Luis Urias is putting the ball in play often in August. (Photo: Grant Wickes)
Chihuahuas 7 – Salt Lake Bees 1
Key Stats: RHP Kyle Lloyd 4 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 3 K; RF Forrestt Allday 2-4, 2 R; 2B Luis Urias 2-4, R, RBI; DH Francisco Mejia 2-5, 2B, R, RBI; C Raffy Lopez 1-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB
Prospect Watch: RHP Kyle Lloyd allowed an earned run in Triple-A for the first time since hitting the disabled list for three months on May 6. In three starts back, Lloyd has allowed just one run on seven hits, walking five while striking out eight in 11 innings. Lloyd threw 68 pitches Wednesday after 48 in his last start, so he is slowly working deeper into games. The organization had initially planned to bring him back in a relief role, but with recent promotions to the big leagues, he’s re-established a role in the rotation for now. … 2B Luis Urias collected his second straight multi-hit game. With August half way over, Urias is now hitting .360/.411/.560 for the month. While his batting average has jumped over 100 points from last month, he also is walking less than he has in any month since August, 2016. Urias has walked in 12.9% of his plate appearances since the start of 2017, but has walked just three times in 56 trips to the plate this month. … DH Francisco Mejia has three straight multi-hit games. In 18 games with the Chihuahuas, Mejia is hitting .313/.365/.463, a moderate jump from his production in Columbus even after adjusting for league context.
Missions 8 – Springfield Cardinals 3
Key Stats: RHP Jesse Scholtens 5 IP, 4 H, BB, 2 K; 3B Hudson Potts 1-5, HR (2), 2 R, RBI, BB; LF Josh Naylor 2-5, R; C Austin Allen 2-5, R, RBI; 2B Matthew Batten 2-4, R, RBI, BB, SB (7)
Prospect Watch: Down by one with tying run on and two outs in the ninth, Josh Naylor struck out, but strike three got away, allowing Naylor to reach base. Five singles and two walks later, a 2-1 Missions deficit turned into an 8-2 advantage. Hudson Potts, who started the two-out rally with a walk, became the rare batter to start and end a two-out ninth-inning rally. The 19-year-old collected his second homer in as many days earlier in the night. … The crazy finished overshadowed a great start from Jesse Scholtens. The right hander struggled in eight Triple-A starts earlier in the year (1-4, 8.38 ERA), but has been fantastic in Double-A (7-2, 3.05 ERA). Scholtens has now faced the Cardinals in two straight startsallowing just one earned run on nine hits in 13 innings with an 8:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. … Buddy Reed did single to bring home the final run of the game, however that was his only hit of the game. While his strikeout rate continues to hover close to his mark in the Cal League, the light contact he was turning into singles and even doubles in High-A is going for outs right now.
Storm 8 – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7 (10 innings)
Key Stats: RHP Ronald Bolaños 6 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K; RHP David Bednar 2 IP, 5 K; LF Nate Easley 4-5, 2B, HR (4), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB; RF Jorge Oña 1-3, HR (8), 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB; 3B Ruddy Giron 2-5, 2 R, RBI
Prospect Watch: Jorge Oña signed the second-largest contract during the Padres’ big-money J2 splurge in 2016. After a decent but uninspiring debut season with Fort Wayne, many thought this would be his breakout season. However, after posting an OPS of .800 in April, the 21-year-old outfielder went .673, .475, and .634 over the next three months. However, half-way through August, he is sitting at a .263/.404/.553 slash line with, more home runs and walks than any previous month. The patience is there, the contact is there, and Wednesday, he crushed a ball off of rehabbing Dodgers starter Julio Urias to deep left-center for his eighth home run of the season. The talent is there, it will be a question of consistency. … Nate Easley came up a triple short of the cycle, but did collect four hits for the second time in three weeks. The 22-year-old outfielder has hit .296/.350/.463 since the All-Star break.
TinCaps will have to wait another day to welcome in their four millionth fan since moving to Parkview Field as they were rained out. They’ll play a double-header Thursday.
Vancouver Canadians 5 – Dust Devils 2
Key Stats: RHP Sam Keating (L, 3-6), 5.2 IP, 9 H 5 ER, BB, 3 K; 2B Xavier Edwards 1-4, R, BB, 2 SB (4); LF Grant Little 1-3, R, 2 BB, SB (9); SS Tucupita Marcano 2-5, RBI
Prospect Watch: TinCaps infielder Esteury Ruiz leads the Padres farm system with 40 stolen bases, but SS Xavier Edwards might make the battle a lot more interesting. The competitive balance round pick already has 16 stolen bases in 27 games, including four in seven games with the Dust Devils. While he’s hit only .136 in early exposure to the Northwest League, Edwards has drawn nine walks for a .386 on-base percentage. … Grant Little had a single and walked twice, but has just a .490 OPS for August as he struggles to the end of a very long season that began in February.
Subscribers can read John Conniff’s interview with Xavier Edwards for a look at his journey to the Padres system.
AZL Padres-1 3 – AZL Cubs-1 2 (10 innings)
Key Stats: RHP Efrain Contreras 5 IP, H, BB, 5 K; CF Jawuan Harris 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI; SS Reinaldo Illaraza 2-4, R, RBI
AZL Padres-2 3 – AZL Indians-2 2
Key Stats: RHP Manny Guzman 5 IP, 6 H, ER, 2 BB, 8 K; SS Jordy Barley 2-5, R; CF Angel Solarte 2-5, 2B, C Jonny Homza 2-4, R
Prospect Watch: The Padres-2 club scored a walk off win when Luis Roman came up clutch with two-out, bases-loaded single. The other AZL game also ended in a walk-off as Reinaldo Ilarraza came up with an RBI single to left to plate the winning run from second. Ilarraza spent all of 2017 with Fort Wayne where he hit just .229/.295/.298. After starting 2018 with a .439 OPS in his second go-around, he was first sent down to Tri-City and then to Peoria where the 19-year-old switch-hitter has continued to struggle, posting a .626 OPS. … After fighting his command and then a minor injury in July, 17-year-old Frank Lopez has been coming back slowly and effectively in August. The righty struck out five Wednesday and has seven Ks against just one walk in six innings over three outings this month. … Efrain Contreras followed Lopez with another strong performance in his debut professional season. The 18-year-old righty allowed just one hit over five scoreless frames and sports a strong 39:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 38 innings since he came stateside after a quick run through the DSL to open the year.
