Ortiz Homers Twice, Missions Swipe Fifth Straight Win in Wichita

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Ortiz Homers Twice, Missions Swipe Fifth Straight Win in Wichita

July 13, 2025 - Texas League (TL)
San Antonio Missions News Release


WICHITA, Kan. - Devin Ortiz, who entered the day with two home runs in 80 games this year, crushed two homers on Sunday to help the San Antonio Missions (10-8, 49-38) win their fifth straight game against the Wichita Wind Surge (9-9, 46-41). The 7-3 victory sent San Antonio into the All-Star Break, and it completed the season series between the squads with the Missions winning 10 of 12 matchups.

Missions starter Victor Lizarraga walked Walker Jenkins to start the game and then gave up a double to Gabby Gonzalez that scored Jenkins from first. While Wichita rattled Lizarraga early, the righty settled in. He went on to complete three innings for the first time since May 25, which also came against the Wind Surge.

Lizarraga held Wichita to only that early tally, which let the offense take over. After a slow start against Wind Surge starter John Klein, the party commenced in the fourth. It all started when Ripken Reyes got hit by a Klein pitch. Reyes advanced to second on an errant pickoff from Klein before he scampered home on Brandon Valenzuela's double to tie the game. Valenzuela then crossed the plate himself on Romeo Sanabria's double, giving San Antonio the lead. Before Klein could rest, Ortiz walloped a two-run homer to the left-field berm-his first long ball since May 4-to make it 4-1 Missions.

San Antonio gave Lizarraga a chance to start the fourth, but a walk to Andrew Cossetti forced him to exit. José Geraldo took over and allowed a quick single, but back-to-back strikeouts and a flyout helped him run away from trouble.

The Missions had a chance to break it open early as they juiced the bases with no one out in the fifth. Jaylen Nowlin, who replaced Klein, managed to hold San Antonio to just a sacrifice fly from Francisco Acuña, but the advantage grew to 5-1.

After his clean but stressful frame, Geraldo gave way to Jared Kollar. The Pennsylvania native's afternoon kicked off with a scoreless fifth, but in the sixth, Rubel Cespedes sliced San Antonio's lead in half with a two-run homer to right. Kollar bounced back by finishing the inning with a 5-3 lead intact.

Sensing the game getting closer, Albert Fabian smoked Mike Paredes's first pitch of the seventh inning over the right-field wall for a solo homer. Kollar set down the Wind Surge in order after crowd stretched, and when Ortiz returned to the plate in the eighth, he ripped his second homer of the game to grow San Antonio's edge to 7-3. Ortiz began the day with two homers this year, and he went to bed with twice as many.

Kollar provided another valuable scoreless frame, so just one inning remained. The ninth belonged to Tyson Neighbors, the former Kansas State Wildcat who this week returned to the Sunflower State for the first time since the San Diego Padres drafted him in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft. Neighbors became the appropriate choice to end the game, wrap up the series against Wichita and send the Missions into the All-Star Break on a five-game win streak.

UP NEXT:

The Missions enter the All-Star Break, so they don't play until Friday when the Amarillo Sod Poodles come to San Antonio. The first 2,000 fans will receive a David Robinson Admiral Jersey Giveaway, courtesy of McCombs Ford West. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for a 7:05 p.m. start. Starters have yet to be announced. Catch all the action on Country Legends KKYX, 680 AM, 104.9 FM and kkyx.com. Tickets are available at samissions.com or by calling 210-675-7275.

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