Padres affiliates went 3-1 on the night, with plenty of multi-hit games from top prospects and a few solid outings from their starters.

Chihuahuas 13 – Las Vegas 51s 4

Key Statistics: 2B Luis Urías 2-5, BB, 2 K; RF Franmil Reyes 1-6, HR (4), 3 K; SS Javy Guerra 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R; C Brett Nicholas 2-6, 2 K, 2 RBI; CF Travis Jankowski 2-6, 3 K, RBI; RHP Walker Lockett (W, 1-1) 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 8 K

Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas had 16 hits on the night, to go along with 15 strikeouts… Luis Urías had his first multi-hit game since April 12. He has just two extra-base hits in the young season, and a 19.7% strikeout rate, well above the 12.7% he posted in the Texas League last year… Walker Lockett had a fun night, striking out a season-high eight hitters, while also connecting for a three-run home run at the plate.  The 23-year-old also walked four, which was another season high, but is still striking out a batter an inning this year… After Raffy Lopez made the Padres Opening Day roster (and was sent back down to Triple-A in favor of veteran A.J. Ellis), it looks like he may have competition if he wants to get back to San Diego. Brett Nicholas has shined since being acquired in trade from the Texas Rangers. The 29-year old sports a .370/.426/.741 hitting line while playing mostly catcher, though he has suited up at first base a handful of times, including Saturday night.

Missions 11 – Midland RockHounds 8

Key Statistics: SS Fernando Tatis Jr. 1-5, 2B (3), RBI; 1B Josh Naylor 1-6, 2B; C Austin Allen 2-4, HR (5), BB; LF Rod Boykin 2-5, 2B, HR (1); RHP Jesse Scholtens (W, 2-1) 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Prospect Watch: Fernando Tatis Jr. doubled, giving him his first extra-base hit since he homered on April 13. He struck out in the seventh was on three pitches, taking a pair of fastballs that looked to be below or around his knees sandwiched around a low breaking ball he swung at. He struck the ball well in his other at-bats, with hard grounders to short and second, and a liner to right. The 19-year-old, who struck out at a 23.9% clip in Single-A last year, has whiffed 20 times in 15 games this year (29.9%). He had a 29.3% strikeout rate the first month of 2017. … Josh Naylor has reached base safely in all but one of his first 15 games this season. He doubled to lead off the fourth and grounded out in four of his other at-bats… Austin Allen is off to an incredibly hot start, hitting .357/.400/.714 in 14 games, and if not for Naylor, he’d be tied for the league lead in homers. He hit .283/.353/.497 in Lake Elsinore last year and is showing that his power numbers aren’t just a product of the Cal League… Jesse Scholtens had a tough first inning, which included a hit batsman, a single, a double, and a walk to plate a pair of runs. He then settled down and only allowed a solo homer the rest of his outing. He located well with his fastball and made quite a few hitters look foolish chasing low breaking balls. He has a 21:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio thus far in 2018… With the Missions leading 11-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Rowan Wick came in to close it out. After not allowing a run in his previous five outings (6.0 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 6 K), he allowed four without retiring a hitter Saturday. He left the bases loaded for José Castillo, who gave up a run-scoring single and a bases-loaded walk, before getting a strikeout and a double play to end the game. The Padres claimed Wick, originally drafted as an outfielder, off waivers during spring training.

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 10 – Storm 5

Key Statistics: 3B Hudson Potts 4-4, HR (3), 2 2B; CF Edward Olivares 2-5, 3B, 3 K; LF Buddy Reed 1-5, RBI, 2 K; C Marcus Greene Jr. 2-4, HR (2), RF Jorge Oña 1-2, 2 BB, K; Ronald Bolaños 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K; David Bednar 0.0 IP, 4 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 0 K

Prospect Watch: Hudson Potts‘ fourth four-hit game of his professional career was his first of the year. He is hitting .344/.385/.607 in16 games and has whiffed just nine times in 63 plate appearances (14.3%). He struck out 26.8% of the time in Single-A last year… Buddy Reed was back in the lineup after a two-game hiatus for an oblique injury… That’s another multi-hit game for Edward Olivares, who has had seven of those in his first 16 Cal League games… Starting pitcher Ronald Bolaños posted a 6.6 K/9 rate last year in Fort Wayne but has upped that number to 8.4 K/9 in his first three starts of 2018. He also posted a 4.4 BB/9 rate in 2017, and now has five in 10.2 innings this year… Reliever David Bednar entered the game in the seventh with two on and two out, and the score tied at four. He walked the next three hitters and gave up a bases-clearing triple. He had looked sharp in his last outing, striking out five hitters in two innings, but this was his second four-run outing of the year.

TinCaps 8 – Dayton Dragons 2

Key Statistics: 3B Esteury Ruiz 3-5, HR (2), 2 K, 2 SB; CF Jeisson Rosario 2-4, BB, 3 R, RBI, 2 SB; RF Tirso Ornelas 3-4, HR (2), BB; SS Justin Lopez 0-3, BB, 2 K; LHP Osvaldo Hernandez (W, 1-2) 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K

Prospect Watch: Starting pitcher Osvaldo Hernandez bounced back after a pair of rough outings to open the season. The Cuban lefty, who turns 20 next month, improved upon his 7:5 K: BB rate with a solid 83-pitch performance. Dayton has four of the Cincinnati Reds’ top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. They combined to go 3-for-9 with three singles and a pair of strikeouts… After eight strikeouts in his first five games, Tirso Ornelas has six walks against two strikeouts in his last nine games. He currently sports a .400 OBP… Jeisson Rosario, who has shown his athleticism by doing post-game flips in the outfield and has taken grounders in the infield with his non-dominant hand, stole a pair of bases, boosting his total to five in 13 games. He had just eight in 52 AZL games last year… Who is the OPS leader on this young TinCaps team? That’d be 19-year-old Jack Suwinski, who boosted his mark to .954 with a double and a walk. The 15th round pick (2016) out of the Chicago area has 10 walks and 15 strikeouts on the year, and six of his 11 hits have been for extra bases.

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For the box scores of all the Padres’ affiliates games please go to the MiLB.com scoreboards.

Posted by Marcus Pond

San Diego -> small town Texas. Writer for MadFriars. Archi Cianfrocco supporter.

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