Albuquerque Isotopes 7, Chihuahuas 4
Key Stats: 3B Graham Pauley 1-for-4 HR (3), 2 RBI, BB; LF Óscar Mercado 3-for-4, R, RBI, SB (2); CF Bryce Johnson 2-for-3, R, RBI, BB, SB (4); LHP Ryan Carpenter (L, 0-1) 4 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K; RHP Alek Jacob IP, 2 K
Alek Jacob in action earlier this year. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: Third baseman Graham Pauley came up in the third inning and launched his third home run in seven games since being sent down to Triple-A. The home run, his first since hitting a pair in his second game with El Paso, was an El Paso special as the launch angle (36 degrees) and exit velo (98 mph) barely cleared right-center in El Paso, and it would not reach the warning track in most big league ballparks. With seven games under his belt in El Paso. Pauley is hitting .280/.419/.640 with six walks against only two strikeouts. … It’s been a tough month for Alek Jacob. Last year, he didn’t allow his third earned run of the year until June 25. This year, he has allowed 15 runs (six earned) in 7.2 innings. Jacob, looking to get back on track, tossed his first perfect inning of the season, striking out two and lowering his ERA to 7.04. He’s coming back from an elbow strain that ended his 2023 campaign in July. … Center fielder Bryce Johnson reached base three more times and has now reached base a team-leading 24 times in 14 games. He has a .459 OBP and reached base safely in all but one game this year.
Corpus Christi Hooks 7, Missions 3
Key Stats: RHP Jared Kollar (L, 1-1) 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 K; RHP Reggie Lawson 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB; CF Jakob Marsee 0-for-4, K; 3B Marcos Castañon 1-for-4, 2B, RBI; C Brandon Valenzuela 1-for-4, R, 2B
Marcos Castañon snapped his hitless streak to drive in the Missions’ only run. (Photo: Vashaun Newman)
Prospect Watch: After a hot start to the season, the Missions continue to be ice-cold offensively. Of the top six in their lineup, only Nathan Martorella has an OPS over .660. The first baseman went 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts, but is still hitting .385 with a 1.013 OPS. … After having his first multi-hit game of the year Tuesday, center fielder Jakob Marsee had another hitless night. It’s the second straight year that Marsee, who was hitting .219/.350/.219 this time last year in Fort Wayne, has started slow. He finished the year with a .843 OPS. Marsee has a .585 OPS with a 30% strikeout rate through 54 plate appearances. … Third baseman Marcos Castañon broke an 0-for-16 slump with a double. The slide decreased his OPS from .943 to .648.
Ruben Galindo was strong in relief. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Dayton Dragons 3, TinCaps 2
Key Stats: LHP Jagger Haynes (L, 0-1) 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K; RHP Ruben Galindo 2.1 IP, H, 6 K; LHP Ryan Och 2 IP, H, BB, 4 K; RHP Sam Whiting 2 IP, BB, K; DH Ethan Salas 1-for-2, 2B, RBI, 3 BB; 1B Griffin Doersching 3-for-5, SB (1); CF Homer Bush Jr 1-for-5
Jagger Haynes struggled in his second straight start. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: Ethan Salas reached base four times for the first time in 2024, drawing three walks. He also doubled in back-to-back games for the first time since last July in Lake Elsinore. The 17-year-old is hitting .242/.375/.333 through his first 33 at-bats. … In his first start of the year, lefty Jagger Haynes retired one batter and walked four. On Wednesday, Haynes struggled once again and took the loss. Haynes lasted just 1.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts. … In the loss, the highlight was the relievers who came on after Haynes. Ruben Galindo struck out six across 2.1 scoreless frames. The 23-year-old has only allowed three baserunners through six innings this season and has yet to allow an earned run. Galindo struggled in his time with the TinCaps last year, but posted a 1.02 ERA in 44 impressive innings in Lake Elsinore. … After two more scoreless innings, Ryan Och has yet to allow a run this year and has 10 strikeouts against one walk in 4.2 innings. The lefty, who missed all of last season following Tommy John surgery, has struck out 79 in his 46 career innings since the Padres drafted him in the seventh round in 2021. … Last year’s 16th-rounder Sam Whiting finished the game with a pair of scoreless frames of his own and has allowed one earned run through 6.2 innings. … The TinCaps went 3-for-18 with RISP and left 13 on in defeat.
Visalia Rawhide 10, Storm 5
Key Stats: DH Dillon Head 2-for-4, R, RBI, BB, 2B; SS Jay Beshears 0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, HBP; 1B Romeo Sanabria 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB; RHP Carson Montgomery IP, H, K
Dillon Head in the season opener. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Prospect Watch: The Storm walked 12 times but went 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners on. Seven different members of the Storm walked in the game. Top prospect Dillon Head singled, doubled, and walked in the losing effort. Over his first six games of the year, Head had struck out nine times without a walk, but in the last three games, he has walked three times and struck out once. … Shortstop Jay Beshears lost his eight-game hitting streak, but drew two walks and got hit by a pitch to continue his season-opening on-base streak. The former Duke Blue Devil has reached base safely 26 times in nine games for a .622 OBP. … Righty Carson Montgomery started the season’s third game, then didn’t pitch again until Wednesday’s ninth inning after the Storm’s weekend got washed out. Montgomery was considered a first-round talent during the 2020 COVID draft but chose to go to Florida State instead. The Padres drafted him in the 11th round last summer, hoping he can refind his form. He walked five and struck out three in his two-inning organizational debut; this outing was shorter but much more effective.
