Chihuahuas drop season finale to Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City Dodgers 4, Chihuahuas 1

Key Stats: SS Ivan Castillo 2-for-4, RBI; 1B Patrick Kivlehan 3-for-4; 2B Yorman Rodriguez 2-for-4; LF Robbie Podorsky 0-for-3, BB, SB (10), R; LHP Luke Westphal 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 7 K, 2 BB; LHP Joe Beimel 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R; RHP Jose Quezada 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, 1 BB

Prospect Watch: Just as the Padres’ disappointing 2021 season came to an end with another loss Sunday afternoon, the Chihuahuas limped through a loss that ensured they finished the year with a league-worst 51-79 record. El Paso managed just seven singles and one run on the afternoon – a microcosm of a season in which they scored fewer runs and connected on fewer extra-base hits than any other club on the circuit.

Patrick Kivlehan, whose first stint with the Padres organization came to an end just over five years ago when the Reds claimed him off waivers, finished the year with a three-hit game to pace the offense. The 31-year-old outfielder/first baseman, who logged one big league game during the Padres’ COVID-19 outbreak in May but otherwise didn’t make it back to the 40-player roster, posted a .261/.316/.508 line for El Paso after signing as a minor league free agent during spring training. … Ivan Castillo, who has remained on the 40-player roster since May, drove in the club’s only run with a two-out single in the sixth. Robbie Podorsky walked with two outs, stole second, then came around easily on the line drive to center. Castillo, 26, played the bulk of the season at second base, though he logged time at both shortstop and third. After putting up a strong offensive season in Double-A in 2019, his first with the Padres organization, hit .287 for El Paso this year, but reached base at just a .326 clip and slugged only .367. … Three of the five pitchers El Paso used weren’t in the organization four months ago. Luke Westphal made his 18th appearance since signing his first affiliated contract in five years with the Padres in July. The lefty struck out a season-high seven batters over 4.2 innings and was charged with two runs, though only one was earned. He was followed by undrafted free agent Ethan Routzahn, who signed out of St. John’s in July. The sidewinding righty joined El Paso for the final week of the season, recording one out in each of the two appearances he made. … Joe Beimel, whose return to play as a 44-year-old almost five years after his last professional appearance was a great story from the summer, finished his season retiring the two batters he faced. The lefty, who made his big league debut in 2001, was dominant when he got underway at Double-A, but gave up 16 hits and posted a 9:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 14.2 innings with El Paso.

MadFriars Schedule Update: The end of play in 2021 means that we’ll be pivoting over to our offseason coverage in the coming week. We’ll have a look at players of the year from each level, interviews with the broadcasters at each affiliate, and then head into our individual top prospect lists. We’ll continue to cover other important news in what is shaping up to be be a pivotal winter for the player development side of the organization. As always, we appreciate everyone who subscribes and makes our travel to the affiliates throughout the season possible and all of you who read our work!