Everything's Jake In San Antonio
The folks in Las Vegas don't post odds on the Texas League (as far as we know) but, if they did, San Antonio would likely have entered Friday night's game as the favorite over the RockHounds. The Missions, playing at home, had one of the league's top five pitchers on the mound in Justin Hancock (6-3, 2.98), facing the 'Hounds' Jake Sanchez, who took the mound with a 4-5 mark and a 5.31 earned run average.
The Missions gave Hancock an early 2-0 lead, built on three consecutive hits to open the home half of the first inning. The last of the hits was a double by Alberth Martinez, who was caught in a rundown between second and third on the play. The base-running miscue cleared the bases, but the Missions had scored two runs on three hits just three batters into the game. Eight innings later, those numbers were the same.
Beginning with the bases empty and one out (on the Martinez rundown), Jake Sanchez retired 23-of-the-next-24 batters he faced, pitching through the eighth inning. He retired eight straight before hitting Martinez in the fourth (on a 3-2 pitch), then set down the next 15 batters.
Sanchez's excellent performance marked the second consecutive game in which the RockHounds' starter went eight innings - - Tim Atherton tossed eight shutout frames in Thursday's 5-0 series-opening win. Both games had the same "M.O.", with the quality starts backed up by timely hitting and outstanding defense, both including a run-saving catch in the outfield.
Thursday, it was Josh Whitaker taking away a two-run hit with a diving catch in right-center. Friday, it was center fielder Chad Oberacker with the web gem. With the Missions leading, 2-1, in the third, Travis Jankowski sent a line drive to deep center. "Obie" made the catch over the shoulder before tumbling to the ground. Had the ball eluded Chad's glove when he hit the deck, Jankowski (who has excellent speed) would almost assuredly have scored on an inside-the-park home run.
Whitaker ripped a two-run home run in the fourth to give the RockHounds a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish and Chad Pinder (one night after losing a 13-game hit streak) went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI.
The win was the club's third straight, and the sixth on the (12-game) road swing, guaranteeing no worse than a .500 record on the sojourn.
The RockHounds
… are 3-1 in the second half and two games over .500 overall (38-36) … have won three straight … are 6-4 on their (12-game) road trip, going 5-1 at San Antonio and 1-3 at Frisco … are 11-7 versus the Missions (5-3 at Security Bank Ballpark and 6-4 at Nelson Wolff Stadium) … are 21-15 at Security Bank Ballpark and 17-21 on the road … are 26-24 versus the South Division and 12-12 versus the North … have sole possession of first place (very early) in the Texas League South second half race after Frisco's 10-8 win at Corpus Christi (the Hooks and Riders are both 2-2).
Kibbles & Bits
STAT of the DAY: Since trailing the RoughRiders, 8-3, Wednesday at Frisco, the Hounds have outscored their opponents by an 18-3 margin. The 'Hounds rallied to win, 10-9, at Frisco before winning by scores of 5-0 and 6-2 at San Antonio.
- Colin Walsh (0-for-3, two walks) saw his 11-game hit streak come to an end, but the two walks pushed his on-base string to 17 games (21-58, .362). Colin, among the league leaders in 10 categories, has now reached base safely in 26-of-his-last-28 (and 46-of-his-last-49) games.
- Chad Pinder (3-for-4, two doubles, two runs, two RBI) has now hit in 14-of-15 games (26-66, .394) and is hitting .362 in his last 33 games. The RockHounds shortstop drove in a pair of runs Friday, becoming the club's first 40-RBI man in 2015 (he ranks fifth in the Texas League).
- The 'Hounds & Missions meet Saturday evening (7:05) and Sunday afternoon (2:05), followed by the three-day All-Star break (June 29-July 1).