San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report: July 27

Chihuahuas 10, Round Rock Express 9 (10 innings)

Key Statistics: RHP Anderson Espinoza, 6 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; LF Ben Gamel, 2-for-3, HR (3), R, 2 RBI, 2 BB; DH Kevin Plawecki, 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB; RF Oscar Mercado, 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R; 3B Eguy Rosario, 1-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB

Prospect Watch: El Paso almost let this game slip away in the middle innings before mounting a furious comeback. Starting pitcher Anderson Espinoza put the Chihuahuas in a good position by allowing four runs in six innings. For Espinoza, it’s a slight return to form in a month that hasn’t been very kind to him. After posting ERAs of 4.94 in May and 4.33 in June, the 25-year-old righty owns a 7.16 mark in July after this outing. … The big hit was Ben Gamel‘s third home run as a member of the Chihuahuas and 11th of the season overall. The 31-year-old Gamel, acquired earlier in the month from Tampa Bay, is slashing .320/.438/.720 in 25 at-bats for El Paso. … Kevin Plawecki delivered the walk-off with his second RBI single of the night to send the club home victorious. The veteran catcher made his 11th start as designated hitter, and is slashing .276/.333/.439 in 123 at-bats for El Paso this season. … In a big night for veteran hitters acquired midseason, Oscar Mercado recorded a three-hit night, including a double, and scored a pair of runs. The 28-year-old outfielder is batting .298 with a .835 OPS since joining the Chihuahuas on July 7. … On the rehab front, Eguy Rosario got the start at third base and hit a double. Rosario, who remains on the Padres’ 60-day IL and on MLB rehab assignment, has slashed .239/.327/.435 in 46 at-bats for El Paso.

Corpus Christi Hooks 13, Missions 2

Key Statistics: RHP Duncan Snider 0.0 IP, 1 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, HBP;  Raul Brito, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K; RHP Adam Mazur, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K; C Chandler Seagle, 1-for-3, 2B, R, RBI; RF Justin Farmer, 1-for-3, RBI; RHP Juan Fernandez, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Prospect Watch: The Chanclas were not flying as San Antonio dropped a tough one to Corpus Christi. Despite allowing 13 runs, the Missions did get a couple of solid pitching performances out of the bullpen, led by Raul Brito, who threw three innings of one-hit ball. The 26-year-old righty is enjoying a stellar campaign, especially in the seven appearances since being promoted from Fort Wayne. A long-time member of the Marlins organization who reached minor league free agency last winter, Brito has posted a 0.61 ERA and 24 strikeouts with only three walks in 14.2 innings pitched. … Also shining in relief was Adam Mazur, the 2022 second-round pick who tossed two impressive innings, striking out three while showing excellent life on his pitches. The 22-year-old has struck out 10 batters in 6.2 innings since being promoted to San Antonio and moving to the bullpen, where the Padres believe he could impact the big league roster if needed this season. … The only extra-base hit of the evening was a double off the bat of Chandler Seagle, who drove in a run and scored one himself. Seagle, a stellar defensive catcher from Appalachian State, is batting .201 with a home run and 15 RBI in 159 at-bats in 2023, and has thrown out 39% of would-be base stealers. … Justin Farmer drove in the other run for the Missions with a single. The 24-year-old outfielder is looking to get on track, as he’s now 5-for-56 in his Double-A debut after slashing .233/.328/.340 in 206 at-bats for Fort Wayne to kick off the season. … Position player pitching alert! Juan Fernandez threw nine strikes on 11 pitches to close out the game with a perfect ninth.

TinCaps 7, West Michigan Whitecaps 4 (resumption of Wednesday’s suspended game)

Key Statistics: LHP Miguel Cienfuegos, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K; RHP Henry Henry, 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 2 K; 2B Graham Pauley, 1-for-5, HR (7), R, 3 RBI; SS Nerwilian Cedeño, 2-for-5, 2B, 2 R

Prospect Watch: In a resumption of Wednesday’s suspended game, the TinCaps powered their way to victory. Miguel Cienfuegos allowed one run on two hits while striking out three before the rain ended his outing Wednesday night. The 26-year-old southpaw is 2-4 with a 3.56 ERA in 43 innings this season, split between Fort Wayne, Lake Elsinore, and a rehab stint in Arizona. … Henry Henry took the ball when the action restarted and allowed two unearned runs in four innings of work. The 24-year-old Henry, a Padres’ signee in 2015, owns a 3.71 ERA in 17 innings for the TinCaps as he tries to work his way back upward through the farm system. … Graham Pauley hit his seventh home run since being promoted to the TinCaps, a span of 86 at-bats. While Pauley has shown more power since joining Fort Wayne, his average has dipped to .233 versus a .309 mark for Lake Elsinore, looking like a different hitter since his promotion. … Nerwilian Cedeño recorded a two-hit game including his third double of the year and scored a pair of runs. The 21-year-old infielder is looking to end July on a high note as he owns a .232/.304/.362 slash line since returning from an extended stint on the IL for a wrist injury.

