Round Rock Express 8, Chihuahuas 5
Key Statistics: SS Matthew Batten, 2-for-5, R, 2B, HR (8), 3 RBI; 2B Tim Lopes, 1-for-4, BB, SB (16); 3B Jantzen Witte, 1-for-3, 2 R, BB; RHP Pedro Avila, 3 IP, H, ER, 4 K; RHP Nabil Crismatt, IP, H, ER; RHP Domingo Tapia, IP, K
Mathew Batten hit his eighth home run of the year. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas jumped out to a 4-1 lead in this one but a six-run sixth by Round Rock led to a loss on the road for the El Paso nine. … Matthew Batten supplied the majority of the offense, as he connected on a three-run shot in the third inning. He also added a double to his ledger. For Batten,his eighth homer of the season was the first since a multi-homer night on May 26. The versatile infielder and sometimes outfielder has seen a sharp rise in his strikeout rate this season from just under 20% last year up to nearly 27% in 2023. … Righty Pedro Avila pitched as well as he has all season. Avila tossed three innings and allowed just one hit – a solo home run. He didn’t walk a batter and he struck out four. The former big leaguer has started to find solid footing in June after a miserable start to the season. The 26-year-old pitched to a 12.36 ERA in April while allowing an unfathomable 47 baserunners in 19.2 innings. In nine June innings, Avila has allowed just two runs and struck out 13 without issuing a walk as he’s pitched three innings in each of his last three starts. … Nabil Crismatt got an inning of work in and allowed a solo homer. The 28-year-old has had an extra long rehab assignment after making his way back from a hip injury. In nine games with El Paso, Crismatt has a 6.94 ERA in 11.2 innings. His rehab will reach 30 days on Thursday, so the Padres will either need to activate him or designate him for assignment since he is out of options.
Roster Moves: Nelson Cruz was activated from his rehab assignment and is back with the big league club. Alfonso Rivas was optioned back to El Paso to make room for the veteran slugger. Shortstop Jose Iglesias was transferred to the temporary inactive list.
Tirso Ornelas hit his fifth home run on Tuesday. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
Amarillo Sod Poodles 10, Missions 2
Key Statistics: LF Tirso Ornelas, 1-for-4, 2 R, HR (5), RBI; 2B Michael De La Cruz, 2-for-4, 2B, RBI; 3B Juan Fernandez, 2-for-3, BB; LHP Jackson Wolf (L, 5-6) 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 6 K; RHP Michel Baez, 1.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, BB, K
Prospect Watch: The Missions made their way to the Texas Panhandle and were blown out by Amarillo at Hodgetown. … Tirso Ornelas connected on his fifth homer of the year in the loss. The 23-year-old outfielder has hit safely in 10 of 11 games this month. In addition, Ornelas is swinging the bat as well as he ever has during his time in the system. In 11 June games, the Tijuana native is hitting .327/.377/.531 with two homers, four doubles, and nine RBI. … 30-year-old Michael De La Cruz started at second base and doubled and drove in the other Missions’ run. The well-traveled veteran has performed well offensively and the Missions have had to get creative to fit his bat into the lineup. De La Cruz has played in five games at second base this season; the first five he has played at the keystone position as a professional. Despite playing professionally since 2013, De La Cruz has never played in more than 78 games as a pro. Overall, De La Cruz is hitting .311/.403/.467 with three homers. … Jackson Wolf battled through the start in the offense-friendly confines of Hodgetown. Wolf allowed a pair of homers but kept the Missions in the game. He allowed four runs on seven hits, striking out six batters without a walk. The left-handed starter has pitched to a 3.70 ERA and is third in the Texas League with 74 strikeouts in 56 innings. His WHIP stands at a fantastic 1.02. … Righty Michel Baez took over for Wolf and was bludgeoned by the Sod Poodles lineup. In 1.2 innings, the former big leaguer allowed six earned runs on seven hits, including a pair of homers. The poor outing inflated Baez’s Double-A ERA to 7.30. The 27-year-old once looked like a future mid-rotation starter but he has suffered through a miserable 2023 season that included his removal from the 40-man roster. Baez’s command has taken a step backward in recent seasons and he has worked exclusively as a reliever since 2019.
Roster Moves: The Missions placed righty Lake Bachar on the seven-day injured list. Henry Henry was activated from the development list to give San Antonio a full 28-man roster.
TinCaps rained out
The TinCaps returned home and were promptly greeted with a rainstorm. Tuesday’s game was postponed due to inclement weather. They will play two Wednesday in the Summit City.
Storm 12, Stockton Ports 4
Key Statistics: 3B Graham Pauley, 1-for-3, 3 R, 3B, 2 BB, 2 RBI; RF Albert Fabian, 3-for-3, 2B, HR (11), 3 RBI, 2 BB; SS Rosman Verdugo, 2-for-5, 3 RBI; C Anthony Vilar, 1-for-3, R, HR (4), 3 RBI, BB, SB (2); LHP Austin Krob, 4 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K; RHP David Morgan (W, 1-1) 2 IP, BB, 3 K; RHP Carter Loewen, 2 IP, 3 K
Albert Fabian has given a boost to the Storm lineup. (Photo: Dylan Otto)
Prospect Watch: After a tough run in Fresno, the Storm came home and beat up Stockton to get their record back above .500. … After a hot series in Fresno, Albert Fabian reached base five times. Fabian walked twice, singled twice, and connected on his team-leading 11th homer. The outfielder has been one of the hottest hitters in the California League, hitting .293/.408/.683 in 11 June games. With the draft approaching next month and an influx of young players who will inevitably filter into the organization, Fabian is putting himself in a position to earn his second crack at Fort Wayne after struggling in High-A last year. … Anthony Vilar connected on his fourth homer of the year and his first since a torrid April. The 24-year-old has had one of the stranger seasons in recent memory. In April, Vilar barreled through the Cal League, hitting .378/.509/.733 in 14 games. However, since May 1, Vilar is just 8-for-76 (.105 average) with a staggering 35 strikeouts. Despite the struggles, the former Miami infielder has drawn 35 walks. With Ethan Salas poised to receive regular playing time behind the dish, Vilar will need to find some balance to find regular playing time. … After struggling through the first two months, shortstop Rosman Verdugo seems to be finding his footing. The 18-year-old had two singles and drove in three runs. Verdugo posted a meager .524 OPS in May. In 11 June games, he is hitting .308/.357/.385. The young infielder is still looking for his first homer of the season. … Austin Krob turned in a rare rough start but the Storm offense let him off the hook. Krob allowed three earned runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out four. The outing raised Krob’s ERA to 2.00. … Righty Carter Loewen pitched two perfect innings, striking out three Ports in the process. The 24-year-old has a 2.30 ERA in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. In 15.2 innings, the former University of Hawaii hurler has 20 strikeouts.
ACL Padres 12, ACL Guardians 7
Key Statistics: 2B Alain Camou, 2-for-5, R, RBI; C Oswaldo Linares, 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB; RF Braedon Karpathios, 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB (2); SS Yendry Rojas, 2-for-4, 2B, BB; RHP Braden Nett, IP, K; RHP Gabe Mosser, (W, 1-0) 2 IP, H, R, 2 K; RHP Reinier Parra (S, 1) 2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Prospect Watch: The ACL Padres beat the ACL Guardians in Peoria. David Jay was on-hand and has the story.
