Missions Lose 3-0 But Morejon Electric

SAN ANTONIO — With the wind blowing in at Nelson Wolff Stadium, it would be a night for pitchers, and the Rockhounds were able to take advantage of a few miscues and timely hitting as the Missions lost the third game of the series 3-0 Thursday night.

Big right-hander Reggie Lawson, 24, got the start for San Antonio and threw four and third scoreless innings before coming out with an out in the fifth inning.

“I had to come out because the wart snagged on something, and it wouldn’t stop bleeding,” said Lawson on why he had to come out of the game. “It’s on its last limbs, so it shouldn’t happen in the future.”

Lawson held the Rockhounds scoreless and sat in the low to mid-90s.

“I threw more strikes today, which I’m happy with, but didn’t like the three walks, although other than that, I liked what went down tonight. My intent on every pitch was there, and that’s what I am trying to do.”

Last year he was shut down in Double-A after coming back from Tommy John with a fairly serious shoulder injury. Tonight was his fifth start and the second where he went four innings or more.

“I am getting back into the groove of things. My velocity is not there, but it will come.”

San Antonio was held to four hits on the night, with outfielder Tirso Ornelas‘s double the only extra-base hit.

Nolan Watson relieved Lawson in the fifth inning and walked two, but was able to get out of the jam. The righty didn’t have the same fortune in the sixth, when he hit two batters and gave up a pair of hits that resulted in three runs for Midland.

Left-hander Adrian Morejon, 23, impressed in his 2022 Double-A debut in the top of the eighth. Morejon got the first batter to ground out to second on one pitch, then struck out the next two hitters. He only needed 12 pitches, eight for strikes.

“I watched the video from his last start in Lake Elsinore, and I thought he was a little scattered,” said Missions’ pitching coach Pete Zamora. “Here, I saw a guy attacking in the zone with three above-average pitches and really fluid delivery. So I was very, very happy.

“He was around 98 to 99 with his fastball, a few tough sliders at the back legs of the hitters, and he threw one of his vintage knuckle changes at 82. The knuckle change is a unicorn pitch – and really, only he throws it. It has a knuckle, but it doesn’t really knuckle, and it goes down firmly. He’s had it since his days in Cuba.

“Right now, the plan is to pitch him an inning a day, and we will move on from there.

Notes: Esteury Ruiz’s bunt single in the eighth inning preserved his 36-game on-base streak. He is the only player in affiliated baseball with an active on-base steak over 30 games. … Connor Hollis, 27, went 2-for-4 to push his slash line to .299/.433/.436. Hollis, who signed after being released by the Rays organization this spring, has played mainly third and second base for the Missions.