Chihuahuas 6, Oklahoma City Dodgers 3
Ryan Weathers has shown flashes in El Paso even as he struggles with the big league club. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Key Statistics: SS Tim Lopes, 3-for-4, R, BB, 5 SB (26), 2B; Ben Gamel, 1-for-4, 2 RBI; 1B Brandon Dixon, 1-for-4, 2 RBI; LHP Ryan Weathers (W, 1-2) 6.2 IP, 5 H, ER, 4 BB, 7 K; Ray Kerr (S, 7) 0.1 IP
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas put together some key hits to pull away from Oklahoma City in their third straight win over the first-half champion Dodgers. … Shortstop Tim Lopes was a one-man wrecking crew, as he had a night to remember. Lopes singled twice, drew a walk and stole five bases, giving him 26 stolen bags on the season. The 29-year-old ranks third in the circuit in steals, one behind the recently promoted Matthew Batten. Overall, Lopes has been a solid contributor for the Chihuahuas this season; his .862 OPS represents a career-high. … On the pitching end, El Paso got a good effort from Ryan Weathers. The lefthander worked into the seventh inning and allowed just one run on five hits. He did walk four but he struck out seven. In his last two starts with El Paso, Weathers has 17 strikeouts in 12.2 innings. In fact, Weathers has missed more bats in Triple-A than he ever has as a professional. In 35.2 innings with the Chihuahuas, Weathers has struck out 45 – good for a 10.5 K/9. For comparison, last year Weathers ranked last among PCL qualifiers with a K/9 of 6.4. His changeup was especially effective, yielding 13 strikes and just two balls in play among the 22 offerings. For now, Weathers has been passed on the organizational depth chart by fellow lefty Jackson Wolf but if he can pitch like he did Friday, he should get another opportunity.
Roster Move: Prior to Friday’s game, the Chihuahuas placed catcher Michael Cantu on the development list.
Missions 7, Frisco RoughRiders 2
Efrain Contreras and Chandler Seagle. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
Key Statistics: SS Jackson Merrill, 1-for-4, 2 R, BB; 3B Juan Fernandez, 2-for-5, R, 2B, RBI; CF Daniel Johnson, 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR (7), RBI; 2B Marcos Castañon, 2-for-4, R, BB, 2 RBI; RHP Bobby Milacki, 2 IP, H, ER, BB, 4 K; RHP Efrain Contreras (W, 5-7) 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 8 K; RHP Kevin Kopps, 2 IP, R, 2 BB, 3 K
Prospect Watch: The Missions used a four-run third inning to pull away from Frisco on the road. … Center fielder Daniel Johnson had three hits, including his seventh homer of the year. The Vallejo, California native has done his best work of the year this month after struggling mightily in June. In 14 games this month, the former big leaguer is hitting .300/.390/.680 with four of his seven homers. … Marcos Castañon had a pair of doubles and drove in a pair as well. The slugging infielder hasn’t missed a beat since being promoted to San Antonio. After producing an .843 OPS in 77 games with the TinCaps, the UC Santa Barbara product has posted a .840 OPS in seven games with the Missions. The 24-year-old has yet to connect on a homer but he is 8-for-25 with three doubles. … The Missions used a bullpen game to eat up nine innings and the best work came from Efrain Contreras. The righty allowed a pair of hits and a walk over three excellent innings, but generally dominated the RoughRiders. Of the nine outs Contreras recorded, eight came via the strikeout. It was the fourth time this year that Contreras has racked up eight punchouts, although those came when he worked as a starter. With the Padres experiencing some uncertainty on their pitching staff, Contreras, Jairo Iriarte, and Adam Mazur have worked out of the bullpen coming out of the all-star break. With outings like the one he had on Friday, the Ciudad Juarez, Mexico native could be in the mix for an opportunity in San Diego down the stretch.
Roster Move: The Missions activated righty Duncan Snider from his rehab assignment. He had been in the IL for six weeks.
