Chihuahuas 5, Albuquerque Isotopes 3
Key Stats: RF Cal Mitchell 2-for-3, SF, SB (2); 2B Nate Mondou 1-for-1, HR (2), 2 BB, SF; DH Tirso Ornelas 1-for-3, 3B, BB; C/1B Kevin Plawecki 2-for-4, 2 2B; LF Tim Locastro 3-for-4, 2 SB (5); LHP Daniel Camarena 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 3BB; RHP Sean Reynolds 1.1 IP, 1 H; RHP Lake Bachar 0.2 IP, 2 H, K, BB; RHP Jeremiah Estrada (S, 2) 1 IP, 2 K
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas won a relatively low-scoring affair for a day game with the wind blowing out in El Paso, claiming a split of their series with the basement-dwelling Isotopes. … For the third consecutive game, Tirso Ornelas collected an extra-base hit, tripling high off the right-center field wall. The 24-year-old outfielder has added 277 points to his OPS over the last three games after starting the year in a rough 2-for-23 slump. … Outfielder Tim Locastro went 3-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases. The big league veteran is hitting .300/.481/.375 through 55 plate appearances and has a share of the team lead with five stolen bases. … Big righty Sean Reynolds picked up the win in relief, working 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. The converted first baseman has struck out seven in 8.1 frames. … Jeremiah Estrada continues to overwhelm Triple-A hitters. After working a one-two-three ninth inning for his second save, the 25-year-old waiver claim from the Cubs has struck out 17 in just 7.2 innings with the Chihuahuas.
Victor Lizarraga delivers for the Missions. (Photo: Vashaun Newman)
Corpus Christi Hooks 2, Missions 1
Key Stats: LF Cole Cummings 1-for-3, BB; SS Ray-Patrick Didder 0-for-2, 2 BB; RHP Victor Lizarraga 2.2 IP, 1 H, 2 K, 2 BB; RHP Jason Blanchard 3 IP, 2 H, 2 K; RHP Woo-Suk Go 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB
Prospect Watch: The game remained scoreless until the eighth when Ray-Patrick Didder drew his second walk of the day, advanced to third on a single by Ripken Reyes and scored on a Connor Hollis sacrifice fly. In the bottom half, Woo-Suk Go gave up a double and bunt hit before a one-out single plated two runs to give him his second loss. The inning could have been worse, but after issuing a walk, the righty got a ground ball double play to escape further damage. Signed out of the Korea Baseball League with hopes of bolstering the Padres’ bullpen this year, the 25-year-old has allowed six earned runs on 12 hits in his first eight stateside innings with San Antonio. … After two hitless innings in his first start of the season last Sunday, Victor Lizarraga got through 2.2 frames allowing one hit and a pair of walks in his second trip to the mound. The 20-year-old righty will stretch out over his next several outings as he looks to work past 100 innings this season.
Ryan Och is back and impressing with the TinCaps post-surgery. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
TinCaps 5, Dayton Dragons 3
Key Stats: 3B Devin Ortiz 1-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, SB (1); C Colton Bender 2-for-4, 2 2B, BB, 3 RBI; LF Tyler Robertson 1-for-2, 2B, BB, HBP, Sac, SB (2); RHP Braden Nett 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 K, 2 BB; LHP Ryan Och 2 .1 IP, 1 H, 4 K, 1 BB; RHP Francsico Pena 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Prospect Watch: Once again, the TinCaps fell behind early only to rally for a comeback win. The club got a pair of doubles in the tenth inning to plate two runs and get out of Dayton with their fourth straight win. … Colton Bender had two RBI doubles of his own in the middle innings to even the score. The 25-year-old catcher has earned his playing time largely because of his receiving skills since the Padres drafted him out of Quinnipiac College in the tenth round in 2021. He came into this year with 19 extra-base hits in 415 career plate appearances. … Braden Nett made his second start of the year and, once again, struggled. The hard-throwing righty who was a pop-up last year because of his big velocity, gave up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks in just 1.2 innings. An undrafted free agent out of community college in 2022, the 21-year-old righty has allowed 11 runners in three innings of work so far this year. … The TinCaps bullpen didn’t allow a run over the final seven innings of the game. Fort Wayne’s relievers have combined for a 2.55 ERA through a league-high 81.1 innings on the year. Ryan Och continues to shine in his return from Tommy John surgery. The 25-year-old lefty tossed a season-best 2.1 innings Sunday and has now struck out 14 across seven scoreless innings of work on the year.
Storm 10, Visalia Rawhide 0
Key Stats: 1B Ryan Wilson 1-for-2, 3 BB; CF Dillon Head 2-for-5, BB; 3B Jay Beshears 2-for-4, SF; C Oswaldo Linares 2-for-4, BB; RHP Carson Montgomery 4 IP, 2 H, 6 K, 1 BB; RHP Alejandro Lugo 3 IP, 3 H, 3 K; RHP Luis German 1 IP, 2 K; RHP Thomas Balboni Jr. 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K, 2 BB
Dillon Head is heating up for the Storm. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Prospect Watch: The Storm played their most complete game of the year, cruising to a fourth straight win over Visalia. The offense drew 11 more walks – and three hit batters – on Sunday, pushing their total to a staggering 40 in the four-game winning streak as they plated double-digit runs without the benefit of an extra-base hit. Ryan Wilson continued to impress in the early going, collecting a hit and three walks out of the leadoff spot. The Padres drafted the 22-year-old out of Davidson in the ninth round last year and agreed to a below-slot deal. He has yet to collect an extra-base hit on the year, but his stellar swing decisions have helped him draw 16 walks against only nine strikeouts in 60 plate appearances, bolstering a .533 on-base percentage. Sunday, the North Carolina native made his second start at first base, though he’s primarily an outfielder. … Dillon Head added two more hits and a walk hitting behind Wilson in the two-hole. Since moving out of the leadoff spot, the talented 19-year-old has hit .321/.457/.464 with six walks against as many strikeouts in 34 plate appearances. … Carson Montgomery finally got something like a normal outing and made the most of it, tossing four impressive scoreless innings. The Padres’ above-slot 11th-round pick last year, Montgomery fought his command in his first outing of the year, but bounced back when he appeared in relief earlier in the week after his last turn through the rotation was washed out in Modesto. This time around, he had his top weapon, his sweeper, working well while showing more life on his fastball than he had in his draft year at Florida State. The 21-year-old struck out six against one walk. Opponents are hitting just .167 against him so far this year.
