Chihuahuas 10, Albuquerque Isotopes 9
Key Statistics: SS C.J. Hinojosa 2-4, 2 HR (14) 4 RBI; 3B Brandon Dixon 1-3, BB, SF; 1B Kyle Martin 1-3, BB; CF Thomas Milone 2-4; DH Michael Cantu 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB; LF Reinaldo Ilarraza 1-3, 2B Kervin Pichardo 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI; RHP Matt Waldron 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), BB, 5 K, 2 HBP; RHP Michel Baez (W, 1-1) 0.1 IP, K; LHP 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 2 K; RHP Angel Felipe 1.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, K
C.J. Hinojosa blasted two home runs on Saturday night.(Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: Former top Padres prospect Logan Allen held the Chihuahuas to only a single run over five innings. Down 5-1 going into the eighth, El Paso put nine runs on the board in the eighth inning, with C.J. Hinojosa hitting his second home run of the day with a three-run blast to left field. The Isotopes tacked on a pair of unearned runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth but stranded the tying run on with Angel Felipe getting the save. The win gives the Chihuahuas a 13-2 record against the Isotopes and sole possession of the division lead. … Hinojosa, 28, continues to have a big second half with a .311/.372/.498 slash line and 13 of his 16 homers over the past three months. … Michel Baez got the victory for El Paso by striking out the only batter he faced to end the seventh inning. The 6-foot-8 Cuban has allowed just one earned run over 8.1 innings in his last eight appearances with 10 strikeouts against five walks, but his ERA in Triple-A is still an unsightly 8.04 ERA thanks to a pair of outings in which he combined to allow 11 runs in just two thirds of an inning. He has 21 strikeouts across 15.2 frames, but has also allowed 15 walks and 20 hits. … Tayler Scott, whose unique career trajectory subscribers can read about here, gave up one earned run over 1.2 innings as he went beyond one frame for the first time on his rehab assignment.
Roster Moves: Right-hander Reiss Knehr was returned to the El Paso roster as right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson returned from the IL in San Diego.
Springfield Cardinals 8, Missions 2
Key Statistics: CF Joshua Mears 3-3, BB; SS Connor Hollis 2-3, 2B, 2 BB; 2B Domingo Leyba 2-4; DH Yorman Rodriguez 2-5, HR (14), 4 RBI; LHP Jackson Wolf 5 IP, 4 H, 6 R, (5 ER) 3 BB, 5 K, HR; LHP Noel Vela 2.0 IP, H BB, 2 K
Jackson Wolf made his Double-A debut at Springfield. (Photo: Kimberly Bates, Springfield Cardinals)
Prospect Watch: Jackson Wolf, our system pitcher of the month for August, made his Double-A debut on the road in Springfield. While he was generally solid with his secondaries, Cardinals hitters made him pay when he missed location with his fastball. The 6-foot-7 lefty from West Virginia got off to a slow start in High-A but was solid in his last three months in Fort Wayne with a 3.80 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 66 innings against 22 walks. Wolf showed improvement with his curve and slider, making each a more distinct pitch. In the Midwest League, opposing batters struggled to pick the ball up with his funky left-handed delivery. If he can add a few more ticks on his fastball, it will make his secondary pitches even better. … Joshua Mears reached base in all four plate appearances without an extra-base hit, collecting three singles and a walk. The 21-year-old is now hitting .203/.309/.441 in 17 games since his promotion to Double-A. He’s still struck out 33 times in 68 plate appearances, but he also has six extra-base hits, including four home runs, and nine walks. Throw in a surprisingly strong showing as an every-day center fielder and the 6-foot-3, 245-pound slugger remains an interesting prospect. … Connor Hollis had two more hits to push his batting average to a Texas League-best .334. He added a pair of walks, moving his on-base percentage up to .434, which is second in the league.
Roster Moves: Right-hander Seth Mayberry and lefty Osvaldo Hernandez were placed on the 7-Day Injured List.