Lake County Captains 9, TinCaps 0
Nathan Martorella continues to produce for the TinCaps. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Key Statistics: 1B Nathan Martorella, 2-for-4; LF Albert Fabian, 1-for-2, 2 BB; CF Jakob Marsee, 1-for-3, BB; LHP Austin Krob (L, 1-1) 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K; RHP Jose Geraldo, 1.1 IP, K
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps managed just five hits and lost at home to Lake County. … First baseman Nathan Martorella had two singles in the loss. While the TinCaps promoted several players to Double-A last week, the slugging first baseman has remained with Fort Wayne. He is hitting .302/.394/.472 in July with two homers and 14 RBI. Martorella is part of a three-way tie for the league lead with 14 home runs. … Austin Krob made the start and took his first loss as a TinCap. Krob allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits, walking three and striking out five. The 23-year-old southpaw has worked five innings in each of his four outings as a TinCap. While he has a 2.70 ERA with the TinCaps, he’s allowed 22 hits in 20 innings. He’s had some bad luck with balls in play but the skillset he displayed in Lake Elsinore has been present at the higher level. He’s sporting a spectacular 60% ground ball rate as he continues to keep the ball out of the air. The former TCU star doesn’t have wipeout stuff but he’s shown improved control and the ability to limit hard contact this season.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7, Storm 6
Dylan Lesko in his season . (Photo: Justin Pickard)
Key Statistics: CF Samuel Zavala, 2-for-4, 2 R, HR (11), 2 RBI, BB, 2 SB (16, 17); LF Nick Vogt, 1-for-4, 2 R, HR (4), 2 RBI, BB, 2 SB (9, 10); 3B Devin Ortiz, 3-for-4, 3 RBI, SB (4); RHP Dylan Lesko, 3 IP, 3 BB, 4 K; RHP Thomas Balboni Jr., IP, K; RHP David Morgan (L, 3-2) IP, 4 H, 2 ER, K
Prospect Watch: Lake Elsinore jumped out to a 3-0 lead but the Quakes battled back and went ahead for good with a pair of runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Storm at The Diamond. … Despite the loss, the Storm got excellent work in the full-season debut of Dylan Lesko. The former first-rounder showed flashes of the stuff that had him in contention to be drafted first overall before his ACL injury last April. Lesko threw three shutout innings without allowing a hit. While he did walk three, he struck out four and started a nifty double play to escape an early jam. With Lesko on the mound and Ethan Salas behind the dish, the Storm showed off two players who could feature prominently in the Padres’ future. … After hitting two homers in a 18-0 rout on Thursday, Samuel Zavala was back at it with yet another homer. It was his 11th of the year. The 19-year-old outfielder added a single, a walk, and he stole a pair of bags for good measure. He has been scorching hot in July, hitting .308/.465/.673 with five homers this month. … Third baseman Devin Ortiz continues to be a pleasant surprise for the Storm. The former Virginina two-way player singled three times and drove in three runs. In 63 plate appearances this month, Ortiz has a .524 on-base percentage. The 24-year-old hasn’t shown much power but after signing as an undrafted free agent last season, his production has been impressive. He has also looked solid defensively at third base.
Roster Moves: The Storm made several moves Friday, promoting righthanders Lesko and Enmanuel Pinales from the ACL. To make room on the roster, infielder Wyatt Hoffman and lefty Andrew Vail, the Padres’ 20th-rounder last year, were placed on the injured list as well.
ACL Padres 4, ACL Athletics 3
Lamar King, Jr. is helping in the middle of the ACL Padres lineup. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Key Statistics: DH Eguy Rosario, 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 2B, BB; C Lamar King Jr., 1-for-1, 2 RBI, BB, SS Yendry Rojas, 1-for-3, BB; RHP Jonney Rosario, 3 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 4 K; RHP Seth Mayberry (W, 1-0) 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K; RHP Elvis Saba (S, 1) IP, 2 K
Prospect Watch: The ACL Padres rode a few rehabbers to a victory on Friday night. … Hopefully, the third time’s the charm for Eguy Rosario. The infielder, who broke his leg in winter ball, has started up a pair of rehab assignments in El Paso, only to experience setbacks each time. On Friday, he started at designated hitter and had a pair of doubles. The 23-year-old had a career-best season last year and is an important depth piece who could blossom into a regular if he is healthy. It wouldn’t be a stretch to see Rosario get an opportunity down the stretch for the Padres if he can regain good health. … Catcher Lamar King Jr. had four plate appearances Friday but only one official at-bat. He singled, drew a walk, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and was hit by a pitch. The 19-year-old has performed well offensively this summer as he has worked on developing as a catcher. Overall, King has a .817 OPS in 20 games in the desert. … Rehabbing righty Seth Mayberry pitched a pair of scoreless innings to earn the win. In his two innings, he struck out a pair of ACL A’s. The reliever has logged four innings in the desert this week and should be headed back to San Antonio quickly.
