Brandon Komar turned in another strong outing for San Antonio. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys 8, Chihuahuas 1
Key Statistics: LHP Ryan Weathers (L, 5-7), 6 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 7 K; RHP Steven Wilson, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K; 2B Connor Hollis, 1-for-3, 2B, RBI; 1B Kyle Martin, 1-for-2, R, BB
Prospect Watch: Even though the Chihuahuas were right here at home, it was the Space Cowboys shaking the tree in a lopsided defeat in El Paso. Ryan Weathers got the start, and although he limited his walks to two, he allowed six runs on eight hits, including a pair of home runs. Weathers is 5-7 with a 6.71 ERA in 102 innings for El Paso, striking out 70 and walking 45. … Steven Wilson made his second appearance of the season for El Paso, having been optioned from the Padres on August 6. Wilson allowed a home run but struck out two while getting some work in while awaiting his next promotion. … The highlight of the night for El Paso was an RBI double off the bat of Connor Hollis. Hollis, who was in contention for the Texas League batting title before being promoted to El Paso on August 4, went 2-for-5 in his Triple-A debut that day but had been mired in an 0-for-8 slump in the ensuing games. … Kyle Martin, who had the other of El Paso’s two hits on the evening, scored the run on the double. The 29-year-old Martin was released by the Guerreros de Oaxaca so he could sign with the Padres on June 8 and has hit 11 home runs in 130 at-bats since joining El Paso.
Missions 5, Frisco RoughRiders 3
Key Statistics: RHP Brandon Komar (W, 2-3), 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; RHP Lake Bachar (S, 1), 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K; 2B Domingo Leyba, 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, BB; 3B Juan Fernandez, 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB
Lake Bachar. (Photo: John Moore)
Prospect Watch: The Missions pulled off an impressive win at Frisco, and did so without their rehabbing Padres superstar in the lineup. With a scheduled off day for Fernando Tatis Jr.to match the Padres’ travel day, the game didn’t have the media spotlight, but what it did have was the third consecutive quality start for Brandon Komar, who gave the Missions six innings of three-run ball. Komar, 23, was a 13th round pick in 2019, and is 2-3 with a 5.59 ERA in 10 appearances (eight starts) in his return to San Antonio in 2022 after beginning the season with Fort Wayne. … The last time Lake Bachar earned a save, he was a San Antonio Mission, and his manager was Phillip Wellman. The date, however, was June 28, 2018, as the journey of the Padres’ 2016 fifth-round pick continues to twist and turn. Bachar has made 96 appearances in his career, with 57 of them starts, and 2022 marks his return to the mound for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic and injuries. In 16 appearances (seven starts) for San Antonio this season, Bachar owns a 6.34 ERA, but has struck out 29 batters in 32.2 innings while walking 11. … The offense was buoyed by Domingo Leyba, who contributed two hits from the leadoff spot he inherited since the Connor Hollis’s promotion to El Paso. Leyba, added as a free agent in the offseason, has been a keystone for San Antonio, slashing .283/.371/.435 in 276 at-bats for the Missions. … Juan Fernandez got the scoring started for the Missions with a two-RBI single in the top of the first. Fernandez, naturally a catcher, has become the everyday third baseman for San Antonio, and the 23-year-old plays surprisingly smoothly in the infield while batting .281 with 42 RBIs.
Lake County Captains 6, TinCaps 1
Key Statistics: RHP Ryan Bergert (L, 2-8), 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K; SS Jarryd Dale, 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI; DH Brandon Valenzuela, 2-for-4; C Adam Kerner, 1-for-4
Adam Kerner keeps grinding. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: It was a hard-luck loss for Ryan Bergert tonight, who struck out nine batters and allowed three runs (two earned) in five innings for Fort Wayne. While an inconsistent 2022 has left Bergert with a 6.08 ERA in 20 starts, the 2021 sixth-round pick has struck out 106 batters while walking 31 in 84.1 innings. … All the run production came courtesy of Jarryd Dale, who ended a five-game hitless streak with a solo home run. Dale, a 21-year-old prospect from Australia, will be hoping the home run is a turning point in a rough second half, as the infielder hasn’t reached a .200 batting average in any month since May. … Brandon Valenzuela got a start in the DH spot and lived up to the name, smacking a pair of hits in his first multi-hit effort of the month of August. Normally a catcher by trade, Valenzuela has struggled at the plate compared to a breakout 2021, slashing .209/.340/.324 in 287 at-bats this season. … Adam Kerner continues to produce as the TinCaps’ backup catcher, despite the sporadic playing time included with the role. Tonight’s single marks the second consecutive game with a hit for Kerner, and he’s contributed a base hit in three of the four games he’s played in August, which comes on the heels of hitting safely in four of his five July appearances.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 11, Storm 5
It was “Ex Night” at the Diamond (appropriately enough against Padres ex-affiliate Rancho Cucamonga), and our very own Kevin Charity has coverage of a long night for the Storm.
ACL Padres 4, ACL White Sox 0
Key Statistics: LHP Luis Gutierrez, 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K; RHP David Morgan, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K; 3B Graham Pauley, 1-for-3, HR, R, 3 RBI. BB; SS Rosman Verdugo, 3-for-3, RBI
Rosman Verdugo is comfortable up the middle. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: The Complex Padres laid down a good ol’ fashioned Arizona shutout at Camelback Ranch, taking down the host White Sox in a seven-inning affair. Luis Gutierrez overcame four walks to keep the Pale Hose off the scoreboard over 3.2 innings, striking out a pair and allowing only one hit. The 19-year-old southpaw from Cabimas, Venezuela, is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 28 innings over 11 appearances, striking out 20 but walking 19 in his 2022, which has been split between the Dominican Summer League and the Arizona Complex League. Originally a major focus of the 2019 international class, Gutierrez developed the yips soon after signing and has been slow to put things back together. … David Morgan closed it out in his professional debut, working out of a jam after a hit and a walk to ensure the shutout. Morgan, a Mission Viejo native, was signed by the Padres as an undrafted free agent after playing collegiately at Hope International University an NAIA program in Fullerton. … Graham Pauley capped off a rally in the top of the first with a three-run home run. Pauley, the Padres’ 13th-round pick out of Duke this year, is batting .333 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 30 at-bats to begin his professional career. … Rosman Verdugo drove in the fourth and final run on a single in the top of the 3rd, one of three base hits for the 17-year-old infielder from Ensenada. Verdugo, one of the higher profile Padres signings this past January, spent most of his time at second base and third base early in the season, but has spent more time at shortstop since Victor Acosta was traded to Cincinnati at the deadline.
