San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report: September 6

Chihuahuas 8, Round Rock Express 6

Key Statistics: LHP Aaron Leasher (W, 2-1) 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 3 K; RHP Jose Espada 2 IP, 1 BB, 4 K; 1B Jurickson Profar 1-for-3, HR (2), 4 RBI, BB; RF Tirso Ornelas 1-for-2, 2B, R, RBI, 2 BB; 2B Tim Lopes 2-for-3, SB (39), 2 R, RBI, BB

Prospect Watch: El Paso jumped out to an 8-2 lead but had to hold on late to secure an 8-6 victory. The game’s biggest hit was a three-run home run by Jurickson Profar. In four games with El Paso since he was released by Colorado and signed a minor league deal with the Padres, Profar has two home runs and eight RBI. In 111 games with the Rockies this year, Profar had eight home runs and 39 RBI. Profar made his second start at first base, a position he had not played since the 2021 season until this week. This points to a potential spot with the Padres, as it was announced that Ji-Man Choi fractured his foot rehabbing with El Paso and is out for the year.  … 27-year-old Aaron Leasher settled down on the mound after errors led to two unearned runs in the first. Despite pitching in hitter-friendly El Paso, Leasher went five without allowing an earned run. This was the second time in a month the sixth-round selection in 2017 has gone at least five innings without allowing an earned run. … A day after Tirso Ornelas failed to reach base safely for the first time since August 2 – a stretch that included a 21-game hitting streak – he collected a double and two walks. The 23-year-old is hitting .295/.373/.436 in Triple-A, just below league average production in the PCL.

Midland RockHounds 5, Missions 3

Key Statistics: LHP Robby Snelling 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 5 K; RHP Henry Henry 2.1 IP, BB, 4 K; CF Jakob Marsee 2-for-3, BB, 2 E (3); SS Jackson Merrill 0-for-4; 3B Graham Pauley 1-for-3, R, BB; DH Cole Cummings 1-for-3, 2B, RBI; LF Ripken Reyes 2-for-4, SB (30)

Prospect Watch: Last week, Robby Snelling had one of his best performances as a professional. On Wednesday night, he labored a bit as his defense struggled behind him. After retiring the first six batters, Snelling gave up a leadoff triple in the third that Midland converted for a run. Two Missions errors kept the inning going and contributed to two unearned runs. Snelling came back out in the fourth pitching aggressively, looking to punch out batters. He struck out a pair of batters but also walked two before giving way. He needed 73 pitches (47 strikes). Between Lake Elsinore, Fort Wayne, and San Antonio, Snelling is 10-3, with a  1.82 ERA. He’s struck out 115 batters in 98.2 innings.  … The game’s first error was by Graham Pauley, his first in two weeks in Double-A. Offensively, Pauley continued one of the best seasons in the Padres organization. He singled, walked, and scored a run. Since going hitless in two of his first four games in San Antonio, Pauley has an eight-game hitting streak (14 hits). He is hitting .533/.611/.667 over his last week and has only struck out once in the last seven games. Across three levels, Pauley is hitting .309/.397/.533. Pauley has reached the 20-20 club in his first full season in the organization. … After striking out a career-high five times on Tuesday, Jakob Marsee reached base three times without striking out. On the season, the speedy centerfielder has a .410 OBP thanks to more walks (97) than strikeouts (94).

TinCaps 13, Dayton Dragons 9

Key Statistics: RHP Henry Baez 3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K; RHP Carter Loewen (W, 5-0) IP, H, 3 K; LF Tyler Robertson 2-for-4, 3B, 2 R, BB; CF Samuel Zavala 2-for-6 2B, 2 R, 5 RBI; 2B Nerwillian Cedeno 3-for-5, HR (7), 2 R, 4 RBI, BB; DH Albert Fabien 2-for-5, 2B, R, RBI; 1B Griffin Doersching 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB

Prospect Watch: Both the TinCaps and Whitecaps won as Fort Wayne clung to a half-game lead with four to go. The TinCaps raced out to a 6-0 lead only to trail 8-6 two innings later. After fighting back to tie the game, they would score five in the ninth to blow it open and win. The game’s biggest hit came from the hitter who needed it most, Samuel Zavala. The young centerfielder had started his High-A career going 2-for-41 with 17 strikeouts. He came up in the ninth with the bases loaded and delivered a bases-clearing double to center. This was after he had smoked a two-RBI single earlier in the game. It was his first extra-base-hit with the TinCaps and first multi-RBI game since August 17. The successful game raised his OPS in High-A 78 points, up to .279. … The TinCaps thought they had the game already locked away. After Zavala’s two-RBI single earlier, Nerwilian Cedeño followed him and smashed a three-run home run to give the TinCaps that 6-0 lead. With his third home run in five games, Cedeño, 21, is slugging .762 in September. The switch-hitting infielder has been on such a hot streak that he was intentionally walked despite an OPS barely over .700.  … Before the big ninth-inning rally, Tyler Robertson thought he had broken the tie with a towering shot to left in the eighth. The ball was originally ruled a home run, but the umpires (correctly) conferenced and changed the hit to a double, as it was a few feet short of the yellow line on the left field wall. After the call was changed, TinCaps manager Jonathan Matthews was ejected for arguing the call. It was Robertson’s second triple with the club and his fourth of the year. He is hitting .500/.556/1.000 in September.

Inland Empire 66ers 4, Storm 2

Key Statistics: RHP Jose Luis Reyes 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, ER, 3 K; CF Dillon Head 1-for-5, 3B; LF Homer Bush Jr. 1-for-4, SB; 3B Jose Sanabria 1-for-4, 2B

Prospect Watch: Needing to win four of six this week to make the Cal League playoffs, the Storm played one of their sloppier games of the year. Three errors led to two unearned runs, which was the difference in the game as the Storm fell to three back with four to play. They will need to win their last four games to make the playoffs. … The Storm squandered the few chances they did have. Homer Bush Jr. singled and stole second in the first inning but was left stranded at third. It was Bush’s 20^th stolen base in 35 games between Peoria and Elsinore. He has only been caught once. After tearing up the complex league, Bush is hitting .244/.357/.341 in Low-A.  … In the third inning, Dillon Head connected on his first extra-base-hit in Lake Elsinore. While he hasn’t had the same stolen base success as Bush, swiping four in seven attempts, the speedy runner showed off his speed, turning a double to left into a triple. His home to third time would rank up there as one of the fastest in Low-A this season.  … After a few disappointing starts recently, Mexicali native Jose Luis Reyes threw 5.2 strong innings, allowing just one earned run. It was the first time since August 9 that Reyes pitched into the sixth. Since joining Lake Elsinore, Reyes has a 3.86 ERA over 37.1 innings.