Cummings Homers Again as Missions Fall to Cardinals 

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Missions continued their final regular season series on Wednesday night against the Springfield Cardinals. A tight game into the fourth slipped away as the Cardinals slugged three home runs as part of a 13-hit, seven-run barrage. Springfield’s bullpen combined for six strong innings, and despite a late push from San Antonio, they secured a 7-5 win. With the victory, the Cardinals evened the series with San Antonio.

Gabe Mosser took the mound for San Antonio. His night got off to a solid start as he sandwiched three outs around a walk in the first inning.

Tekoah Roby got the start for the visiting team, although this time he donned a Cardinals jersey instead of the RoughRiders uniform he wore earlier in the season. He allowed a two-out single that didn’t turn into more, so the game stayed scoreless through one inning.

Springfield took their first lead of the series in the top of the second thanks to Pedro Pagés. The catcher ripped a ball down the left field line that barely stayed fair, but it was enough to clear the fence and put the Cardinals up 1-0. Mosser cut it close a couple more times in that inning, but right-fielder Connor Hollis helped him out near the fence to keep the deficit at just one.

The Cardinals put more pressure on Mosser in the third. Arquímedes Gamboa singled, stole second and advanced to third on a fly-out. Chandler Redmond then reached with a walk, filling the corner with red. Pagés bounced one back to the mound that looked to be trouble, but Mosser impressively threw to second and Marcos Castañon relayed it to first for an inning-ending double play.

Juan Zabala gave the Missions their first real chance to score in the bottom of the third. He doubled to start the frame, and Connor Hollis capitalized with an opposite-field chopper that squeaked past the first baseman and tied the game at one. Hollis later got picked off, but he did his job to even the score.

Unfortunately for Mosser, the Cardinals had little interest in keeping the game tied. Mike Antico and Aaron Antonini each blasted homers to right, a solo and two-run shot respectively, so Springfield suddenly led 4-1. Mosser gave way to Jason Blanchard, who entered and shut down two straight hitters to end the top of the fourth.

After three strong innings, Roby exited in favor of Roy Garcia. Nathan Martorella greeted him with a single, but Garcia quickly erased him with a double play. Cole Cummings, however, followed with a towering fly ball to right field that pierced the sky for Cummings’ second home run of the series. Juan Fernandez and Homer Bush Jr. followed with consecutive two-out singles, but Garcia wiggled out of it because of a phenomenal play by the shortstop Gamboa to retire Zabala at first.

Blanchard threw a clean fifth inning but ran into trouble in the sixth after two singles and an error placed runners on second and third with no one out. The left-hander locked in and forced a grounder to a drawn-in infield, earned a strike out and then saw his catcher throw out a speedy Victor Scott II trying to bunt to escape without a run scoring.

Nick Trogrlic-Iverson became the third arm on the mound for Springfield. Other than a single and a walk spread across two frames, the right-hander held the Missions down and held on to a 4-2 Springfield advantage.

The top of the seventh belonged to Justin Lopez out of the bullpen. A single and a pair of walks loaded the bases immediately. Pagés continued his terrific night with an RBI single just out of the reach of Bush Jr. in center. A hectic play in left field ultimately resulted in another run for Springfield. A double play ended the damage, but the Cardinals led 6-2 headed to the seventh inning stretch.

Trogrlic-Iverson stayed on for the bottom of the seventh and cruised through the bottom of San Antonio’s order. Three swift outs sent the game to the eighth with the Cardinals still up 6-2.

Springfield continued to make noise, loading the bases and kicking Lopez out in the eighth. Henry Henry came into the jam and limited the Cardinals to a run on a sacrifice fly. Still, Springfield’s advantage grew to 7-2.

San Antonio continued to fight. Castañon doubled home Ripken Reyes to make it 7-3 off the new Springfield pitcher, Jack Ralston. That remained the score as the game went to the ninth.Henry brought the Missions back to the plate in a hurry, setting up the drama.

A pair of runners reaching against Ralston placed stress on Springfield, so they turned to Matt Svanson. Hollis placed another single perfectly down the line, and just like that, the tying run came to the plate in the form of Reyes. In true Reyes fashion, he walked to first after getting hit by a pitch, bringing a run home and the go-ahead run to the plate. Graham Pauley squibbed a grounder to first, so he was retired but a run did score. Nathan Martorella scared the Cardinals with a liner to left, but Antico got there to make the catch and clinch a 7-5 Springfield win.

Post-Game Notes

• Final Score: 7-5
• With the loss, San Antonio falls to 31-34 & 68-66 on the season
• Gabe Mosser (Missions starter): 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, K
• Tekoah Roby (Cardinals starter): 3 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 K
• Attendance: 3,993

Prospect Recap

• Jackson Merrill (#2 Padres prospect, #9 MLB): DNP
• Robby Snelling (#3 Padres prospect, #60 MLB): DNP
• Jairo Iriarte (#6 Padres prospect): Scheduled to pitch Saturday, September 16th
• Adam Mazur (#7 Padres prospect): Scheduled to pitch Friday, September 15th
• Nathan Martorella (#10 Padres prospect): 2-4, BB
• Graham Pauley (#11 Padres prospect): 0-5, RBI, K
• Jakob Marsee (#12 Padres prospect): DNP
• Homer Bush Jr. (#13 Padres prospect): 1-4, 2 K
• Ryan Bergert (#16 Padres prospect): DNP
• Marcos Castañon (#23 Padres prospect): 1-4, RBI, K
• Tink Hence (#2 Cardinals prospect, #43 MLB): DNP
• Victor Scott II (#4 Cardinals prospect): 0-5, K
• Tekoah Roby (#5 Cardinals prospect): 3 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 K
• Pedro Pages (#28 Cardinals prospect): 3-5, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB
• Mike Antico (#29 Cardinals prospect): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI
• Noah Mendlinger (#30 Cardinals prospect): 1-3, RBI, BB

The San Antonio Missions will continue their six-game homestand with the Springfield Cardinals on Wednesday, September 13th. The Missions have yet to announce a starter. Right-hander Wilfredo Pereira (9-8, 5.06) is scheduled to pitch for the Cardinals. Thursday’s first pitch is slated for 7:05 from Nelson Wolff Stadium.

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The San Antonio Missions are the Double-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The 2023 season is the 121st professional season for the San Antonio Missions. Postseason tickets are on sale now! Season seat memberships, as well as group tickets, for the 2023 season are available now. Call 210-675-PARK to discuss pricing for season tickets, group tickets and hospitality. Single game tickets are on sale now. The Missions Box Office will be cashless this season. Fans can purchase tickets at the box office using credit cards. For more information on the upcoming season call 210-675-PARK (7275) or visit samissions.com.