San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report: August 25

Sacramento River Cats 6, Chihuahuas 3

Key Statistics: CF Daniel Johnson, 1-for-4, BB, SB (2); DH Tirso Ornelas, 1-for-4; LF Matthew Batten, 1-for-4, HR (12), 2 RBI; RHP Matt Waldron (L, 2-10) 7 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 4 K; RHP Aaron Brooks, IP, K

Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas dropped their sixth straight decision on the road in Sacramento. By virtue of Friday’s loss, El Paso will lose this series, but they will try to avoid a sweep this weekend. The Chihuahuas went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. …Matthew Batten started in left field and supplied most of the offense for the Chihuahuas. He connected on a two-run homer, his 12th of the year in Triple-A. Batten spent most of July and the beginning of August on the Padres’ roster as a reserve. Since being sent down, the versatile defender has struggled offensively. Friday’s homer lifted his August slash-line to .204/.259/.352. … Tirso Ornelas had one hit in four at-bats Friday night. The hit was significant; it extended his overall hitting streak to 15 games, including the last nine with El Paso. In 43 August plate appearances, Ornelas is hitting .395/.426/.628. The Padres will certainly have to consider adding him to the 40-man roster this winter to prevent him from reaching free agency. … Righty Matt Waldron worked seven innings but allowed six earned runs and was tagged with his tenth loss of the year. On a positive note, both homers Waldron allowed were solo shots. The 26-year-old has a 7.31 ERA for El Paso this year. 

Amarillo Sod Poodles 1, Missions 0

Key Statistics: CF Jakob Marsee 1-for-3, BB; RHP Ryan Bergert 6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 9 K; RHP Lake Bachar (L, 4-1) 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 K; RHP Michel Baez IP, BB, K

Prospect Watch: Offense was at an extreme premium in this one. The Missions managed just one hit in a loss at home while Amarillo scored their lone run on an error. … Center fielder Jakob Marsee led off the bottom of the first with a single to center and drew a walk with one out in the third inning. The next 20 Missions hitters went down in a row, eight by way of the strikeout. For Marsee, the success getting on-base is hardly new. The 22-year-old outfielder was overwhelming pitching staffs in the Midwest League to force his promotion to Double-A. Since joining the Missions roster, Marsee is 4-for-13 with five walks and six strikeouts. … It’s a shame that the Missions’ offense couldn’t score because, once again, Ryan Bergert was fantastic. The righthander completed six innings without allowing a run. Bergert allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out nine to match his career high. The former West Virginia University hurler has been spectacular this month, holding his opponents scoreless three of his four starts. In 21.2 August innings, Bergert has a 1.66 ERA with 28 strikeouts. After showing premium velocity but scuffling last year in Fort Wayne, Bergert has been among the most improved pitchers in the system. … Righty Michel Baez pitched a scoreless inning, allowing a walk and notching a strikeout. The scoreless frame ended a dubious stretch for the former big leaguer; he had allowed at least one run in five consecutive outings. Baez has a 6.14 ERA in 7.1 innings this month for the Missions. 

Great Lakes Loons 6, TinCaps 1

Key Statistics: RF Lucas Dunn 1-for-3, R, BB, SB (16); LF Tyler Robertson 1-for-4, SB (1); SS Kervin Pichardo 2-for-3; RHP Dylan Lesko (L, 0-1) 3 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 6 K; RHP Tyler Morgan, 2 IP, H, 2 BB, K

Prospect Watch: The TinCaps managed just six singles and lost on the road against the High-A affiliate of the Dodgers. … Dylan Lesko made his High-A debut, and there were some positive takeaways despite the rough line. The righty opened the game by allowing a walk, two singles, and a monster home run to the first five batters he faced before finding his footing. Lesko gave up another run in the second on a pair of doubles, but ended his night by striking out the side in the third. Overall he notched six strikeouts and made some quality pitches, but he struggled with location of his changeup at times. After sitting 91-92 mph with his fastball in the first, he dialed it up to 96 twice in his final inning. He needed 69 pitches to get through three innings. The High-A assignment is a bit aggressive for the 19-year-old, but he should have two more opportunities to see if he can build on his performance on Friday. … Shortstop Kervin Pichardo singled twice in the loss Friday. The multi-hit effort extended his hitting streak to six games. During the stretch, Pichardo is 10-for-20 with a double. While many top prospects have shuffled through Fort Wayne this month, the former Phillies farmhand has helped the TinCaps stay in the race, delivering a .997 OPS in August.

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 12, Storm 5

Key Statistics: DH Homer Bush Jr. 2-for-4, R, 2 2B, BB, 3 RBI, SB (7); RF Nick Vogt 1-for-4, 3B, RBI; LHP Drew Pomeranz IP, 3 K; LHP Tim Hill (L, 0-1) 0.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, K; RHP Braden Nett 3.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K

Prospect Watch: As far as Single-A games go, this was a strange one. The teams combined for 17 runs; however, runs were scored in just three of the 17 half-innings. … The pitching staff had a big-league flavor with some positive and negative signs. The Storm starter was none other than Drew Pomeranz. He pitched the first inning and struck out the side in order. Pomeranz is currently on the 60-day injured list with a left elbow flexor strain. He has started a couple of rehab assignments this season but was forced to shut things down after just one third of an inning for El Paso in late April. The veteran reliever has not appeared in a big league game since August 10, 2021. … Tim Hill followed with his ow rehab appearance and ended up taking the loss. Hill struck out the first batter he faced, then proceeded to allow five consecutive hits. After recording an out on a fielder’s choice, Hill allowed two more hits and was removed without completing the inning. The lefty, who sprained a finger on his pitching hand at the start of the month, was charged with five earned runs on seven hits while throwing 20 pitches. He will presumably pitch again in the minors and could be activated when rosters expand to 28 players on September 1. After the Quakes pulled ahead with the six-run second inning, the Storm responded with five runs of their own in the fifth to get back into the game. The good vibes were short-lived, though, as the Quakes scored six more times in the seventh to put the game away. … Homer Bush, Jr. had a pair of doubles, including one with the bases-loaded in the fifth. The hit was significant as the only hit with runners in scoring position in the entire stateside system – including the big league club – on Friday. The four domestic minor league clubs went a collective 1-for-29 with runners in scoring position, good for a .034 batting average. For Bush, it broke him out of a recent slump. He was just 2-for-18 over his last five games played. The former Grand Canyon University outfielder has a .735 OPS and seven stolen bases in 14 games since joining Lake Elsinore.