Seth Simmons needed only three appearances at San Antonio to earn his promotion. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
Chihuahuas 4 – Sacramento River Cats 3
Key Stats: RHP Seth Simmons 6 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 4 K; 2B Luis Urias 0-4; SS Javy Guerra 2-3, 2 RBI, BB; 1B Allen Craig 1-3, 2B, RS, BB
The last time Seth Simmons pitched in the PCL, it was for Reno. He faced 10 batters and gave up five runs. Since then, he was released and had Tommy John surgery. Tonight, he threw six one-run innings and owns a sub-2.00 ERA in the Padres organization.
— madfriars (@madfriars) May 31, 2018
Prospect Watch: As part of a fleet of moves across the organization, Seth Simmons was promoted to El Paso and immediately took the mound. The 29-year-old showed El Paso what he can accomplish. A 40th-round pick by the Diamondbacks in 2011, Simmons threw six innings of one-run ball for the first time since August of 2016, needing only 74 pitches – 54 for strikes – to get through those innings. Simmons is an extreme fly ball pitcher, which on a 98-degree night with the wind blowing out in El Paso normally spells trouble. However, even with 13 balls hit in the air, only one of them went over the wall (solo shot), and nine were caught for outs. … The fun stat of the night belongs to Javy Guerra. His last multi-hit game came on April 24th. At the time he was hitting .286/.338/.586/.924, and I was mentioning him turning a corner. He is now poised to end May with a .274 OPS (.146 OBP, .128 SLG). Let’s hope this multi-hit game brings him back around.
Roster Notes: Catcher Steven McGee and right-handed reliever Jonathan Aro both went on the disabled list as Simmons was promoted and Tyler Webb reported following his demotion from the big-league club. Reliever Colby Blueberg was added to the roster from extended spring training on Tuesday as Kyle McGrath lingers in DFA limbo. He should know his status Thursday. Walker Lockett was originally scheduled to make Wednesday’s start but was held back for the second time this year in case he is needed to make a spot start with the Padres on Friday.
Jake Nix delivers for the Missions in 2017. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
Missions 2 – Tulsa Drillers 0
Key Stats: RHP Jacob Nix 4 IP, 2 H, 2 K; RHP Erik Johnson (W, 3-1) 2 IP, H, 2 K; SS Fernando Tatis Jr 0-3, BB, K; 3B Ty France 2-4, 2B, 2 R; CF Michael Gettys 1-3, RBI, BB
B4 this season, no TL hitter collected 20 XBH in a calendar month since Aug, 2015 & no Mission had done it since at least 1999. @missionsmilb @DoubleAA41
did it last month and now @tatis_jr has joined him this month in the 20 XBH club. Who's up next for June?— Missions Radio (@SAMissionsRadio) May 30, 2018
Prospect Watch: Last night I mentioned that Fernando Tatis Jr. had 20 extra base hits in May. I did not note that Austin Allen had done it the previous month, or that no other Mission had done it this century. For comparison, Chase Headley never had a month with more than 14 in San Antonio, Nate Freiman 15, and Kyle Blanks 17. Not bad for the youngest player in the league. … Jacob Nix welcomed himself back to Double-A quite nicely. After missing most of the first two months of the season with a groin issue, the righty from Southern California was activated and made the start for the Missions. He was on a pitch count, but needed only 50 pitches to get through his targeted four innings – one more than he worked in his final extended spring training game. Nix threw 34 strikes while getting six groundball outs and two strikeouts. Now 22, Nix was ninth on our Padres top prospect list coming into the year.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5 – Storm 4
Key Stats: RHP Chris Paddack (L, 3-1) 5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 8 K; 3B Hudson Potts 2-4, HR (8), 2 RBI; RF Nate Easley 2-4, 3B, RS; 2B Eguy Rosario 1-3, HR (5), RBI, BB
Prospect Watch: Is the league starting to figure out Chris Paddack? After four straight dominating performances, Paddack has had back to back rough starts. On the positive side, during those two bad starts, he has still struck out 15 while walking none in 10 innings. However, he has allowed 14 hits during that span including two home runs Wednesday. Even after those outings, his numbers still look straight out of a video game: 31.2 IP, 2 BB, 51 K. … Third baseman Hudson Potts has now reached base safely in 17 of his last 18 games. The 19-year-old former first-round pick sits at 14 extra base hits for the month, the second-best month in his career. Potts has more home runs this year than he did through the first three months last season and more doubles than he had in the first four months of last year. The 24 extra-base hits he has this season rank second on the team behind Buddy Reed’s 26. He is third in the league in doubles, and fourth in the league in home runs. Teammate Eguy Rosario is the only position player in the league who is younger.
Roster News: The Storm got mixed news on two players who had to leave Tuesday’s game. Ruddy Giron went to the disabled list a day after injuring his glove hand on a tag play. His roster spot was filled by fellow infielder Chris Baker, who had been on the shelf following a potential second concussion of the year. Meanwhile, Jorge Ona appears to have avoided the disabled list, though he sat out Wednesday’s game. The 21-year-old outfielder was hurt Tuesday night when Jeren Kendall’s second-inning home run flukishly bounced off the foul pole and caught him flush in the face.
TinCaps were rained out.
They will have a double header against Bowling Green Thursday.
Roster Note: Reliever Will Stillman was released by the organization. The 2016 sixth-round pick as a senior sign out of Wofford had seen some exposure in Fort Wayne in each of his three professional seasons. Korey Anderson, who signed as an undrafted free agent last summer, will take his spot in the TinCaps bullpen.
