Last night ran the gamut – a walk-off win, a pair of dominant pitching performances, and an 18-hit barrage that resulted in a loss. Never a dull moment in the Padres farm system! Thanks again for joining us.
(Photo: Grant Wickes)
Chihuahuas 8, Fresno Grizzlies 7 (10 innings)
Key Statistics: 2B Luis Urías 1-5, 2 K; RF Hunter Renfroe 1-4, BB; C Brett Nicholas 1-5, K; Javy Guerra 0-3, 2 K; CF Auston Bousfield 1-5, 2B, K; LF Shane Peterson 2-5, 2B, HR (3); 1B-3B Diego Goris 4-5, HR (4), 4 RBI; SP Jesse Scholtens 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, BB, 3 K, 2 HR; RP Trey Wingenter 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K; RP José Castillo (W, 1-0) 1.0 IP, R, BB
Prospect Watch: Jesse Scholtens’ second start with El Paso was much rougher than his first. His defense didn’t help in the second inning, when Diego Goris bobbled a would-be double play ball, and the lead runner was able to advance from first to third because the shift was on and nobody was there to cover. The runner came around to score on an Allen Craig error. In the next inning, Scholtens gave up homers to former major leaguers Jake Marisnick and Tyler White. The five earned runs and six hits were season highs for Scholtens, but outside of those two homers, the rest of the hits were singles, and he walked just one. He threw 62% strikes, which was pretty on par with his average this season… Luis Urías struck out his first two at-bats against Astros no.8 prospect David Paulino. It was his tenth two-strikeout game of the year (36 games). He had 14 such games all of last year… Craig doubled home Goris to tie the game in the ninth, though the lead was short-lived when reliever José Castillo gave up the tough-luck go-ahead run in the 10th (aided by the inherited runner on second and a pair of sacrifices). With Auston Bousfield on second to start the bottom of the tenth, Urías lined a ball to right that was hit too hard to score the runner, and the Grizzlies intentionally walked Hunter Renfroe to load the bases. After getting Shane Peterson to strikeout, Goris lined a ball into the gap to plate Bousfield and Urías, walking it off for El Paso. … Renfroe also had a single in four at-bats in his second rehab assignment game. He did not strike out on the night.
Midland RockHounds 9, Missions 8
Key Statistics: SS Fernando Tatis Jr. 3-6, 2B; LF Josh Naylor 1-6, HR (9), 2 K; C Austin Allen 3-5, K; DH Rod Boykin 1-5, 4 K; SP Cal Quantrill 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
Prospect Watch: Starter Cal Quantrill had another tough outing, bringing his earned run total in his last three games to 17 in 15.1 innings. During that stretch, opposing hitters have a .391/.453/.594 hitting line against him, while he’s had almost as many walks (9) as strikeouts (10). Last night he struggled again to put batters away with two strikes and gave up plenty of hard contact to Midland hitters… Despite accumulating 18 hits, the Missions managed just three extra-base hits – a home run by Josh Naylor, and doubles by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Kyle Overstreet… The offense was able to get Quantrill off the hook for the loss, but reliever Rowan Wick came in and was charged with three earned runs in the bottom of the seventh… Naylor’s ninth dinger came 15 games after his eighth on May 1st. During the interim, he had just three extra-base hits, all doubles, but still hit for a high average (.296) and was elite at getting on base (.397)… Tatis Jr.’s three-hit game was his fourth of the season, three of which have come in May. His slash line in the second month of the season improved to .352/.446/.676. He has a 26.5% K rate and 10.8% BB rate during that time, along with five homers, six doubles, and a triple in 17 games. Subscribers can read more on Tatis and other highlights of the roster from David’s recent trip to San Antonio.
Storm 5, Rancho Cucamonga 4
Key Statistics: CF Edward Olivares 2-5; 2B Eguy Rosario 2-4, K; DH Luis Torrens 2-5, 2B, HR (3), K; 3B Hudson Potts 1-4, K; Jorge Oña 1-4, 2 K; SP Chris Paddack (W, 3-0) 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, BB, 10 K; RP Dauris Valdez (S, 2) 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K
Prospect Watch: The story of the game was starter Chris Paddack, who raised his K: BB rate to an incredible 36:2. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in 21.2 innings over his first four starts for the Storm. His 15.0 K/9 in High-A is actually a tick below his rate in nine Single-A starts in 2016, before he had Tommy John surgery (15.1 K/9). At this rate, it’s hard to imagine Paddack staying in the Cal League for long, especially with the promotion of Miguel Díaz from San Antonio to El Paso… The organization hoped that Jorge Oña would put up some better power numbers after leaving the Midwest League, but his .399 slugging percentage leaves a lot to be desired. The 21-year-old currently sports a 30.2% K rate, up from 24.7% last season… Luis Torrens, who looked overmatched at the major league level, currently sports a .296/.351/.467 hitting line, though his defense at catcher has been spotty. His solo homer in the eighth proved to be the difference in the game… Edward Olivares had his 15th multi-hit game of the season. Though he’s sometimes overshadowed by the impressive year that Buddy Reed is having or the prospect pedigree of Hudson Potts, the 22-year-old has a solid .274/.319/.423 hitting line on the year, all while striking out just 19.8% of the time… Hard-throwing 6-foot-8 righty Dauris Valdez came in and was dominant, striking out three in a four-out save to close the game for Lake Elsinore… Quakes starter Andrew Sopko (2-3, 3.50 ERA) was originally a 14th-round draft pick by the Padres out of Missoula, Montana, but did not sign.
TinCaps 13, South Bend Cubs 2
Key Statistics: DH Esteury Ruiz 0-3, BB, 3 K; SS Gabriel Arias 0-5, K; CF Tirso Ornelas 2-4, HR (3), BB, 3 R; 3B Luis Almanzar 0-2, 3 BB, 3 R, SB; 2B Justin Lopez 2-5, 2 K; C Juan Fernandez 2-4, HR (1), 2B, K, 4 RBI; SP Nick Margevicius (W, 2-2) 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 8 K, HR; RP Travis Radke 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Prospect Watch: A year after posting a 14.2 K/9 rate for Tri-City, starter Nick Margevicius has picked up where he left off. His eight strikeout, zero walk performance boosted his strikeout-to-walk ratio to 52:7 and his K/9 rate to 12.0. The solo homer he allowed in the seventh inning was the second he’s surrendered on the season and third of his brief professional career (87 innings)… Tirso Ornelas is 9-for-23 in his last six games with a pair of doubles and a homer. His 10.7% BB rate has helped him to a .347 OBP thus far, and if the 6-foot-3 lefty can begin to tap into his power, the 18-year-old could begin to do damage in the Midwest League… The TinCaps scored 13 runs on just eight hits and took advantage of seven Cubs errors. They also drew seven walks, including three by Luis Almanzar… After hitting .197/.265/.246 in April, Justin Lopez is hitting .302/.351/.453 in May… 24-year-old Travis Radke struck out five in two innings, bringing his total to 39 Ks in 23.2 innings.
