On one of the most shocking and disheartening days in Padres history, the Padres learned they will not have Fernando Tatis Jr. for the rest of the season and the start of 2023 due to a PED suspension. While the big league club took care of business in Washington D.C., the farm went just 1-4 Friday night.
Jose Azocar hit his fourth homer Friday. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Chihuahuas 6, Sugar Land Space Cowboys 4
Key Statistics: C Luis Campusano, 2-for-3, BB, RBI; CF Jose Azocar, 2-for-4, R, HR (4), RBI; SS C.J. Hinojosa, 2-for-4, R; RHP Matt Waldron, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K; RHP Angel Felipe (W, 1-0) IP, BB, 3 K; LHP Tom Cosgrove IP, BB, 3 K; RHP Alek Jacob (S, 2) IP, K
Prospect Watch: El Paso scored all six of their runs in the second inning then held on to beat the Space Cowboys. … Luis Campusano started behind the dish and reached base three times with a walk and a pair of singles. The 23-year-old has hit safely in six straight games and is hitting .393 in eight August games. … Center fielder Jose Azocar also had a multi-hit game and he connected on his fourth homer of the season. The 26-year-old center fielder spent most of the season with the Padres and didn’t homer in 143 plate appearances. Since rejoining the Chihuahuas, Azocar has homered four times in 76 plate appearances. Last season, Azocar played in 49 games with El Paso and did not hit a homer. … Right-hander Matt Waldron struggled in his eighth start since arriving in El Paso, lasting just 3.2 innings. The knuckleballer allowed three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out four. The 25-year-old righty actually lowered his PCL ERA slightly to 8.91 with the outing.Triple-A hitters have a .305 average against Waldron and have tagged him for seven homers in 34.1 innings. … Left-hander Tom Cosgrove pitched a scoreless inning and walked one and struck out three batters. The 26-year-old lefty has had some trouble with the homer since joining the Pacific Coast League but outside of that, he’s been quite good. He’s struck out 25 batters in 16.1 innings. Opposing hitters are hitting just .197 against Cosgrove but seven of the 12 hits he has allowed have left the yard and that has led to a 4.41 ERA. He will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft again this winter if he is not added to the 40-man roster.
Kevin Kopps has found his rhythm over the last month. (Photo: Joe Alexander)
Frisco RoughRiders 7, Missions 0
Key Statistics: 2B Domingo Leyba, 1-for-4; RF Ripken Reyes, 1-for-3; LHP Noel Vela (L, 0-1) 4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K; RHP Kevin Kopps, 2 IP, BB, K
Prospect Watch: The Missions managed just three hits and lost in Frisco. … Left-handed starter Noel Vela made his Double-A debut and he got knocked around a bit and took the loss. He got through the first two innings unscathed before allowing a pair of runs in the third and another in the fourth. He went out for the fifth but allowed a walk, a double, and a single before being lifted. Overall, Vela was charged with six runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts back in his home state. … Right-handed reliever Kevin Kopps finished the final two innings and allowed just one base runner via the walk. The former Arkansas reliever has put things together over the last six weeks after a rough start to the season. Over his last 15 innings, Kopps has allowed just three earned runs – good for a 1.80 ERA. Overall, Kopps lowered his season ERA to 3.98 with his work Friday.
Lake County Captains 3, TinCaps 1
There is a lot of length to Jackson Wolf. (Photo: Jeff Nycz).
Key Statistics: 1B Cole Cummings, 1-for-3, BB; LF Albert Fabian, 1-for-4, RBI; LHP Jackson Wolf, 6 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 10 K; RHP Nick Thwaits (L, 3-5) 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, K
Key Statistics: This one was a pitchers’ duel, with Lake County scoring two in the bottom of the eighth to pull away. … First baseman Cole Cummings was the only TinCaps hitter to reach base twice with a single and a walk. The 24-year-old from Orange, California has been one of the best hitters for Fort Wayne since being promoted to High-A on June 28. Overall, he is hitting .246/.360/.397 with four homers in 35 games. … Left-handed pitcher Jackson Wolf took the mound Friday night and turned in one of his best starts of the season. Wolf worked six strong innings and allowed just one earned run on four hits with a walk and ten strikeouts. The ten punchouts were just one off of the career-high he set earlier this year. Over the last month, the former West Virginia star has elevated his game and has a case for the top pitching prospect left among the full-season rosters. He’s allowed just two runs over his last 22 innings (0.81 ERA) with six walks and 26 strikeouts. Overall, Wolf has struck out 120 batters in 100 innings.
Dylan Nedved made his pro debut Friday.(Photo:hawkeyesports.com)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6, Storm 4
Key Statistics: SS Jackson Merrill, 1-for-5, RBI; RF Justin Farmer, 2-for-4, R, HR (11), RBI; RHP Matt Boswell, 2 IP, H, 4 K; LHP Drew Pomeranz, IP, H, K; Will Geerdes (L, 0-1) 1.1 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, BB, K; RHP Dylan Nedved, 2.2 IP, H, K
Prospect Watch: It was debut night at The Diamond as three different Storm pitchers made their professional debuts. However, despite the monumental night for those players individually, the Storm lost their third straight game to the Quakes. … Righty Matt Boswell got the start and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit with four strikeouts. The 23-year-old signed with the Padres as a minor league free agent shortly after the MLB Draft. He pitched collegiately at South Alabama after playing two years of baseball at the JuCo level. … Rehabbing lefty Drew Pomeranz took over in the third inning and pitched a scoreless frame, allowing just one hit while striking out one. It was the third rehab outing for Pomeranz, his second with the Storm. Pomeranz could throw again on Sunday, although nothing has been confirmed. After that, the Storm hit the road for 12 straight. … Right-hander Dylan Nedved pitched 2.2 innings and allowed just one hit. Nedved, 23, was the Padres’ ninth-round pick this year out of Iowa. In his final year in the Big Ten, the sidearmer went 6-2 with a 3.47 ERA in 19 games (6 starts). He threw 72.2 innings in college this year so he may not throw too much down the stretch. … On the offensive side of things, Justin Farmer had a pair of hits, including his 11th homer of the year. It was Farmer’s first homer since June 25. Overall, Farmer has an 18% walk rate which has helped produce slightly better than league-average offense. His 36 steals lead all current members of the organization.
ACL Dodgers 2, ACL Padres 0
Key Statistics: LF Braedon Karpathios, 1-for-3, BB; RHP Adrian Luna, 4 IP, BB, 8 K; RHP Wilton Castillo, IP, H, 3 K; RHP Jeferson Garcia (L, 0-1) 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K; RHP Braden Nett, 1.1 IP, H, 4 K
Prospect Watch: The ACL Padres managed just one hit in nine innings and lost on a cool, 84-degree night in Peoria. The pitching was tremendous though, as the ACL bunch struck out 19 ACL Dodger hitters. … Righty Wilton Castillo pitched a scoreless inning in his first rehab appearance in two months, striking out the side in the process. The six-foot-seven righty from Cuba joined Lake Elsinore in late May and made three starts for the Storm before landing on the injured list in the middle of June. … Adrian Luna took over and racked up a career-high eight strikeouts in four shutout innings. Luna, 21, was part of the Padres’ 2019 international signing class but thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, his professional debut was delayed until 2021. His excellent outing lowered his ERA to 7.26. … Right-hander Braden Nett made his professional debut and faced five hitters. He allowed a single and struck out the other four. Nett, 20, went the JuCo route, playing at St. Charles Community College in Cottleville, Missouri outside St. Louis. He pitched this summer in the MLB Draft League for the Williamsport Crosscutters. In 16.2 innings he walked 22 and struck out 18.
