Aaron Leasher has produced for the Chihuahuas rotation this year. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Albuquerque Isotopes 11, Chihuahuas 8
Key Stats: SS Ray-Patrick Didder 3-for-6, SB (19); LF Jose Sanabria 2-for-5; CF Taylor Kohlwey 1-for-3, SB (13); DH Yorman Rodriguez 1-for-4, 3B; LHP Aaron Leasher 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 7 K, 3 BB; LHP Adrian Morejon 1 IP, K
Prospect Watch: After both El Paso and the Isotopes put up three runs in the eighth inning, the clubs went to extra innings tied at six before the visitors plated five in the 10th and claimed their fifth victory in the series. El Paso finished the year 37-38 at home and will head into their final series at Sugar Land needing to win at least one game to avoid finishing with the PCL’s worst record. … Starter Aaron Leasher cruised through the first four innings, allowing just one hit and recording six strikeouts before opening the fifth inning with a walk and single. The lefty almost worked out of it, matching his season best with a seventh strikeout and getting a pop out before Jimmy Herron lofted a ball that floated just over the left field porch for a homer. Leasher, 27, has posted a 3.89 ERA since moving to the El Paso rotation in August despite a 31:20 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 37 innings. … Sean Reynolds issued two more walks in his inning of work, but didn’t allow a run. The big righty has now given out 25 free passes in 13 innings with El Paso, eclipsing the total he’d allowed in 48.2 frames in the Marlins organization this year. … Ray-Patrick Didder, hitting first in the order, had three hits and a stolen base to lead the Chihuahuas offense. The 10-year minor league veteran, who signed his second free agent deal with the Padres coming into the year, will finish the year with his best production since his full-season debut back in 2016. … Jarryd Dale, who was added to the Chihuahuas roster prior to the game, started at second base and had a single and two walks. The 23-year-old Australian had played in just one game with the TinCaps this month. … Fellow late-season promotee Jose Sanabria had a pair of hits and drove in his first two Triple-A runs. The 2019 international free agent signee had a .757 OPS in the Arizona Complex League in his first season stateside before logging 13 games in Lake Elsinore at the end of the year. He’s collected just six extra-base hits in 208 trips to the plate. … Daniel Johnson was in the original starting lineup before he was scratched just before gametime. The speedy outfielder has career highs with 19 homers and 27 stolen bases on the year.
Homer Bush has delivered for San Antonio to end his first professional season. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
Springfield Cardinals 7, Missions 5
Key Stats: CF Homer Bush, Jr. 4-for-4, 2B, SB (1); RF Cole Cummings 2-for-4, 2B; RHP Henry Henry 3.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K, 3 BB; RHP Cole Paplham 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER
Prospect Watch: The Missions dropped their regular season finale to finish the year with a split in their series against Springfield. They’ll head to Amarillo Tuesday for the first game of a best-of-three Division Series. San Antonio’s only series victory in over a month came against the Sod Poodles. … With both Jackson Merrill and Jakob Marsee out of the lineup again, Homer Bush, Jr. led the Missions’ offense. The fleet-footed outfielder collected four hits including a double and swiped his first base in eight games since jumping to the Texas League. Bush, 21, has hit .325/.422/.439 since the Padres selected him in the fourth round this year. He’s struck out just twice in 29 plate appearances for the Missions and has a 12.8% K rate overall in his first pass as a professional. … Cole Cummings continued his strong run to the end of the season, adding a pair of hits including a double to his tally. The 25-year-old lefthanded hitter has a 1.086 OPS this month, pushing his mark in 84 games since joining the Missions to .750. … Cole Paplham, who spent most of the season with the Storm before a strong eight-game run with Fort Wayne at the end of the year, joined the Missions prior to the game and allowed a run in an inning of work. The 23-year-old, who signed as an undrafted free agent last summer, has posted a 36:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 30 innings this year while holding opponents to a .211 average. With a big fastball, he’s asserted himself as one of the top relief prospects in the system.
