San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report: August 8

Sugar Land Space Cowboys 18, Chihuahuas 1

Key Statistics: C Brett Sullivan, 1-for-4, R; RF Brandon Dixon, 1-for-4, 2B; LF Taylor Kohlwey, 1-for-3, BB; RHP Anderson Espinoza (L, 5-5) 4 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; RHP Jake Sanchez, 2 IP, H, 4 K; RHP Sean Reynolds, 0.0 IP, H, 4 R, 2 BB

Prospect Watch: In baseball, players often talk about flushing a poor performance; El Paso might want to flush twice, as they lost by 17 runs at the hands of the Space Cowboys. … Righty Anderson Espinoza took the loss with a rough outing. Over four innings, he allowed 10 hits, including four that went for extra bases. Espinoza allowed eight runs when the smoke cleared, seven of them earned. The rough outing raised his ERA back above six. The 25-year-old has had some excellent performances this year but has allowed 20 earned runs in 27 innings since July 1; good for a 6.66 ERA. … After Espinoza left, the club got a pair of scoreless innings from Jake Sanchez. The 33-year-old allowed just one hit and struck out four batters. The Brawley, California native has pitched four scoreless innings in three appearances to start August. Since July 1, Sanchez has a 2.30 ERA in 15.2 innings. He’s struck out 20 batters in that timespan. … Adrian Morejon‘s rehab moved up to El Paso as the Padres try to get the hard-throwing lefty back from his latest injury – this time to his knee – quickly. The lefty got a strikeout and broken bat grounder before hitting a batter. Though he was only at 17 pitches and didn’t appear to have a recurrence of the injury, manager Phillip Wellman elected to pull him at that point. … Organizational newcomer Sean Reynolds took over and, for the second consecutive outing, failed to record an out. Reynolds walked the first batter he faced. After a fielding error from Matthew Batten, Reynolds walked the next batter before allowing a double that knocked him from the game. By virtue of the Batten error, all the runs were unearned. In his last two outings, Reynolds has walked five batters and allowed six runs (two earned). 

Roster Moves: On Tuesday, the Padres announced that outfielder Jose Azocar had been promoted to San Diego, with Matthew Batten returning to El Paso. In addition, catcher Chandler Seagle was promoted from San Antonio and placed on the injured list, and outfielder Tirso Ornelas was sent back to the Missions, after playing sparingly with El Paso. 

Springfield Cardinals 5, Missions 4

Key Statistics: SS Jackson Merrill, 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI; LF Cole Cummings, 1-for-2. R, 2 BB; CF Korry Howell, 2-for-4, 2 R, HR (4), 3 RBI; RHP Gabe Mosser (L, 0-2) 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, BB, 4 K; RHP Raul Brito, 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K

Prospect Watch: The Missions had an early 3-1 lead but a three-run fourth inning put the Cardinals on top as they snapped San Antonio’s six game winning streak. … Shortstop Jackson Merrill had a pair of doubles and drove in a run. The multi-hit effort raised Merrill’s San Antonio batting average back above .300. as he had multiple extra-base hits in a game for the first time since July 18. In six games this month, the prize prospect is hitting .250/.357/.542. … Center fielder Korry Howell singled and connected on his fourth homer of the year. Howell has all the tools to make it to the big leagues but he has struggled to stay healthy and make consistent contact. In 27 plate appearances in August, he’s struck out 11 times. However, a pair of homers have helped him produce a .200/.259/.520 slash-line. …Righty Gabe Mosser made the start and worked into the fifth inning. He allowed all five runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out four. The 27-year-old has a 6.28 ERA in five games (four starts) for the Missions since coming off the IL. … Raul Brito followed with 2.1 more scoreless innings. The righthanded reliever allowed six baserunners but was able to tiptoe around control issues to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard. The scoreless outing dropped Brito’s ERA to a sparkling 0.45. Brito has stranded over 90% of his baserunners this season, so he’s bound for some regression, but he sports a K/9 over 13 in 20 innings since joining the Missions. 

Roster Moves: Catcher Alison Quintero was promoted from the ACL to take the 28th roster spot. He has played in a single game this season for El Paso. He’s spent most of the year on the Arizona League roster but has not seen any game action. 

