It was a good outing for the affiliates, with only Lake Elsinore taking a loss – and a close one at that – on a day San Antonio had a home game postponed due to inclement weather. Also, the ACL Padres opened their season after a delay due to health and wellness protocols.
Chihuahuas 2, Round Rock Express 1
Key Stats: RHP Chase Johnson, 2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, K; RHP Evan Miller, 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K; LF Tucupita Marcano, 1-for-3, R, BB; 2B Ivan Castillo, 2-for-3; RHP Sam McWilliams (W, 2-1), 1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, K; RHP James Norwood, 1 IP (S, 1), 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Prospect Watch: One must expect the unexpected in 2021, especially in the minors, where pitchers have moved all over organizations to suit the needs of their parent clubs. Ryan Weathers was supposed to take the mound for El Paso, but found himself on a flight to Cincinnati instead. Enter Chase Johnson for the spot start, who provided two solid innings before giving way to the bullpen. Johnson, one of the only pro ballplayers to have been born in Fallbrook, was drafted by the Giants in the 3rd round of the 2013 draft out of Cal Poly. He joined the Padres prior to the 2020 season as a minor league free agent. … Evan Miller, who replaced Johnson on the mound, delivered three scoreless innings in what amounted to a piggyback start for the Chihuahuas. Miller, from Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, has been used as a swingman in El Paso after exclusively relieving in his prior professional work. In 14 appearances (four starts) for El Paso, Miller has a 1-2 record and 3.90 ERA across 32.1 innings, while striking out 32 batters against 12 walks. … Tucupita Marcano continues to hit while building up his versatility for El Paso. Marcano is batting .347 with a 1.132 OPS in 49 at-bats in home games for the Chihuahuas. … Ivan Castillo notched a hit in his third straight game and his second multi-hit game in a week. The 26-year-old switch-hitting infielder has been heating up late in June in which he is slashing .205/.238/.256. … Sam McWilliams picked up his second win of the season, retiring the side on 17 pitches (11 strikes). The 6-foot-7 McWilliams claimed by the Padres on June 5 after being designated for assignment by the New York Mets. The Orlando, Florida native was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth round of the 2014 draft. … James Norwood snagged his first save as a member of the Padres organization the same day he was optioned back to El Paso from the Padres. Norwood, a 27-year-old right-hander who played his college ball as a Saint Louis Billiken, now has 24 saves in his career for the Chicago Cubs and Padres organizations.
Missions vs Corpus Christi Hooks (postponed)
Wet weather cancelled tonight’s game in San Antonio, with a doubleheader between the two sides now scheduled for Thursday.
Agustin Ruiz had a pair of hits on Tuesday. (Photo: Jeff Nycz).
TinCaps 6, Great Lakes Loons 5 (F/11)
Key Stats: RHP Gabe Mosser, 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K; RHP Carter Loewen, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K; RHP Jose Geraldo (W, 1-0), 1 IP, 2 H, R, 0 BB, K; LF Tirso Ornelas, 2-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI, BB; RF Agustin Ruiz, 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB.
Prospect Watch: It took 11 innings, but the TinCaps rallied from the brink of defeat with two runs in the bottom of the inning for a walk-off victory. Gabe Mosser got the start and made a quality outing of it, building on 2021 in which his 4.50 ERA belies a 1.21 WHIP and 41:15 K: BB in 48 innings of work. A 27th-round selection by the Padres out of Shippensburg College in 2018, Mosser is in his second tour of duty with Fort Wayne, having donned a TinCaps jersey in 2019 when they were Low-A. … Carter Loewen pitched two hitless innings, striking out three in relief. The native of Abbotsford, British Columbia has struck out 23 batters in 18 innings and is six for seven in save opportunities in his first professional season after joining the Padres as an undrafted free agent last summer. … Jose Geraldo notched his first High-A win since joining Fort Wayne on June 15. The 22-year-old is 1-0 with three saves and hasn’t allowed an earned run in five appearances since joining the TinCaps. Geraldo signed with the Padres in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic. … Tirso Ornelas drove in three runs and had a double, extending his hitting streak to three games. The 21-year-old Tijuana native is batting .280 in home games, and .186 away from Fort Wayne. … Agustin Ruiz had a pair of hits, including a double. The Villahermosa, Mexico, native is slashing .273/.374/.519 in June.
Brandon Valenzuela has done much of his damage from the left side. (Photo: Antonio Gonzalez)
Inland Empire 66ers 5, Storm 4
Key Stats: LHP Noel Vela, 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K; 2B Euribiel Angeles, 2-for-3, R, BB, SB; C Brandon Valenzuela, 2-for-4, R, RBI; LF Matthew Acosta, 1-for-2, RBI, BB.
Prospect Watch: It was a tough one for the Storm bullpen, as Lake Elsinore couldn’t back up a solid start from Noel Vela to bring home victory. Vela, the Padres’ 28th round pick in 2017, has a 4.12 ERA in 43.2 innings pitched, but has struck out 52 batters in that span. … Euribiel Angeles continues to reach base often for the Storm. The 19-year-old from Higuey, Dominican Republic, has 81 total bases in 192 at-bats, handily outdoing his 65 in 173 at-bats in 2019 in the Dominican Summer League. In 2021, he’s also managed to reach base at a .371 clip. … Brandon Valenzuela continues to do his best to dispel notions he’s a defensive catcher without much stick in 2021, as he’s now raised his average to .281 and OPS to .789 in his first year with a full-season club. … Although Matt Acosta is batting .233 after going 1-for-2, his OPS is sitting at .811. The 23-year-old outfielder was selected in the 12th round of the 2019 draft out of USC.
Victor Lizarraga is the Padres’ youngest player in the ACL. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
ACL Padres 7, ACL Royals Blue 2
Key Stats: RHP Victor Lizarraga, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BB, 6 K; LHP Jesus Gonzalez (W, 1-0), 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, K; LHP Alexuan Vega, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K; CF Edwin Rojas, 2-for-4, R; RF Cristian Heredia, 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI; LF Ruben Salinas, 1-for-3, 2 RBI.
Prospect Watch: After a day’s delay due to health and safety protocols for their scheduled opponent, Padres minor leaguers are back playing under the fiery sky (or in tonight’s case, fiery sky with lightning visible from Peoria and the promise of monsoon rains later in the week) of Arizona in what is now known as the Arizona Complex League. Victor Lizarraga got the start for the Padres, appropriate for a player born in San Diego. Lizarraga grew up in Mexico and was signed before 2021 by the Padres. Standing 6’3 at 17 years old, Lizarraga struck out six Royals in three innings of work, allowing only one earned run. … Jesus Gonzalez earned the win with two scoreless innings of work. A 5’10 lefty out of Venezuela, Gonzalez made 11 appearances with the then-AZL Padres in 2019, as well as one start for Fort Wayne. … Alexuan Vega also delivered two scoreless innings. The 22-year-old lefty from Lajas, Puerto Rico was selected in the sixth round in 2018 by the Padres and is joining the AZL/ACL club for his third season of work in Peoria. … Edwin Rojas had a pair of hits and scored a run in his ACL debut. The 19-year-old outfielder from Maturin, Venezuela slashed .279/.420/.414 in the Dominican Summer League in 2019. … Cristian Heredia added two hits, scored two runs, and drove in one in his 2021 debut. A native of Madrid, Spain, Heredia signed with the Padres in July of 2017. … Ruben Salinas drove in two runs in his professional debut. A native of Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico, Salinas signed with the Padres in November 2019.
