Tatis’ rehab stint gives nice lift to attendance
Highlighting the week that was and previewing the upcoming week for the San Antonio Missions:
With light rain falling, Fernando Tatis Jr. turned on a low breaking pitch and hammered it toward the left-field foul pole, drawing a chorus of oohs and ahhs from the crowd at Wolff Stadium.
Many of the 5,469 in attendance Sunday watched the at-bat through the lens of their phone’s camera, wanting to capture the rare opportunity to see the San Diego Padres’ star shortstop during his rehab assignment with the San Antonio Missions.
The blast ended up sailing foul, and Tatis’ at-bat ended with a bouncing groundout to shortstop — the final plate appearance of an 0-for-5 weekend that included two walks and a strikeout in his first game action in 10 months following a left wrist fracture.
The possibility of seeing magic from Tatis, who finished third in the National League Most Valuable Player voting last year, brought a surge of fans to Wolff Stadium.
The Missions averaged 6,454 fans during Tatis’ Saturday and Sunday starts, marking a major uptick from the 3,987 average during the series’ first four games. San Antonio’s last pair of weekend home games, July 23-24 against Corpus Christi, drew an average attendance of 3,848.
“All of these extra fans that will show up tonight, they’re not here to see most of us, let’s put it that way,” Missions manager Phillip Wellman said Saturday. “They’re here to see Tatis Jr. But yeah, it sure helps to have a crowd behind you.”
Tatis delivered a relatively quiet weekend, batting leadoff as the designated hitter Saturday before returning to the field at shortstop Sunday.
His first game opened with a pair of four-pitch walks, followed by a swinging strikeout and a pop-up just behind the pitcher’s mound, with Wichita’s third baseman sliding over to make the grab.
On Sunday, his hardhit grounder to the right side of the infield went directly to Wichita’s first baseman, who was positioned a few feet closer to second base than normal. Tatis also hit a flyout to center field on a full count and closed his night with a groundout to shortstop, exiting the game after the fifth inning.
Tatis returned to shortstop for the first time Sunday and was tested by the first batter of the game. A grounder up the middle nearly hit second base and then took an awkward hop, bouncing too high for Tatis to snare it with his glove. He was charged with an error.
His only other chances on defense came in the fifth inning, as he ranged into the outfield grass to track down a pair of popups.
With the Padres likely looking to get the backto-back Silver Slugger award winner into the lineup as soon as possible, the weekend games might have been Tatis’ last at Wolff Stadium. The Missions are on the road the next two weeks, opening a six-game set against the Frisco Roughriders at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday.
Prospect watch
The Padres shipped away many of their farm system standouts, pushing San Diego’s prospects up the organizational rankings by Mlb.com.
But even with fresh openings in the team’s top 30, Missions players still hold just four spots: No. 8 Korry Howell, No. 9 Kevin Kopps, No. 10 Reggie Lawson and No. 17 Tirso Ornelas.
During an otherwise standout week for Missions pitching, Lawson continued to struggle, failing to escape the second inning for a third straight start.
Taking the mound Saturday, Lawson threw 12⁄3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts. He walked three consecutive batters before being pulled in the second inning, as Felix Minjarez entered from the bullpen and notched a strikeout to limit the damage.
After a monthlong stretch allowing no more than one run in any of his six starts, Lawson has regressed in his past four outings, lasting a combined 8 innings with a 13.50 ERA and 18 walks.
Standout hitter
Infielder Juan Fernandez was San Antonio’s most productive hitter last week, finishing 10 for 23 (.435) with a double, a triple, two runs scored, a stolen base and five RBIS.
The Missions lost two of their top offensive performers to call-up last week, with infielder Connor Hollis and outfielder Thomas Milone headed to Triple-a El Paso.
Hollis was San Antonio’s leadoff hitter for a chunk of the season, leading the club in hits (110), walks (55) and runs (70). He was on a 14-game hit streak and a stretch of 21 consecutive games reaching base at the time of his promotion.
Standout pitcher
Nolan Watson delivered a pair of strong starts Tuesday and Sunday, throwing a combined 11 innings allowing just one run on seven hits and one walk with 13 strikeouts.
Henry Henry notched his first six-strikeout game since July 15, 2019, as he threw four shutout innings allowing three hits and a walk Wednesday.
Brandon Komar became the first Missions pitcher to record backto-back quality starts as he threw six shutout innings allowing three hits and three walks with five strikeouts Friday.
By the numbers
0: Homers for San Antonio last week — the only Minor League team above Rookie League to not hit at least one.
.160: The Missions’ combined batting average with runners in scoring position during onerun losses Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
1.13: San Antonio’s combined WHIP last week, the lowest in the Texas League. The staff allowed 15 runs and gave up just 15 walks, both the fewest in the league.
7: Strikeouts for pitcher Ben Krauth during Thursday’s start, matching a career high. A converted reliever, Krauth threw a career-high five innings.
25: Consecutive games reaching base for Webster Rivas, spanning his full tenure with the Missions this season.