Lake County Captains 3, TinCaps 2
Key Statistics: C Brandon Valenzuela 1-4, HR (10), RBI; RF Agustin Ruiz 2-4, HR (8), RBI; CF Justin Farmer 1-2, BB, HBP; RHP Garrett Hawkins (L, 0-3) 6.0 IP, 5 H ,3 R, 4 K, HR; RHP Luis Madrazo 2.0 IP, H, 3 K
Brandon Valenzuela has had a solid week at the plate. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps were up 2-0 thanks to solo home runs by Brandon Valenzuela and Agustin Ruiz in the first two innings, but the Cleveland Guardians affiliate put up three runs in the sixth to spoil one of the better outings by Garrett Hawkins, 22 since he was promoted to High-A in mid-August. Unlike his previous three starts with the TinCaps, Hawkins didn’t walk a single batter and breezed through the first five innings, only allowing a single before running into trouble in the sixth, when he gave up an RBI single followed by a two-run home run with two outs. Hawkins stayed in the game to get the last out by strikeout and only needed 72 pitches, 52 for strikes, to go six innings. We talked to the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Canadian who can dial up his fastball to 96 last month about his strong debut season. … Valenzuela hit his career-high tenth home run, continuing a strong September in which he’s hitting .286/.355/.643 with a double and three home runs in seven games. While he’s taken a big step backward this year hitting just .209/.334/.348 overall, he does have some pop, and has shown patience working to a .373 career on-base percentage. His calling card is still his defense and ability to manage a game.
Griffin Doersching blasted his eighth home run in 24 games with Lake Elsinore. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
From Friday: Storm 15, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 12
Game 1: Key Statistics: CF Jakob Marsee 2-5, 2B, HR (2) BB, 2 RBI; DH Jackson Merrill 0-4, 2 BB; LF Nathan Martorella 1-1, 3 BB, HR (2), 2 RBI; 2B Graham Pauley 2-4, 2 2B, BB; 1B Griffin Doersching 2-5, 2B, HR (8) 3 RBI; RF Samuel Zavala 3-6, HR (7) 2 RBI; SS Wyatt Hoffman 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB; RHP Will Geerdes (W, 1-1) 2.0 IP 2 H, 2 R (one earned), 3 BB 4 K; RHP Aaron Holliday (S, 3) 1.) IP 2 K
Storm 2, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 1 (7 innings)
Game 2: Key Statistics: CF Jakob Marsee 1-3, BB, 2 SB (11) ; C Juan Zabala 1-2, BB, 3 SB (19); RF Samuel Zavala 1-3, SB (5); LHP Fernando Sanchez 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K; LHP Ben Miller (W,3-4) 2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 K; RHP Manuel Castro (S,2) 1.1 IP, BB, K
Prospect Watch: Friday’s suspended game resumed with Elsinore down 6-2 going into the fourth inning. The Storm blasted four homers to put 10 runs on the board over the next six frames, then tacked on three more in the tenth to win despite making six errors in the field. … In Game 2, Lake Elsinore could only manage three singles but took advantage of a pair of errors, including a big one by the Quakes in the second inning that allowed a pair of runs. … Jakob Marsee, 21, reached base five times in 10 trips to the plate and swiped four bases in the two games. He also connected on his second professional homer to push his slash line to .270/.432/.492 in 78 California League plate appearances. The sixth-round pick from Central Michigan in this year’s draft has 15 walks against 14 strikeouts with the Storm. … Former Duke Blue Devil Graham Pauley is also off to a good start, hitting .327/.456/.509. The 21-year-old has also walked (11) more than he has struck out (9) and has seen time at second and third base, along with left field. … Griffin Doersching hit his eighth home run in 24 games with Lake Elsinore. He has a .235/.359/.529 slash line as nine of his 20 hits have gone for extra bases. The big man has also struck out 36 times. … Juan Zabala, 23, who caught the second game, singled and walked and stole three bases. The former Dodgers’ farmhand has been a solid contributor since joining the Padres system, hitting .298/.393/.399 with 19 stolen bases in 22 attempts in Low-A. … Storm pitchers Fernando Sanchez, Ben Miller, and Manuel Castro held Rancho Cucamonga to four singles in the nightcap. Sanchez, 21, missed virtually all of last season with an arm injury. After an extended rehab assignment in the desert to open the year, the lefty has struck out nine in 6.2 frames for the Storm, but has issued six walks.
