San Diego Padres Playoff Farm Report: September 10

Sod Poodles 13 Tulsa Drillers 6

(Sod Poodles lead best of five series 1-0)

Key Stats: RHP Lake Bachar 4 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K; CF Taylor Trammell 2-4. R. 2 RBI, SB; SS Ivan Castillo 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB; RF Edward Olivares 2-5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI; C Luis Torrens 3-3, 2 2B, R, RBI, 2 BB; 3B Hudson Potts, 2-5, R; LF Buddy Reed 3-4, 2B. HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB

Prospect Watch: In a game that pitted top 100 pitching prospect Josiah Gray against Lake Bachar, who had given up 23 earned runs over his last four starts, it was the Amarillo offense that shined all night. Buddy Reed and Taylor Trammell led the charge all night.  Reed, who hit 10 of his 14 regular season home runs at Hodgetown, turned on a 96 mph fastball to start the scoring in the third inning.

.@BuddyLoco23 goes BOOM! pic.twitter.com/cZWRCvu8bX

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (Blue Checkmark) (@sodpoodles) September 11, 2019

Trammell singled two batters later, then came all the way around to score from a Ivan Castillo single. Trammell had been running on the pitch and never broke stride as Cody Thomas bobbled the ball for a moment. The next time through the order, Trammell singled to plate Reed and Kyle Overstreet to give Amarillo a 5-1 lead.

2-0 Sod Poodles lead!

Ivan Castillo with the one-out hit-and-run single to score Trammell all the way from first! pic.twitter.com/beFTAq3OoP

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (Blue Checkmark) (@sodpoodles) September 11, 2019

After the Soddies’ bullpen gave up a three-run lead in the eighth, Reed once again led the rally. His leadoff double set the stage for before Edward Olivares delivered a game-winning bases-clearing double. Amarillo piled on four more in the frame, finishing their scoring with a Reed single. The 24-year-old outfielder finished a triple short of the cycle with a walk, walk and three runs scored.

Bachar worked four strong innings, allowing just one solo homer. However, in a plate appearance in which he ultimately got a successful bunt down, Bachar a riding fastball caught Bachar on his pitching hand, and the righty did not come back out for the fifth. While he faded down the stretch, the 24-year-old hurler dominated in June and July on his way to a career-high 132 innings. Evan Miller tossed a scoreless ninth as the Soddies took their first step to winning the Texas League championship in the franchise’s first year of existence.

The game of the year.

The hit of the year.

We coulda sworn this place was shaking tonight.

The Soddies have a 1-0 lead in the Texas League Championship Series. pic.twitter.com/ysYlXg9mav

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (Blue Checkmark) (@sodpoodles) September 11, 2019

Storm 5 Visalia Rawhide 2

(Storm lead the best of five series 1-0)

Key Stats: RHP Garrett Richards 4 IP, 6 H,  ER, BB, 2 K; CF Jeisson Rosario 1-3, RS, RBI, 2 BB; RF Tirso Ornelas 2-2, 2B, RS, RBI, BB; LF Tyler Benson 2-3, RS, RBI, BB; DH Tucupita Marcano 2-4, RBI

Prospect Watch: Garrett Richards took the mound for his last potential rehab start of the year, but the righty did not look as sharp as he had in his last outing. While he sat in the mid-90s through the first three innings, his velocity faded as he worked past 50 pitches for the first time. The Padres paid a premium to get the former Angel hurler last winter without any expectation of a contribution this season. While he’s shown glimpses and his stuff continues to show well, Richards isn’t quite there yet.

Garrett Richards' night is done. 4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K; 63 pitches, 40 strikes.

FB 94-96, SL 87-89. Scoreless through three, lost a tick of velo and started getting hit hard in the fourth.

Osvaldo Hernandez on to pitch the fifth for @Storm_Baseball

— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) September 11, 2019

A month ago, Tirso Ornelas was coming off a stint in the AZL where he was asked to make changes to his set-up and swing mechanics. After finishing the regular season with a strong three-week run, he has been arguably the best hitter for the Storm in the playoffs. The 19-year-old collected the Storm’s first two hits Tuesday, driving in the club’s first run with a single in the fourth. With the game tied in the eighth, he drew a walk to load the bases, and eventually scored on a Tucupita Marcano single. After posting a career-high strikeout rate through the first three months of the year, the left-handed swinging outfielder has struck out just 10 times in 100 plate appearances since his return to Elsinore.

Gabriel Arias and Xavier Edwards just turned a beautiful double play in the ninth. There's already a lot of chemistry in the middle infieid between them, and it's fun to watch

— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) September 11, 2019

Behind Richards, Osvaldo Hernandez and Mason Fox combined for five scoreless frames against the Rawhide. The Cuban lefty hasn’t worked more than three innings in an outing since finally joining the Storm July. He’s tossed five innings in the playoffs, striking out five and allowing just two hits, but issuing three walks. At 21, he’ll be asked to take a big step forward next season.

Dust Devils 6 Hillsboro Hops 0

(Dust Devils and Hops are tied 2-2 in a best of five series)

Key Stats: LHP Jason Blanchard 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K; LHP Ethan Elliott 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 7 K; CF Matthew Acosta 2-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB; RF Logan Driscoll 2-4, R, RBI; 2B Reinaldo Ilarraza 1-2, R, 3 BB

Prospect Watch: A dominant pitching performance brought the Dust Devils within one game of the NWL Championship. Ninth round pick Jason Blanchard started, throwing three scoreless.  After a rough professional debut, the Austin, Texas, native has kicked it into high gear over the last month. Tuesday’s work extended his streak to 28.1 straight scoreless innings with 35 strikeouts. Wen-Hua Sung followed with a pair of innings as the Taiwanese righty worked around three hits. LHP Ethan Elliott shut the door on the game, allowing just three hits over four scoreless while striking out seven.  While Elliott’s stretch isn’t as jaw-dropping as Blanchard’s, the 10th-rounder has allowed only one earned run over the last 22 innings while striking out 26. … Matthew Acosta gave the Dust Devils all the offense they would need with a two-run shot in the second.  They scored four times due in large part to 10 walks on the day including three by Reinaldo Ilarraza. The clubs will play a decisive game five in Pasco on Wednesday.

For Subscribers: John profiles Jonny Homza, who the Padres have asked to learn to catch since drafting him in the fifth round back in 2017.