TinCaps 3, Lansing Lugnuts 2

Key Statistics: CF Jakob Marsee, 3-for-3, 2 R, HR (10), RBI, BB; C Anthony Vilar, 1-for-4, BB, RBI; DH Albert Fabian, 1-for-4; LHP Robby Snelling (W, 4-1) 5 IP, 4 H, R, 2 BB, 4 K; RHP Carter Loewen, 3 IP, H, ER, 3 K; RHP Keegan Collett (S, 6) IP, 2 K

Prospect Watch: At the plate, center fielder Jakob Marsee did what he has done all year; wreak havoc at the top of the lineup. He reached base in all four appearances, including his 10th homer of the year to lead off the game. Marsee has already drawn ten walks in seven games this month, pushing the 22-year-old’s on-base percentage to .594 for the month. … On the mound, Robby Snelling pitched well once again. The lefthander pitched five innings and allowed just one unearned run on four hits. He walked two and struck out four. After a rough start on July 18 in which he allowed four runs in two innings, Snelling has bounced back in a big way. allowing just one earned run in 16 innings over his last three starts. He’s walked just two in that span while punching out 20. The 19-year-old lowered his Midwest League ERA to 2.20. … For the second consecutive outing, Carter Loewen went three innings. This time he allowed a run on three hits. He struck out three without allowing a walk. Prior to his last two outings, the University of Hawaii product had never pitched more than two innings in any outing. The 24-year-old has a 2.25 ERA in eight August innings. 

Roster Moves: The big news in the system came for Fort Wayne, as 17-year-old catcher Ethan Salas was promoted from Lake Elsinore. In 48 games with the Storm, Salas hit .267/.350/.487. Michel Baez, who had his rehab assignment transferred from the Arizona Complex League, joins Salas in the Summit City. Lefthander Bodi Rascon, who has shown impressive progress this season, was placed on the seven-day injured list. 

Visalia Rawhide 6, Storm 1

Key Statistics: LF Homer Bush Jr., 1-for-3, BB, SB (1); 1B Griffin Doersching, 1-for-4, R, 2B; DH Nick Vogt, 1-for-2, 2 BB, SB (15); LHP Fernando Sanchez (L, 2-6) 5 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, BB, 4 K; RHP Francis Pena, 2 IP, 4 H

Prospect Watch: The Storm returned home from a rough 12-game trip in Northern California and lost to the Rawhide to start a 12-game homestand. … Homer Bush Jr. was promoted from the ACL and immediately made his impact known. He singled, drew a walk, and stole his first Single-A base. Bush Jr. was the Padres’ fourth-round pick out of Grand Canyon University. The 21-year-old hit .409/.509/.614 with a pair of homers in 12 games in the desert. … After slugging a pair of homers last week in Modesto, Nick Vogt singled, drew two walks, and stole his 15th base of the season. The former UC Santa Barbara outfielder has become an integral part of the Storm lineup after beginning the year in extended spring training. He has a .765 OPS for Lake Elsinore this season. … Lefty Fernando Sanchez made the start and was walloped in his five innings of work. The 22-year-old from Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico has mostly struggled this season for the Storm. In 18 games (six starts), Sanchez has pitched to a 7.46 ERA. 

Roster Moves: With Salas on the move, the Storm received Bush and Jacob Campbell from the Arizona League. It will be Campbell’s second stint with the Storm this season. Outfielder Braedon Karpathios was sent back to the ACL. 

ACL Padres 12, ACL Mariners 5 (7 innings)

Key Statistics: CF Dillon Head, 2-for-3, R, BB, 2 RBI, SB (3); 3B Jarryd Dale, 2-for-4, 2B, RBI; C Carlos Rodriguez, 3-for-4, 3 R, 3B, 2 RBI; RF Daniel Montesino, 1-for-3, R, RBI; LHP Zack Qin, 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, BB, 6 K; RHP Xavier Ruiz (W, 2-0) 2 IP, H, K

Prospect Watch: The ACL Padres cruised to a win in a seven-inning affair in the desert. … Center fielder Dillon Head continues to scorch pitching in the desert. The 2023 first-round pick had a pair of singles, drew a walk, stole his third base, and drove in a pair of runs for good measure. In his first seven professional games, Head is hitting .346/.471/.577, with four doubles, a triple, and seven walks. … Carlos Rodriguez had three hits, including a triple. He drove in a pair of runs and scored three of his own. The 20-year-old catcher is just one of the many impressive prospects the Padres organization boasts behind the plate. In 25 games for the ACL Padres, Rodriguez is hitting .310/.400/.394 with a homer and 19 RBI. … Rehabbing infielder Jarryd Dale had two hits, including a double. The 22-year-old infielder has seen action in nine games for the ACL squad. He’s delivered a .762 OPS thus far as he works back into shape to go out to a full-season club. … Zack Qin struck out six over four innings, but was tagged with four runs, tough only two were earned. The 18-year-old lefty has shown flashes in his first season in the organization.

Roster Moves: Righties Jesus Lopez, Adan Moreno, and Johan Moreno came stateside to join the rookie league squad. All three pitchers signed on January 15 and have been stretched out in the DSL this summer.