West Michigan Whitecaps 6, TinCaps 1 (7 innings)

Key Statistics: RHP Jose Geraldo, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K; 2B Nerwilian Cedeño, 2-for-3, 2B; SS Kervin Pichardo, 2-for-3, 2B; DH Nathan Martorella, 1-for-2, 2B, 2 BB

Prospect Watch: Dropping the second part of the twin bill, the TinCaps fell behind early and couldn’t rally back. Jose Geraldo helped slow the damage, throwing two innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen with one strikeout. The 24-year-old Geraldo owns a 4.88 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 24 innings of work in 2023, his second season with Fort Wayne. … Nerwilian Cedeño doubled again in the nightcap as he picked up his second two-hit gameof the night. … Also with a two-hit night and a double was Kervin Pichardo.The 21-year-old made his 18th start at shortstop for the TinCaps this year, and has also appeared at second base, third base, and all three outfield positions in a season split between Fort Wayne and San Antonio. … Nathan Martorella hit a double and worked a pair of walks, reaching 60 free passes for the season against 70 strikeouts. The first baseman owns a .384 OBP in 327 at-bats for the TinCaps in his first full professional campaign.

Storm 5, Stockton Ports 1

Key Statistics: RHP Henry Baez (W, 6-2), 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K; RHP Enmanuel Pinales, 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K; DH Ethan Salas, 2-for-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI; C Oswaldo Linares, 2-for-4, R, BB

Prospect Watch: The Storm held Stockton to one run thanks to another solid outing by Henry Baez, who tossed five innings of one-run ball on just one hit and four walks, though he struckout seven. The 20-year-old righty is 6-2 with a 3.75 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 69.2 innings of work for Lake Elsinore. He’s worked at least five innings in each of his last four starts and has now moved past his innings total combined from the DSL in 2021 and desert last year. … Enmanuel Pinales took the ball next and threw three scoreless innings in his second appearance for the Storm since being promoted from the Arizona Complex League. The 22-year-old righty is a native of Bajos de Haina in the Dominican Republic, and is in his first professional season stateside after spending 2022 in the Dominican Summer League. He is one of many older international free agents who the Padres have turned to in their recent signing classes. … Designated hitter Ethan Salas went 2-for-4, with a double, driving in a pair of runs and scoring one himself. The 17-year-old is now batting .294 with a .913 OPS in his first professional season. … Also smacking a pair of hits and scoring a run was fellow catcher Oswaldo Linares. Linares, a 20-year-old native of Cagua, Venezuela, owns a .266 average and .863 OPS overall on the year. Since rejoining the Storm from the Arizona Complex League, the 20-year-old is hitting .316 with a 22:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 72 plate appearances.

ACL Padres 7, ACL White Sox 4

Key Statistics: LHP Luis Gutierrez (W, 2-1), 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K; LHP Javier Chacon (S, 1), 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; CF Homer Bush Jr., 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 R, RBI; 1B Romeo Sanabria, 4-for-5, 2 HR (7,8), 2 R, 4 RBI;

Prospect Watch: In some of the finer pitching performances you’ll see in the wild, wild west of the ACL, Luis Gutierrez started things off with five innings of two-run ball (one earned), striking out three. The 19-year-old southpaw returns to Arizona after a solid showing in six appearances in 2022 after being promoted from the Dominican Republic. In 2023, Gutierrez is 2-1 with a 6.59 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched, but owns a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings in July as he works to incorporate what could emerge as a very effective changeup. … Taking the ball and closing things out with a four-inning save, Javier Chacon continued his rehab assignment in the desert. The 20-year-old southpaw was off to a solid start with the Storm, logging a 2.08 ERA in three appearances before hitting the IL on April 28. … 2023 fourth-round pick Homer Bush, Jr. continues to be a shot in the arm for the lineup in his brief professional career. After an inside-the-park homer on Monday, the 21-year-old Grand Canyon University alum went over the fence for the first time while going 2-for-4, Wednesday. He’s now 6-for-14 with two home runs and three stolen bases to begin his career. … Romeo Sanabria may be close to outgrowing the Arizona Complex League, as the 21-year-old 18th-round pick from last year’s draft is batting .397 with eight home runs and a 1.185 OPS in 121 at-bats in 2023 after tonight’s two-homer barrage. He is atop the league in multiple offensive categories.

Roster Moves: The Padres have officially activated third-round pick J.D. Gonzalez and seventh-rounder Tucker Musgrove, and immediately moved them to the 60-day and full-season injured lists respectively. Neither will count toward the 180-player domestic reserve list during this season.