SAN ANTONIO — The Missions dropped the opener against the Frisco RoughRiders 10-4, as the visitors came back from a four-run deficit with ten unanswered runs.
Starter Victor Lizarraga looked strong early, needing only 56 pitches get through five shutout innings on four hits before he ran into problems in the sixth. Six of the first seven Frisco hitters that inning reached base as they jumped Lizarraga for five runs on five hits, including three doubles.
Victor Lizarraga was impressive for the first five innings. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
“I thought he was attacking the zone well, getting after guys and letting the defense work,” said Brian Burres, the Missions bench coach, who is managing the team while manager Chris Tremie is on vacation. “When he is on, that is what he does.”
“The balls just started dropping in the sixth. The last few hitters, he was up 0-2, and the balls started to find the grass.”
Until that sixth, he Missions appeared on track. They took advantage of sloppy play by the RoughRiders to open the scoring in the third. After they loaded the bases with a pair of hits and a walk, San Antonio plated three runs on an error, a wild pitch, and a passed ball. They added another run in the fourth on still another passed ball.
That was all San Antonio would manage in the game as the club went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position. The Texas Rangers’ affiliate held the Missions to six hits, with only Francisco Acuña‘s double going for extra bases.
Ethan Salas had the team’s lone RBI when he reached base on a hard-hit ball that the first baseman threw away looking for a fielder’s choice. Salas was hitless on the night, but hit two balls into the wind at Nelson Wolff Stadium – one to right and another to center – that probably would have gone out in other parks.
In his final at-bat, with two outs in the ninth inning, Salas stayed locked in and drew a nine-pitch walk with the Missions six runs down.
Ethan Salas’ approach at the plate has vastly improved in 2026. (Photo: Vashaun Newman)
“His approach has been extremely good this year; he has really limited his chase rate,” said Burres. “On a different day, two of those fly balls may have been out of here.
“Regardless of whether the umpire was right or wrong on a strike call, he has a really good idea of what he wants to swing at.”
On the mound, left-hander Harry Gustin came in for Lizarraga in the sixth inning, with five runs on the board, a runner on second, and one out. Gustin struck out the next batter and got the last out of the inning on a flyout to left. He returned in the seventh and threw a shutout inning, striking out two of the four batters he faced.
“He has two good breaking balls, which he can throw for strikes, that is combined with a good heater [four-seam] fastball with good ride on it that he can throw in the mid-90s, and that is tough.
“Throw in the fact that he attacks everyone in the zone, and he is going to get outs.”
The game turned into a rout late when Clark Candiotti gave up a run in the eighth and then walked the bases loaded to open the ninth. The big right-hander gave way to Francis Peña, who allowed all three runners to come in before he could finally close the door. Peña has reined in some of his command issues from earlier in the year and has solid numbers across the board, but he has allowed seven of 10 inherited runners to cross the plate this season.
[…] NextMissions Fall 10-4 in Series […]