Round Rock Express 7, Chihuahuas 4
Key Statistics: SS Matthew Batten 2-for-5; 1B Alfonso Rivas 2-for-4, 2B; C Brett Sullivan 2-for-4, 2B; 3B Jantzen Witte 1-for-4, HR (7), 3 RBI; RHP Angel Sanchez (L, 0-2) 5 IP, 4 H, 6 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 8 K, HR; RHP Aaron Brooks 2 IP, H, R, BB, 3 K, HR
Matthew Batten is third in the PCL in walks. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: In a bad night for the Padres system, the Chihuahuas lost for the fourth time in five games to the Houston Astros affiliate. … After an April that saw him hit .202/.342/.319, Matthew Batten is back to his usual self with solid numbers across the board and is third in the PCL with 46 walks. After two more hits Saturday, his OPS is up to .789 for the season. … Brett Sullivan continues to hit, with a single and double in his fourth start of the series. He sports a .326/.375/.581 line in 43 June plate appearances splitting time at catcher with Kevin Plawecki. … Angel Sanchez, 33, made his sixth start for the Chihuahuas, giving up three earned runs and three more unearned in five innings. While most of his work has been out of the bullpen, the righty’s 5.50 ERA is best among Chihuahuas who’ve thrown at least as many innings. He had been pitching in Korea and Japan since 2018, and this is the first time he has been back stateside since being with the Pirates organization.
Tirso Ornelas has four home runs in June. (Photo: Joe Alexander)
Amarillo Sod Poodles 9, Missions 7
Key Statistics: 2B Ripken Reyes 3-for-4; RF Tirso Ornelas 2-for-4, BB, HR (7) 4 RBI; 3B Juan Fernandez 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, SS Connor Hollis 1-for-4, BB; LHP Daniel Camarena 3.2 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 3 K, HR; LHP Brian Gonzalez (L, 0-1), 1.1 IP, H, 2 ER, BB, K; RHP Kevin Kopps 1.2 IP, H, BB, 3 K
Prospect Watch: Although the Missions lost for the third straight game, they put nine or more runs on the board in the offensive funhouse of Hodgetown in the Texas Panhandle, one of the best parks to hit in the minor leagues. … After slowing down in May with a .235 batting average, Ripken Reyes, 26, has been red-hot in June. After a three-hit game, he has a .340 average and an eye-popping .492 on-base percentage in 50 plate appearances. The 5-foot-7 former USD Torrero leads the Texas League in on-base percentage at .440 after starting the year on the Development List. … Tirso Ornelas homered for the second straight day and has hit four of his seven home runs in a month, posting a slash line of .394/.452/.682. On the season, he leads the team in hits (59), doubles (16), and home runs. His career high in home runs was eight in 2018 with then Low-A Fort Wayne. It’s hard to believe the Tijuana native is still only 23 years old after debuting at 17 in 2017. … Juan Fernandez, who entered the series with one homer in his last 600+ plate appearances stretching back to 2021, connected on his second in as many days. On the season, the 24-year-old’s .281/.399/.418 line is his best since reaching full-season ball in 2018.
Marcos Castañon’s bat has been big for Fort Wayne. (Photo: Fort Wayne TinCaps)
Dayton Dragons 5, TinCaps 2
Key Statistics: 3B Marcos Castañon 4-for-5, HR (7), 2 RBI; CF Jakob Marsee 1-for-3, 2 BB; LF Justin Farmer 2-for-4, 2B, SB (13); C Colton Bender 1-for-3, 2B, BB; RHP Victor Lizarraga 5 IP, 4 H, R, 3 BB, 6 K; RHP Henry Henry 2 IP, 2 H, BB, K
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps lost their third straight game after sweeping a doubleheader on Wednesday and will try to even the series up on Father’s Day. … Marcos Castañon continues to build on a solid season and is now tied for eighth in the Midwest League with 34 RBI and is twelfth in home runs with seven. His manager Jonathan Matthews expected him to hit, but the team has been most impressed with his defensive progress at third base this year. … In the same interview, Mathews discussed how Jakob Marsee was improving at recognizing pitches and doing damage earlier in the count. Marsee, who turns 22 later this month, had two more walks and now ranks second in the Midwest League. While he’s been an on-base machine all year, his slugging percentage in June is now up to .436, almost .200 points above his work in April. … Victor Lizarraga took the loss, but for the second time in his last three starts only allowed a single run. He has solid command of his riding fastball and a quality changeup, but this year has been working to become more consistent with his curve and slider.
Stockton Ports 7, Storm 5
Key Statistics: CF Samuel Zavala 2-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, RBI; 3B Graham Pauley 2-for-5, RBI; DH Albert Fabian 2-for-4, 2 RBI; SS Rosman Verdugo 1-for-3, 2B, BB; RHP Henry William 2.1 IP,6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, K; RHP Luke Boyd 1 IP, 2 H; RHP Carter Loewen 1 IP, 2 K
Samuel Zavala in spring training this year. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: Despite a strong game by Samuel Zavala, the Storm lost a home and will try to win the series this afternoon. While Ethan Salas‘s young age makes it easy to lose track of, Zavala played in 53 games for the Storm last year and is still among the youngest players to take an at-bat in the Cal League this season. After starting the year slowly, after reaching base safely four more times Saturday, the center fielder has a .443 on-base percentage for the month and has his season OPS up to .807. … After hitting .371 in April, Graham Pauley fell off in his second trip around the Cal League to .244 but was still getting on base at a .398 clip. This month, he’s back to filling out all of the slash lines at .385/.412/.692. The 22-year-old Duke graduate is fifth in the league at OPS at .923, and this week saw his first action in right field after playing some in left as the org looks for a defensive home for him. … With two more RBI, Albert Fabian leads the league with 57. … Carter Loewen struck out two in a clean inning of work. Over his last 11 innings, the 24-year-old has 17 strikeouts against three walks. The big righty had Tommy John surgery in August, 2021 and pitched just 3.1 innings at the end of last season.
ACL Padres 2, ACL Dodgers 1 (7 innings)
Key Statistics: DH Lamar King, Jr. 2-for-3, 3B; CF Braedon Karpathios 2-for-2, 3B, BB, RBI; 2B Max Schrock 0-2, 2 BB; LF Daniel Montesino 1-for-3, 2B; RHP Braden Nett 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 K; RHP Gabe Mosser 2.1 IP, H, 4 K; RHP Wilton Castillo (W, 1-0) 2 IP, 2 H, K
Lamar King, Jr.’s bat has continued to impress since joining the Padres. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: For the lone win in the system, the ACL Padres came back to beat the Dodgers with runs in the sixth and seventh innings. … Lamar King, Jr. had a pair of hits, including a first inning triple against rehabbing big leaguer Daniel Hudson. Last year’s fourth-round pick has eight hits in his first six games after logging just nine plate appearances in 2022. The son of a former NFL defensive end, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound King, Jr. is a physical presence at and behind the Padres development staff have noted his improvement from the time he signed to where he is now. Braden Nett and Gabe Mosser each stretched out in their second rehab appearances. The righties combined for six strikeouts across the first four innings. … Wilton Castillo, 23, rebounded with two scoreless innings after giving up five earned runs in his first outing of the year. The 6-foot-7 Cuban native has been with the Padres organization since 2021 and has primarily been in the desert with the ACL Padres. He has 70 career strikeouts against 18 walks in 54.2 innings pitched.
