TL1 San Antonio Missions

San Antonio Missions Game Notes: May 21 at NW Arkansas (7:05 PM CST)

Published on May 21, 2014 under Texas League (TL1)
San Antonio Missions News Release


TONIGHT'S GAME: Tonight is the opener of a three-game series between the San Antonio Missions and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, AR. San Antonio (20-24) is currently fourth in the South Division, six games behind first-place Frisco (26-18), who they just took three of four from to close out their homestand. The Missions enter play on a season-high three-game win streak. Northwest Arkansas (16-27) currently sits fourth in the North Division, 7.5 games behind first-place Tulsa (24-20). Most of the Naturals struggles this season have come at home, where they are just 6-16. Following this three-game series, San Antonio will head to North Little Rock to take on Arkansas (May 24-26) in a rematch of the 2013 Texas League Championship Series.

2013 SEASON SERIES: San Antonio took last year's season series 8-4, winning four of six at both home and at Arvest Ballpark. Scoring was at a premium with a total of just 70 runs scored (5.8 RPG) in the 12 matchups (Missions outscored the Naturals 40-30). The Missions hit just .229 (87-for-380) in the 12 games with 11 doubles, one triple, 11 homers and 38 RBI. Current OF Reymond Fuentes hit .348 (8-for-23) with a pair of homers and 5 RBI vs. Northwest Arkansas pitching in 2013. To no surprise, last year's pitching staff put up impressive numbers in the series, allowing just 24 earned runs in 106 innings (2.04 ERA). Josh Geer, who will pitch in Friday night's series finale, went 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two games (one start) vs. the Naturals last season. San Antonio enters tonight's contest with a 42-30 lifetime record vs. Northwest Arkansas.

PITCHING MATCHUP: On the hill for San Antonio this evening will be Cuban right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne, who will be making his second start of the season. Odrisamer Despaigne (pronounced O-DREE-SA-MEHR DES-PAWN-NYAY) is 27 years old and has played professionally for the Havana Industriales of Cuba's Serie Nacional the last eight seasons, posting a career 61-43 record with a 3.55 ERA and a K:BB ratio of 684:390 in 213 games. San Diego signed Despaigne to a minor league contract on May 2. In his stateside debut on May 15 vs. Corpus Christi at Wolff Stadium, Despaigne allowed one run on just two hits and two walks, while striking out six over three innings. Despaigne's mound opponent tonight will be southpaw Sam Selman, who is 2-3 with a 3.90 ERA in seven starts this season for the Naturals. Selman, who entered 2014 as Kansas City's No. 12 prospect according to Baseball America, is coming off a rough outing on May 15 at Arkansas, where he allowed season-highs in runs (6), earned runs (5) and walks (5) in three and two-thirds innings of work. Selman has been at his best this season at Arvest Ballpark, where he is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in five starts.

LAST GAME: Casey Kelly and two relievers combined on a six-hitter as San Antonio blanked Frisco 4-0 in their homestand finale Monday afternoon at Wolff Stadium. Kelly was very impressive Monday in his second rehab start with San Antonio. The right-hander allowed just one hit through his first three innings, throwing 26 of his 30 pitches for strikes. In the fourth, Kelly ran into his first trouble of the afternoon when two hits and a throwing error put runners on second and third with just one out. However, Kelly escaped the jam, retiring Tomas Telis on strikes before getting Ryan Rua to bounce out to third.

San Antonio was without a hit against Frisco starter Alec Asher until Casey McElroy led off the fourth with his second homer of the season. Frisco nearly tied the game at one in the top of the 5th, putting Odubel Herrera on third with just one out. Once again, Kelly held tough, striking out Jake Skole before inducing an inning-ending comebacker off the bat of Edwin Garcia.

Kelly (1-0) worked around a one-out single by Trever Adams (3-for-4) in the sixth, his final inning of work. The Sarasota, FL native allowed just four hits and no walks, while striking out six, throwing 56 of his 71 pitches for strikes.

San Antonio put the game away in the bottom of the sixth, touching Asher (3-4) and reliever Wilmer Font for three runs on three hits and an error. Austin Hedges and pinch-hitter Lee Orr drove in the first two runs with consecutive RBI singles. The base knock for Hedges extended his hit streak to a club-high nine games and his on-base streak to a club-high 18 games. Hedges has now hit safely in 12 straight games at the Wolff, the 3rd longest home streak in the Texas League this season. San Antonio plated their final run of the frame on a throwing error by Telis. After Frank Garces put up zeroes in the seventh and eighth innings, Adys Portillo worked a perfect ninth to complete San Antonio's first shutout of 2014.

POWER SURGE: The Missions have hit 23 home runs in their last 21 games, well surpassing their total (12) from their first 23 contests. Since April 29 (start of 21-game run), San Antonio is tied with Midland for the most homers at the Double-A level and is tied for the 6th most

in all of MiLB. One drawback to the San Antonio power show has been the fact that most of their dingers have come with nobody on base. For the season, 24 of their 35 homers have been of the solo variety.

SIGNS OF LIFE: Though their batting average did not improve much on the homestand, their scoring did, as the Missions averaged 5.3 RPG in the eight games, nearly two runs higher than their season average (3.7). The nine runs scored in Sunday's win tied a season high set on April 29 vs. Frisco. San Antonio is the only team in the Texas League this season to still not have a double-digit scoring game.

Check out the San Antonio Missions Statistics

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