plate the game's final run. Winning starter James Needy (10-4) allowed just two runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out six over five innings. The Missions tied a season high by walking eight times in the win.

HOMER HAPPY: San Antonio has hit 107 homers in 2014, which is the 3rd most at the Double-A level. The Missions have out-homered their opponents by 36 this season and have a 62-48 edge on the road. San Antonio leads the Texas League in homers by five (Frisco). They have not led the TL in the category since 1992 when they hit 92. Last season, the Missions had just 78 homers through August 21.

PLENTY OF K'S: San Antonio pitching leads all of Double-A in strikeouts this season with 1076 (8.3 per game). In August, there's been a spike in the total strikeout numbers during Missions' games. San Antonio and their opponents have combined to average 18.1 strikeouts a game during the month (326 in 18 games).

REBOUNDING WELL: After starting August just 3-10, the Missions have now won four of their last five. Although San Antonio is hitting just .215 at the plate during the month, they have scored four runs or more in seven of their last nine games.

During the last five games, Mission pitching has put together a full-season, MiLB-best 1.50 ERA (8 ER/48 IP) to go along with a K:BB ratio of 53:12.

PADRE REPORT: A two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth by Justin Turner sent Los Angeles to a 2-1 win over San Diego Thursday night at Dodgers Stadium. Padre starter Tyson Ross (11-12) had cruised through his first seven innings before allowing Turner's crucial blast in the eighth. Ross fanned eight on the night against just two walks. Clayton Kershaw (15-3) allowed just one run on three hits and two walks, while striking out 10 over eight innings to pick up the win.

Triple-A El Paso lost to Oklahoma City 9-5 Thursday night behind three-RBI nights by former Hooks, Preston Tucker and Domingo Santana. Joe Wieland (0-1) took the loss for the Chihuahuas after allowing five runs on seven hits in his five innings of work. Former Mission Jace Peterson went 2-for-5 with a run scored for El Paso.

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