Missions Cruise Past Hooks in Opener

San Antonio opened their three-game series against Corpus Christi with a convincing 8-3 win Monday night at Wolff Stadium.

San Antonio had a familiar face take the mound Monday in right-hander Jesse Hahn, who allowed just one walk, while striking out a pair in two hitless innings. The Padres had Hahn make a start with the Missions in order to keep his endurance as the club resets its rotation for the second half. The 24-year-old hurler will return later in the week to San Diego, where he was 5-2 with a 2.21 ERA in seven starts.

Energized by the return of Hahn, San Antonio's offense erupted for four second-inning runs off Corpus Christi starter Jordan Jankowski. All four Missions' runs came with two outs, beginning with Cody Overbeck's two-RBI double to left center. After Diego Goris pushed the San Antonio lead to 3-0 with a double of his own (first Double-A RBI), Cory Spangenberg followed with a single to right. On the play, Spangenberg got caught in a rundown between first and second, which lasted long enough to allow Goris to score.

San Antonio tagged Jankowski (3-4) for three more runs over the next two innings to open up a commanding 7-0 lead.

The Hooks finally got on the board in the sixth with a pair of runs off Joe Ross, who was making his Double-A debut.

The Missions went back on the attack in the bottom of the frame, taking an 8-2 lead courtesy of a Yeison Asencio RBI single to right off reliever Travis Ballew.

Ross (1-0) took over from there, allowing just one more run (Telvin Nash solo homer in the seventh) in six solid innings of work. The right-hander scattered seven hits and no walks, while striking out five, throwing 57 of his 77 pitches for strikes.

R.J. Alvarez, who was acquired by San Diego in last Friday's trade with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, tossed a scoreless ninth in his San Antonio debut.

Four different Missions collected multiple hits in the victory.

San Antonio (15-16, 51-50) and Corpus Christi (16-15, 50-51) resume their three-game series on $2 Tuesday presented by KCWX. Tuesday will also feature a special Puffy Taco T-Shirt giveaway (first 1,500 fans) courtesy of Idea Public Schools. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM. Bryce Morrow (2-2, 1.64) will get the ball for the Missions, while the Hooks counter with fellow righty Kyle Smith (4-2, 3.48).

Notes: In 19 starts for High-A Lake Elsinore, Ross was 8-6 with a 3.98 ERA and a K:BB ratio of 87:28 over 101.2 innings. Ross, 21, is the young brother of Padres' All-Star pitcher Tyson Ross. He entered the 2014 season as the No. 10 prospect in the San Diego system according to Baseball America.