Photo: Missions Baseball/WOAI
Despite scoring seven runs on nine hits, the Missions bullpen allowed 10 runs Wednesday night. The Missions lose their second consecutive game to Amarillo with tonight’s score being 11-7.
The Missions offense got to work early against the left-hander Kenny Hernandez. San Antonio used timely hitting, and benefitted from three fielding errors, to score four runs in the first two innings.
In the first inning, Esteury Ruiz hit a single and advanced to second base with his 16th stolen base of the season. Ben Ruta drew a two-out walk to keep the inning. Ruiz and Ruta both scored on a fielding error from Luis Alejandro Basabe.
In the second inning, Chandler Seagle reached base on a fielding error. Rosario kept the inning alive with a two-out walk. Seagle came around to score after a second error from Basabe. Ruta drove in Rosario with an RBI single to left field. The Missions had a 4-0 lead.
Amarillo plated their first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning. Basabe launched a solo home run off Pedro Avila. It was his eighth long ball of the season.
In a late lineup change, Avila was named the starting pitcher for tonight’s game in place of Jordan Humphreys. In his first start since 2019, the right-hander allowed one hit (the solo homer) in three innings of work while striking out two batters.
Humphreys replaced Avila heading into the fourth inning. The Sod Poodles tied the game during their first inning against the Missions right-hander. Stone Garrett drove in a run with an RBI double. The big blast of the inning came from Dominic Canzone who hit a two-run homer to make it a 4-4 ballgame.
San Antonio was unfazed and regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Allen Cordoba and Kyle Overstreet both reached base on back-to-back singles. A wild pitch from Hernandez moved both runners into scoring position. Michael Curry brought them a home with a single down the right field line. The Missions took a 6-4 lead.
The back-and-forth battle continued as Amarillo regained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jancarlos Cintron hit a two-run homer to tie the game. Humphreys was pulled without recording an out in the inning. Brandon Komar replaced him. After loading the bases, Komar allowed the go-ahead run to score after a bases loaded walk.
After two scoreless innings, the Missions offense fought back to tie the game in the eighth inning. Dwanya Williams-Sutton drew a lead-off walk and advanced to second base after a sacrifice bunt from Chandler Seagle. Following a walk to Olivier Basabe, Rosario tied the game with an RBI double. It was his 16th double of the year and 42nd RBI.
Nick Kuzia was the new pitcher for San Antonio for the bottom of the eighth inning. Kuzia struggled with his command and allowed four runs to score. Basabe drove in the go-ahead run with a ground-rule double. Cintron drove in a run with an RBI single. Alek Thomas drove in a run on a ground out. Lastly, Dominic Fletcher drove in a run with an RBI single.
Post-Game Notes
- With the loss, San Antonio falls to35-38 on the season
- Eguy Rosario (#18 Padres prospect):2-4, 2 2B, R, RBI, BB
- Pedro Avila (1st start of the season): 3.0 IP, H, ER, 2 K
- Phillip Wellman ejected in the 7th inning after a called balk on Brandon Komar
The Missions will continue their six-game series against Amarillo on Thursday, July 29th. Left-hander Osvaldo Hernandez (3-6, 4.48) is scheduled to pitch for San Antonio against right-hander Matt Tabor (3-4, 3.40). First pitch is 7:05 p.m.