San Antonio Missions Game Notes: June 19 vs. Midland (7:05 PM CST)

June 19, 2014 - Texas League (TL) San Antonio Missions TONIGHT'S GAME: Tonight is the opener of a four-game series between the San Antonio Missions and the Midland Rock- Hounds at Wolff Stadium. This is the final leg of the Missions' season-long, 12-game homestand, which opened with a four- game set with the 'Hounds that the teams split. San Antonio (38-34, 2-0) enters the series at a season-high, four-games over .500, in addition to being in sole possession of first place in the South for just the second time this season (the other time was after Opening Night). After a slow start at home this season, the Missions enter play having won 13 of their last 17 games at the Wolff. Midland (39-32, 1-0) comes to town having won three in a row and six of their last 10 games. The RockHounds have won five of their eight games in San Antonio this season.

PITCHING MATCHUP: On the hill for San Antonio tonight is right-hander Bryce Morrow, who allowed just one run on eight hits and one walk, while striking out a career-high eight over a career-high, tying seven innings in his Double-A debut against Midland on June 14. Morrow, 26, arrived from High-A Lake Elsinore, where he was 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in 19 games (five starts). San Diego signed Bryce as a non-drafted free agent on July 24, 2013. After signing, Morrow went 4-2 with a 4.81 ERA in seven starts for the Storm. Prior to joining the Padres' organization, Morrow had spent three seasons in the Frontier (Indy.) League pitching for both Traverse City and Evansville. In 36 games (30 starts) in independent ball, Bryce went 15-10 with a 3.86 ERA. He played his college ball at Central Michigan University, where was 9-15 with a 4.30 ERA in 72 games (25 starts). Opposing Morrow will be fellow righty Shawn Haviland, who is 3-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 11 starts this season. In two starts against San Antonio this year, Haviland has allowed just one run on five hits and four walks, while striking out five over 14.2 innings (0.61 ERA). Oakland selected Haviland in the 33rd round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Harvard University.

LAST GAME: Late clutch hitting carried San Antonio to a 5-2 win over Corpus Christi in Wednesday night's series finale at Wolff Stadium. The Hooks opened scoring Wednesday, plating two runs on four hits in the top of the second off Missions' starter Juan Oramas. San Antonio did not have a hit against Corpus Christi starter Tommy Shirley until Hunter Renfroe led off the third with a single up the middle. Renfroe, who was making his Double-A debut, scored the Missions' first run two batters later on Brian Bixler's double to left. San Antonio tied the game at two later in the frame on an error by second baseman Jio Mier. The score remained locked at two until the bottom of the sixth when the Missions staged a two-out rally against Shirley (5-3). Rymer Liriano kept the inning alive when he singled up the middle. With Jason Hagerty at the plate, a passed ball by catcher Tyler Heineman moved Liriano up to second. Hagerty then gave San Antonio a 3-2 lead when his slow chopper to short scored a hustling Liriano all the way from second. The Missions broke the game open in the bottom of the eighth against reliever Alex Sogard, getting a pair of two-out, RBI singles from Liriano and Austin Hedges. Frank Garces worked around a leadoff double by Jonathan Meyer in the ninth to notch his fourth save of the season. Oramas (3-0) earned the win after allowing just the two, second-inning runs on 11 hits and no walks, while striking out three over seven gutsy innings.

POWER SURGE: The Missions have hit 51 home runs in their last 49 games after hitting just 12 in their first 23 contests. Since April 29 (start of 49-game run), San Antonio leads all of Double-A in homers and is tied with fellow Padres' affiliate El Paso for the 10th -most in MiLB. San Antonio has hit 63 homers in 2014, which is the most at the Double-A level (two ahead of Bowie).

BIG ADDITIONS: The Missions got some key new faces before last night's game in Renfroe and RHP Trevor Gott. Both players arrived in the Alamo City after helping the California League All-Stars to a 3-2 win over the Carolina League All- Stars on Tuesday night. Renfroe, who at the time of his promotion was on a 14-game hit streak, hit .295 (82-for-278) with 21 doubles, three triples, a league-leading 16 homers, 52 RBI, 46 runs scored and nine steals in 69 games for the Storm. During his hit streak, Renfroe hit .339 (21-for-62) with three home runs and 11 RBI. San Diego selected Renfroe with the 13th overall pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Mississippi State University. In 29 games this season for Lake Elsinore, Gott was 2-4 with a 3.16 ERA and a K:BB ratio of 31:9 over 31.1 innings. Gott was second in the California League in saves with 16 in 20 opportunities. To get the Missions' roster back to 25, RHP Joe Church was transferred to Lake Elsinore.

THAT'S MORE LIKE IT: After allowing a total of 43 runs in a seven-game span from June 4-10, San Antonio pitching has returned to form on their current homestand. In their first eight games of the homestand, the Missions have pitched to a 2.13 ERA, which ranks second at the Double-A level (Springfield: 1.72). San Antonio leads the Texas League this season in ERA (3.10), shutouts (8: two of which coming in the Hooks series), innings pitched (655.2), fewest earned runs allowed (226), fewest homers allowed (37), fewest hit batsmen (20) and strikeouts (569).

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San Antonio Missions Game Notes: June 19 vs. Midland (7:05 PM CST)