PCL1 San Antonio Missions

Falling Short by One Run

Published on April 6, 2019 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
San Antonio Missions News Release


For some baseball players who have come through San Antonio in the past two seasons, the legend of the Flying Chanclas is a mystery.

The reason that the Missions occasionally take on a nickname that evokes images of flying shoes is just not clear to some.

But for Missions pitcher Bubba Derby, it's perfectly clear.

He knows all about it, learning the hard way from his mother and his late grandmother, who were from Chile.

Derby discussed his history with the chanclas Friday night after the Oklahoma City Dodgers rallied to beat the Missions, 4-3, at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

"I mean, I'm Latin myself, so I've definitely had a flying sandal come at me in my day, with a snapping leather belt," said Derby, who grew up in Southern California.

"All the fans (in San Antonio) will know what I'm talking about when I mention the leather belt snapping," he added.

The Missions got popped a few times themselves late in Game 2 of their first season in the Pacific Coast League.

After rallying in the ninth for a 5-3 victory in Thursday's opener, the Missions watched as the Dodgers came from behind with clutch hitting and pitching in the last few innings.

Riding a strong performance from Derby and playing some small-ball on offense early, the Missions took the upper hand.

Tyler Saladino smacked a double into right field in the third for a 1-0 lead, a run that was set up by a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice bunt by Derby.

In the fifth, Corey Ray delivered an RBI single that made it 2-1.

But the wheels started to wobble for the Missions in the sixth when Derby, who had yielded only four hits to that point, yielded a Matt Beaty single and an Edwin Rios a double to open the inning.

"Just didn't execute as well as I wanted to," said Derby, who was lifted at that point and replaced with newcomer Donnie Hart.

Even though Hart got out of the jam without allowing a run, the Dodgers started to look confident with the bat.

By the seventh, they broke loose against Jeremy Jeffress, a veteran pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers who was making a rehabilitation appearance in Triple A.

The Dodgers wasted no timing in roughing him up.

Errol Robinson opened the inning with a single down the first-base line. Jake Peter followed with a blast, a two-run homer to center, which lifted the Dodgers into a 3-2 lead.

The Missions tied it in the top of the eighth with an RBI double by Tyrone Taylor. But the Dodgers weren't finished.

With Miguel Sanchez on in relief of Jeffress, the home team struck again with force. Pinch-hitting Paulo Orlando smoked a triple into the right field corner to make it 4-3.

In the ninth, Dodgers reliever Stetson Allie started firing fastballs that registered 97 mph on the scoreboard readings.

The Missions went three up, three down, for the first loss of the season and their first as a Triple-A franchise.

Missions manager Rick Sweet wasn't upset at all with his team's effort.

"It was a good ball game," he said. "Both of these games, both teams made some mistakes, but they were good. It's what you expect from two teams that have won this (PCL) division the last four years, I think."

Sweet credited Peter with making his home-run swing count.

"We know he's got that kind of power," he said. "That's not surprising. He hit a couple (like that) in spring training."

For the second straight night, Sweet got quality starting pitching.

On Thursday, it was Adrian Houser. On Friday, Derby, a former college player at San Diego State, answered the call.

Derby worked five innings, giving up six hits and one run. He struck out four and walked one.

"I thought Bubba did an excellent job," said Sweet, who also declined to complain about anything he saw from his bullpen.

He said Hart's performance was encouraging.

"You know we've never seen him throw," Sweet said. "He came in, in a tough situation, and did a great, great job."

In regard to Jeffress, the manager said "he looked free and easy" with his delivery.

His pitches registered in the low 90 mph range on the scoreboard, but Sweet said he thinks the numbers that fans see on the OCC scoreboard are low.

"I thought he threw well," Sweet said. "He's probably not as sharp as he wants to be, but that's why he's here."

Plans call for Jeffress is expected to pitch in three games in the homestand that starts on April 9.

MISSIONS NOTES

Catcher Jacob Nottingham continued to play well, getting another hit to give him three in two games.

But the man behind the mask been most impressive with his ability to read the tendencies of opposing hitters, and his quickness and agility around the plate.

"What makes a good catcher is not, 'How good is his arm?' Or, 'How well does he handle the stick?' There's so much more that goes into it," said Derby. "It's his receiving ability. It's knowing his pitchers and being smart behind the plate. It's reading hitters."

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 6, 2019


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