San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report: August 28

Sugar Land Skeeters 4, Chihuahuas 3

Key Statistics: C Webster Rivas 2-4; PH Taylor Kohlwey 1-1, 2B, RBI; 1B Gosuke Katoh  1-4, 2B, 2 RBI; RHP Adrian Martinez (L, 0-2)  6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R (3 ER) 3 BB, 5 K, HR; LHP Joe Beimel 1.0 IP, 1 H.

Prospect Watch: Down 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth, El Paso got a Taylor Kohlwey two-out pinch-hit RBI double to pull within a run.  However, Jose Azocar’s sharp grounder to third base didn’t get through the infield and ended the game. … Adrian Martinez had his best start in three outings for El Paso, giving up three earned runs in six innings. The 24-year-old struck out five, but walked three. While that is an improvement, it’s not close to the dominance he showed in Double-A, where he gave up one earned run he posted a 1.14 ERA over his final seven games. … Catcher Webster Rivas threw out three of five baserunners attempting to steal on him. … Joe Beimel, at 44 years old, made his first Triple-A appearance since 2016 when he logged 12 outings for the Royal’s Omaha affiliate. Working the ninth inning, Beimel gave up a lead off single before inducing a double-play grounder and a line out to center for a clean inning. 

Missions 4, Midland RockHounds 2

Key Statistics: SS Eguy Rosario 3-4, 3 2B, CS; CF Estuery Ruiz 1-3, HR (8) 2 R, 3 RBI, BB; RHP Tyler Viza  (W, 1-0) 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB 4 K, HR; LHP Tom Cosgrove 2.0 IP 2 K; RHP Carlos Belen (S, 2) 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K 

Prospect Watch:  Down 2-1 in the fifth inning, the Missions got a three-run home run from Estuery Ruiz. Tyler Viza, making his second start in the Padres system, and two relievers made that lead hold up as San Antonio earned the victory. Viza, 26, who signed out of the American Association, joined San Antonio in mid-August to help the organization’s search for pitching at all levels.  He had been with the Phillies organization from 2013 and 2019. After not getting offers last year, the Phoenix native made 14 starts and struck out 96 in 91.1 innings for the “Partner League” team in Kane County this summer. … Eguy Rosario had a big night at the plate with three doubles. He now leads the Double-A Central with 26 and is second in hits at 98.  For the season, he is hitting .282/.365/.461 and is eleventh in the league with an .826 OPS. … Tom Cosgrove worked two more scoreless innings Saturday and hasn’t allowed a runner in four frames since coming off the IL. The lefty has been solid coming out of the pen for San Antonio, posting a 2.29 ERA with 26 strikeouts against six walks in 19.2 innings. Opponents are hitting just .164.

TinCaps 8, Dayton Dragons 2

Key Statistics:  C Zack Mathis 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB; SS Justin Lopez 2-4, 2B, HR (8), 3 RBI; 1B-LF Luis Almanzar  2-4; CF Reinaldo Ilarraza 0-2, 2 BB, SB (33); LHP Noel Vela 4.0 IP 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K; LHP Fred Schlichtholz (W, 3-0) 1.0 IP; RHP Chase Walter 1.0 IP, 2 K

Prospect Watch:  The TinCaps jumped ahead with a four-run third inning, then added on with Zack Mathis’s ground-rule double RBI in the fourth and capped off the scoring with Justin Lopez’s two-run home run in the seventh. … The TinCaps showed off some of the positional versatility the Padres organization values. Mathis, who has primarily played third base along with some second and first base at three levels this year, got his first professional start behind the plate as both Jonny Homza and Adam Kerner deal with shoulder issues. The Padres signed Mathis after the 2020 draft from LSU with plans to convert him to catching, a position he’d never played at any level, but he had yet to play a game there until tonight. In his first official effort, he didn’t look that bad. The staff tossed three wild pitches, and Dayton converted on three stolen base attempts, but Mathis has no passed balls and handled five different pitchers – including Chase Walters‘s high velocity and wicked sliders – well. At the plate with the TinCaps, Mathis has posted a .288/.394/.413 slash line. … Reinaldo Ilarraza continues to run wild when he gets on, swiping 33 bases in 40 attempts.  The problem is the 2015 international free agent has struck out 109 times in 350 plate appearances for a .211/.316/.270 line. … LHP Noel Vela gave up one run over four innings, dropping his ERA in five starts since joining the TinCaps to 2.91. The lefty has struck out 24 High-A batters in 21.2 innings, but continues to struggle with command of both his fastball and big breaking ball. He has issued 11 walks in Fort Wayne and 41 across 76 total innings. Opponents have hit just .204 against him overall.

