SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio appeared to be in trouble after its best hitter was called up to the major leagues.
So Matt Wisler did his part to make things easier for the Missions.
Wisler shut down the Arkansas Travelers with six-plus shutout innings and Austin Hedges drove in the only run with a two-out single, leading San Antonio to a 1-0 victory Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Texas League Championship Series at Wolff Stadium.
Wisler combined with three relievers to shut out the Travelers, the North Division champions, on four hits.
The San Diego Padres called up Tommy Medica on Sunday, leaving a hole in the middle of the Missions’ batting order, but he wasn’t missed Tuesday night, thanks to a pitching staff that held the Travelers offense in check all night.
“I didn’t feel any extra pressure,” said Wisler, who defeated the Travs for the fourth time in five tries this season. “I just tried to throw up as many zeroes as I could. We have enough offense.”
Hedges provided the only run the Missions would need in the second inning. Yelson Asencio hit a two-out double down the left field line and scored on Hedges’ RBI single to center.
“I was just hoping to start a rally,” Hedges said. “I didn’t expect it to hold up. With Wisler and our bullpen, one run is enough.”
Wisler out dueled Travelers starter Brandon Hynick, who allowed just 1 run and 4 hits over 8 innings. Hynick retired the last 17 Missions batters, and worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the third inning by striking out Robert Hral and retiring Jake Blackwood on a fielder’s choice.
Wisler was removed with two outs in the seventh inning after 88 pitches. He was on a 90-pitch limit, even though it was his last outing of the season.
The Travelers had won 11 consecutive games, including eight to close out the regular season before sweeping Tulsa in the Texas League North division series
Arkansas hit .272 with six home runs against Tulsa in the first round of the playoffs, but Tuesday night the Travelers continued their season-long struggles in San Antonio. The Travs are 0-7 at Wolff Stadium this season and have scored only eight runs in seven games there.
Arkansas managed just four hits, and no Travelers player had more than one. C.J. Cron had a double in the fourth inning, but that was the only extra-base hit of the game for the Travs.
Arkansas put two runners on in the third and again in the fourth, but Wisler was up to the task both times. Taylor Lindsey’s deep drive to right-center in the eighth was caught at the wall by Missions centerfielder Rico Noel.
Missions Manager Rich Dauer said he was thrilled with his team’s pitching performance in the opener, but he cautioned against overconfidence heading into Game 2 of the best-of-5 series tonight at Wolff Stadium.
At a glance
TEXAS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP (BEST-OF-5)
TUESDAY’S GAME San Antonio 1, Arkansas 0
San Antonio leads series 1-0
TODAY’S GAME All times Central Arkansas at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.
FRIDAY’S GAME San Antonio at Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
SATURDAY’S GAME x-San Antonio at Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
SUNDAY’S GAME x-San Antonio at Arkansas, 2:10 p.m.
x-if necessary
Sports, Pages 21 on 09/11/2013