Rosa's eight RBI powers 'Hounds to Game 1 win

Minor League Baseball doesn't play into October, so just call him "Mr. September."
Viosergy Rosa drove in eight runs, six of them on a pair of three-run home runs, to lead the RockHounds to a 9-2 win over the San Antonio Missions in Game 1 of the Texas League South Division Series on Wednesday night at Nelson Wolff Stadium.

Rosa's first three-run shot broke a scoreless tie in the top of third after Max Schrock reached on an error by third baseman Ty France and Jermaine Curtis singled sharply to left field.

San Antonio threatened in the first and third against 'Hounds starter A.J. Puk, putting two men on base in each inning. Puk shut down the first-inning rally with back-to-back strikeouts of Franmil Reyes and France. In the third, Sean Murphy and Sheldon Neuse combined on a tremendous (and somewhat rare) 2-5-3 double play to end the threat. With runners at first and third, Josh Naylor sent a swinging bunt just in front of home plate. Murphy made the play and went to third, narrowly beating Fernando Tatis Jr. to the bag. Neuse, who was a part-time closer in college, then completed the double play with a laser to first to get Naylor.
The 'Hounds capitalized with a two-run double from Rosa in the top of the fourth. Murphy and Jordan Tarsovich opened the inning with consecutive singles and Schrock drew a one-out walk to load the bases. One out later, Rosa ripped a two-run double to right-center, scoring Murphy and Tarsovich, building the lead to 5-0.
With two out in the fifth, Murphy hit a solo home run to left, his third homer in the last four games.

Puk was lifted after four innings and the Missions got on the board in the last of the fifth against reliever Joel Seddon . A single and a pair of two-out walks loaded the bases and France delivered a two-run single. At that point, the Missions had the tying run on deck, but Schrock handled a sharp grounder up the middle by Nick Torres to end the inning. 

The RockHounds again capitalized in the top of the next inning. Schrock led off the top of the sixth with a walk, Curtis followed with a single and Rosa lifted his second home run of the game out to right field, giving the 'Hounds a 9-2 lead, with Rosa driving in eight.

After Carlos Navas worked two perfect innings, the Missions threatened one last time in the ninth. Auston Bousfield led off with a double against Cody Stull, who then walked Tatis Jr. and hit Luis Urías to load the bases with no outs. Stull came back with a four-pitch strikeout of Naylor and a critical whiff of Reyes (who finished second only to Rosa in the regular season with 102 RBI). Schrock then made an outstanding play on a ball off France's bat, making his second run-saving play with a back-handed stop and a flip to Jorge Mateo for the game-ending force out at second.
Quick Notes:
Viosergy Rosa's eight RBI won't show up in his career numbers, but the eight RBI were a career high. Rosa had seven RBI on June 17 of this season at Corpus Christi.   
Rosa finished 3-for-5 with a double, two HR and eight RBI. Combined with 2016 (when he helped lead the RockHounds to their third consecutive Texas League title), he is hitting .353 (12-for-34) with four home runs and 14 RBI in nine Texas League playoff games.    
Sean Murphy finished 3-for-5 with a solo home run and was outstanding behind the plate. In addition to starting the critical 2-5-3 double play in the third, Murphy made a terrific, run-saving block on a pitch in the dirt and the bases loaded in the fifth.
Again, playoff stats are not counted in the overall season numbers, but Murphy's home run was not only his fifth overall, but was his third in four games, as he hit two in the season-ending series at Frisco.     
While he did not figure in the decision, A.J. Puk's performance was a more than noteworthy. In his first two starts at Nelson Wolff Stadium, the left-hander went one-third of an inning and one inning, respectively, not reach the second frame in either start (his ERA at the Wolff entering the playoffs was 60.75). He went four innings on Wednesday and did not allow a run on two hits, four walks and eight strikeouts on 74 pitches. Overall, in five starts (four regular season) versus the Missions, Puk had a 6.00 ERA, but in addition to four scoreless innings on Wednesday, struck out 37 batters in 18 innings.  
Playoffs included, Jermaine Curtis (2-for-4, two runs) has reached base in 54 of his 57 games with a .314 average with the RockHounds. 
As the playoffs begin, the RockHounds are without B.J. Boyd , who is away from the club on a family matter. If the situation allows, he can return to the 'Hounds and to the playoff roster. 
The Oakland A's have assigned pitcher Joseph Camacho to the playoff roster in Boyd's absence. The El Paso, Texas native was signed by the A's as a non-drafted free agent in June 2016 after an outstanding collegiate career at Alabama State University. Joseph spent the 2017 regular season at Class-A Beloit, going 3-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 18 games with the Snappers. 
2017 Texas League South Division Series - Game 2:
Missions RHP Brett Kennedy (13-7, 3.70 ERA)
RockHounds RHP James Naile (2-3, 3.21 ERA) 
Kennedy was San Diego's 11th round draft choice in 2015 out of Fordham University. The third-year pro led the Texas League with 13 wins, finished sixth in the league with a 3.70 ERA and fourth with 134 strikeouts. He was also third among Texas League starters with a 8.55 K per 9 IP. He made six regular season starts against the RockHounds.
Naile was selected by the Oakland A's in the 20th round of the 2015 draft out of the University of Alabama, Birmingham. The 24-year-old makes his home in Charleston, Missouri.
He opened the season with the RockHounds on May 14 and was off to an outstanding start before being sidelined with an abdominal strain. He returned to the mound on July 20 and made two appearances each with the Rookie League Arizona A's and the Class-A Advanced Stockton Ports.
Naile rejoined the 'Hounds on August 8, taking the loss in a relief appearance at Northwest Arkansas (3.1 IP, 6 H, 7 R/6 ER, 2 BB, K 3), but has returned to form over his last four starts including his last regular season start, which came against San Antonio in a 12-5 win on September 1 at Security Bank Ballpark): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R/0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.