TL1 San Antonio Missions

San Antonio Missions Game Notes: June 30 at Springfield (Doubleheader Beginning at 4:30 PM CST)

Published on June 30, 2014 under Texas League (TL1)
San Antonio Missions News Release


TONIGHT'S GAMES: Tonight's doubleheader will conclude a three-game series between the San Antonio Missions and the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field. These will be the final regular season games between the clubs in Springfield. With one victory tonight, the Missions would finish with a winning record at Hammons Field this season. San Antonio (42-38, 6-4) is currently first in the South Division second-half standings. Since the beginning of May, the Missions own the Texas League's best record at 32-23. Springfield (39-41, 5-5) enters play third in the North Division, second-half standings, 1.5 games behind Arkansas (41-40, 7-4). The Cardinals are 19-21 this season at Hammons Field, which happens to be the best home record in the North.

PITCHING MATCHUPS: On the hill for San Antonio in tonight's first game is Matt Branham, who will be making his 5th start of the season. In his last start on June 6 at Frisco, Branham allowed a career-high, tying eight runs on a career-high 13 hits in five innings of work. Since then, Branham has pitched very well out of the pen. The 6'5 right-hander was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week for June 16-22 after allowing just two hits and one walk, while striking out 10 over nine shutout innings (two games). In his 18 games (four starts) with San Antonio this season, Branham is 5-2 with a 3.99 ERA and a K:BB ratio of 48:15 over 56.1 innings. Branham's mound opponent in game one will be lefty Kyle Hald, who is 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) for Springfield this season. Hald began the year with High-A Palm Beach, where he won both of his starts, allowing just three earned runs in 12.2 innings. Game two will feature a matchup of righties.

San Antonio Bryce Morrow will be making his fourth start at the Double-A level and his second on the road. The Grand Rapids, MI native has allowed just two earned runs on 13 hits and three walks, while striking out 19 over 19 innings since joining the Missions from High-A Lake Elsinore. Morrow is coming off a sensational outing on June 25 at Tulsa, where he allowed just three hits in a career-high, tying seven shutout innings. Springfield will counter in the nightcap with Sam Gaviglio, who is 3-8 with a 5.27 ERA in 15 starts this season. St. Louis selected Sam in the 5th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Oregon State University.

LAST GAME: Adam Buschini's first career two-homer game and another strong showing by starter James Needy powered San Antonio to a 7-2 win over Springfield Sunday night at Hammons Field. Buschini became the third Mission this season to have a multi-homer game, joining Yeison Asencio and Rymer Liriano, who both did it twice. Both of Buschini's homers came off Cards' starter Kurt Heyer (3-5), who allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits over 6.2 innings. Needy (5-3) won for the fifth straight time after allowing just one hit and two walks, while striking out three over six shutout innings.

Jason Hagerty capped the San Antonio scoring in the seventh with a three-run homer off reliever Logan Billbrough.

NEEDY HONORED: A day after his strong showing against the Cards, Needy was named the Texas League's Pitcher of the Week for June 23-29. This is the third straight week the Missions have had a TL award winner (Branham and Hagerty).

Since the start of his winning streak (May 9), Needy leads the TL in ERA at 1.34 in addition to being T-2nd in wins, T-3rd in innings at 60.2 and T-6th in strikeouts with 46.

HOMER HAPPY: San Antonio has hit 56 home runs in their last 57 games after hitting just 12 in their first 23 contests. Since April 29 (start of 57-game run), the Missions are T-1st in Double-A in homers, in addition to being T-12th in all of MiLB. San Antonio has hit 68 homers in 2014, which is tied for the second-most at the Double-A level.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE: The Missions have performed well this season when they've traveled to the Texas League's Northern cities, entering tonight's doubleheader with an 11-5 record. San Antonio is one of just three TL teams (Arkansas, Tulsa) with a winning road record (overall) this season.

THAT'S MORE LIKE IT: After allowing a total of 50 runs in an eight-game span from June 4-11, San Antonio pitching has certainly returned to form. In their last 15 games, the Missions have pitched to a MiLB best 1.58 ERA. During that stretch, San Antonio pitching has allowed just 107 hits (only five homers) in 142 innings to go along with a K:BB ratio of 138:41. The 25 earned runs allowed since June 12 are the fewest among full-season MiLB squads.

STARTING WELL: The main reason that the Missions have turned it around on the hill as been the dominant stretch their starting staff has been on. During the last 15 games, the starters have pitched to a minuscule 0.94 ERA (10 ER) and have a K:BB ratio of 75:22 over 95.2 innings. A San Antonio starter has had at least five strikeouts in eight of the 15 games. Since June 12, the Missions have three starters in the TL's top 4 in ERA: Josh Geer T-1st at 0.90, Morrow 3rd at 0.95 and Needy 4th at 1.08.

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