Missions Answer Back Behind Wisler

North Little Rock, Arkansas - The Arkansas Travelers had their bats quieted by the San Antonio Missions on Wednesday night during a 3-1 loss in the 15,000th regular season game in Travs history. Matt Wisler (8-4) and three relievers held the Travs to six base hits to even their series at one game apiece.

 

At 27-25 in the second half the Travs fell into a three-way tie for first place with Springfield and Tulsa while NW Arkansas moved just one game behind. The Missions continued their dominance of the Travs with a 8-2 record against Arkansas.

 

Manny Correa was outdueled by Wisler for a third time in their four meetings, although the Travs right hander had a strong outing allowing just two runs and five hits in six innings. Wisler dealt five scoreless innings on three hits and two walks to run his record to 3-1 against the Travs and earned his second win over Correa in the past six days. 

 

Correa established a season high with eight strikeouts, while reliever Caleb Graham and Josh Judy struck out three batters each combining for 14 strikeouts. 

 

Correa started quickly with four strikeouts in two perfect innings, while Wisler retired seven of the first nine Travs hitters.

 

Adam Buschini helped the Missions broke through in the third inning with a leadoff single. Correa moved him to second base with a wild pitch before retiring Austin Hedges on a grounder to shortstop that kept Buschini at second base. After a strikeout of Jeudy Valdez, Correa walked Rico Noel. San Antonio second baseman Cory Spangenberg delivered an RBI single to center scoring Buschini. Randal Grichuk's throw from centerfield bounced off catcher Carlos Ramirez outside the batter's circle giving Noel a chance to scamper in from third base. Ramirez though recovered the ball and raced to the plate tagging Noel to end the inning.

 

Tommy Medica increased the Missions lead to 2-0 when he drove a pitch just over the yellow line on the centerfield fence (14) leading off the fourth inning.

 

Wisler allowed no runners past second base in his five innings while racking up six strikeouts. Kaleb Cowart hit a double with one out in the fourth inning, but Wisler struck out Cyle Hankerd and Ramirez to strand him. Rolando Gomez was caught stealing by Hedges after reaching in the fifth inning with a leadoff single.

 

Tim Sexton dealt two scoreless innings for the Missions, although Grichuk nearly homered leading off the sixth inning. His drive was caught at the right field fence by Yeison Asencio.

 

The Travs' chance to grab the lead came in the eighth inning against Leonel Campos, who entered the game on a 19.1 inning scoreless streak. Jimmy Swift hit a leadoff single which Danny Perales followed with a walk. Randal Grichuk was allowed to swing away and struck out as did Taylor Lindsey. C.J. Cron came through with a single through left side that sent Swift to the plate. Buschini threw wildly home allowing both Perales and Cron to advance setting up Cowart with the go-ahead runs in scoring position. Campos though struck out Cowart to end the threat.

 

San Antonio got that run back in the ninth inning as Asencio hit a leadoff single which was followed by a bouncer hit by Jake Blackwood along the third base line that Cowart missed on a backhanded attempt for an error. With runners at second and third Hedges dropped a suicide squeeze bunt to score Asencio for a 3-1 Missions lead.

 

Jeremy McBryde (13) save the game with a perfect ninth inning.

 

The rubber match of the series is set for Thursday night at Dickey-Stephens Park with Lay Batista (4-8, 3.71) pitching against Josh Geer (7-4, 3.22) at 7:10. Coverage of the game begins at 6:45 with the Travs Dugout Show on Sports Animal 920 along with the IHeartRadio or Tune In Radio mobile applications.