SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Aug. 30, 2026) — A five-run fifth inning that featured three homers lifted the Springfield Cardinals (38-19) to an 8-6 win over the San Antonio Missions (24-33). The victory allowed Springfield to take not only five of six on the week but also the season series against the Missions with their seventh win in 12 tries.
Both starters delivered clean first innings before Springfield began tagging Eric Yost in the second. The Cardinals loaded the bases and scored their first run of the game on a Ryan Campos single before Josiah Ragsdale drove two more in with a single as well, giving Springfield a 3-0 lead.
After four clean innings from Yhoiker Fajardo, the Missions’ comeback effort took off against him in the fifth. A pair of singles and an error juiced the bases for San Antonio. Kai Roberts drove a ball deep to left field, where Tre Richardson made the catch, but San Antonio got on the board with a sacrifice fly. Then Braedon Karpathios and Alex McCoy hit consecutive run-scoring singles to even the game at three.
Springfield didn’t let that tie last long. The first batter in the bottom of the fifth inning, Jon Jon Gazdar, clocked a solo homer to left field, the first of three Springfield homers in the inning that provided the Cardinals the lead right back. Rainiel Rodriguez followed with a towering solo shot to left ahead of Jack Gurevitch’s two-run blast to center. By the end of the inning, Yost left the game having allowed a career-high eight runs and with his team down 8-3.
San Antonio crept closer in the seventh when McCoy pulled a ball 435 feet to the left-center field berm off Joseph King, a two-run shot that cut Springfield’s advantage to 8-5. The Missions’ final gasp came in the ninth against Jack Findlay. Karpathios began the frame with a double and scored on Romeo Sanabria’s sacrifice fly, but Findlay then shut the door on the Missions.
Up Next:
The Missions head home to begin a six-game series against the Midland RockHounds on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. It is AARP $2 Tuesday, so fans can get $2 outfield reserved/berm tickets, $2 beer, $2 hot dogs and $2 Sofia’s pizza slices. Catch all the action on Country Legends KKYX, 680 AM, 104.9 FM and kkyx.com. For more information and tickets, call 210-675-7275 or visit samissions.com.
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The San Antonio Missions are the Double-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The Missions were established in 1888 and have brought affordable family fun to the Alamo City for more than 120 seasons. The 13-time Texas League champions play their home games at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium. For more information and tickets, call 210-675-7275 or visit samissions.com.