TL1 San Antonio Missions

Frisco 'Rides Out of Town with Split

Published on May 1, 2009 under Texas League (TL1)
San Antonio Missions News Release


As the first month of the season comes to an end, the Missions have seen some of the good, some of the bad and perhaps a little too much of the ugly. Despite another great turnout from their starting pitching, the offense could not take advantage of its opportunities, and the bullpen let the game get away in a 9-2 loss to Frisco Thursday to close a homestand that saw the home team win just three of eight games.

The Missions held two one-run leads early in the game, but the Frisco offense finally came to life. After scoring just four runs through the first 26 innings of the series, the RoughRiders plated 15 in the final 10 frames, winning the final two games to salvage a four-game split.

RoughRiders catcher Manny Pina hooked a fly ball inside the left field foul-pole for a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1 with one out in the top of the second. Pina finished the game 3-for-5 with the dinger, two doubles and three runs scored, and is leading all the minor leaguers with a blistering .481 batting average.

After Pina's home run, Missions starter Frieri looked pretty sharp until the fourth inning, when he gave up a single, a double and a walk to load the bases with nobody out for Pina. But he got the 'Riders slugger to strike out swinging, and induced third baseman Johnny Whittleman to pop out to Seth Johnston. That brought up left fielder Adam Fox, whose ninth-inning grad slam in the ninth the night before put the game away. However, Frieri would not allow Fox to entertain any thoughts of a repeat performance, striking him out looking on three pitches to escape the inning with a 2-1 lead.

Frieri left with the lead after five innings, giving way to Derek McDaid who promptly served up solo home runs to two of the first three batters he faced. Justin Smoak put one high off the foul pole in left, and Steve Murphy followed two batters later with a moon shot well over the Air Force Reserve sign down the line in right to give the 'Riders a 3-2 lead. Smoak's blast was his fifth consecutive hit, following four singles in his previous four at-bats. He walked in the seventh and the ninth, and has now reached base in eight straight plate appearances.

The Missions bullpen came unraveled late in the game for the second straight night, as the 'Riders scored in each of the last four innings, including three multi-run frames. Designated hitter Chad Tracy's three-run blast to left highlighted a four-run ninth to cap the scoring.

With two outs in the first, Eric Sogard ripped a double over the head of center fielder Craig Gentry. Craig Cooper followed with a double of his own down the right field line to plate Sogard with the first run of the game. Cooper's two-bagger extended his hit streak to 15 games, while Sogard's extended his on-base streak to 20. He has reached base safely in every game this season.

Unfortunately, Sogard and Cooper's four hits were the only ones the Missions would be able to scratch out on the night, and they were unable to capitalize on five walks, leaving eight runners on base. In all, San Antonio stranded 67 runners over the eight-game homestand while scoring only 26 runs.

The Missions hit the road in the morning for an eight-game road trip, four games each at Midland and Frisco.

WP: Moscoso (1-1); LP: McDaid (0-1); HR: Pina (3), Smoak (4), Murphy (3), Tracy (5)

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Texas League Stories from May 1, 2009


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