Roster Moves:  The Padres promoted center fielder Robert Hassell III, infielder Euribiel Angeles and catcher Brandon Valenzuela from Lake Elsinore. Hassell, the Padres’ first round pick last year who turned 20 this month, was tearing up the Low-A West with a .323/.415/.482 slash line and 31 stolen bases in 37 attempts.  He was third in the league in batting average, first in doubles with 31, second in walks with 57 and second in on-base percentage.

Although not as well known, Angeles, 19, was the guy sitting on top of the league with a .343 batting average and 124 hits. His slash line was .343/.397/.461 with 31 extra-base hits. He played 41 games at shortstop, 27 at second and 14 at third base.  Switch-hitter Valenzuela, 21, wasn’t far behind, hitting .307/.389/.444. Coming into the year, he was considered one of the better defensive catchers in the organization. This year the Mexican national has put up his best offensive numbers and has also played 19 games at first base.

Storm 1, San Jose Giants 0

Key Statistics: C Gilberto Vizcarra 2-3, 2B, HR (3), RBI; SS Jarryd Dale 1-4; RF Jack Stronach 0-1, 2 BB; LHP Robert Gasser 3.0 IP, 2 H, 3 K; RHP Ruben Galindo (W, 4-3) 4.0 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 4 K; RHP Ethan Routzahn 1.0 IP 3 K; LHP Ryan Och (S, 1) 1.0 IP

Prospect Watch:  With a big chunk of their offense heading to Indiana, the Storm’s four pitchers delivered nine shutout innings for a 1-0 victory.  Offensively, catcher Gilberto Vizcarra got two of the three Lake Elsinore hits including a solo home run in the fifth. They made it interesting in the ninth when a mix-up between center fielder Joshua Mears and left fielder Matthew Acosta caused a ball to drop putting the tying run on second base.  Acosta redeemed the outfield with a running catch in the left field gap to get the win and give Lake Elsinore a chance to even up the six-game series on Sunday. … Lefty Robert Gasser made his third start professionally, and second start for the Storm, working three innings. So far, the Padres’ second-rounder has only given up one earned run without a walk in six innings. Gasser added velocity to sit 91-93 and touch 95 during his college season at the University of Houston this spring, helping him emerge as a prospect. 

ACL Mariners 9, ACL Padres 2

Key Statistics:   2B Marcos Castanon 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB; 3B Cole Cummings 1-3, 2B; CF Pierce Jones 0-1, 2 BB; RHP Victor Lizarraga 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 1 HR; RHP Garrett Hawkins (L, 0-1) 2.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 K, HR

Prospect Watch:  Despite the efforts of former UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Marcos Castanon, 22, and Cole Cummings, 23, the ACL Padres couldn’t overcome the the nine runs their complex-mates put up in a rare Saturday morning game. … An interesting name to keep an eye on in the desert is outfielder Pierce Jones, 20, a 26th-round pick out of Marion Catholic High School in Chicago in 2019.  The organization was gambling that by giving Jones the day three max of $125,000 they could develop him better than if he went to college.  In 2019, he hit .136/.230/.167 with 33 strikeouts in in 74 plate appearances. This season, he has jumped that to .291/.431/.436 with 21 strikeouts in 72 trips to the plate. Coming out of high school, Jones was clear that his dream was always to be in the major leagues, and for him, starting his career as early as possible might be the path. … Righty Victor Lizarraga worked two frames in his second start since missing three weeks on the mount. The 17-year-old, who grew up between San Diego and Tijuana, allowed a solo homer, but struck out four. He’ll look to end the year with some momentum after a rough stretch before he was shut down.