Albuquerque Isotopes 12, Chihuahuas 8
Tim Locastro’s speed plays well for the Chihuahuas. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Key Statistics: RHP Nolan Watson 4.2 IP, 10 H, 10 R (8 ER), 4 K, 2 BB; RHP Nick Hernandez, 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K; 1B Tim Locastro, 2-for-5, 2B, HR (2), 2 R, RBI; C Brett Sullivan, 2-for-5, 2B, HR (4), 2 R, RBI; LF Tirso Ornelas, 2-for-4, R, RBI
Prospect Watch: In an old-fashioned PCL barn-burner, the Chihuahuas nearly rallied back, but ran out of gas. Although Nick Hernandez clocked in the last of Nolan Watson‘s 10 earned runs, he came back to pitch a scoreless inning once given a clean start, and was the highlight of El Paso’s pitching performances. The 29-year-old Hernandez, a former eighth-round pick of the Houston Astros, has posted a 2.92 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 12.1 innings in 2024 after earning a 4.41 ERA and striking out 29 in 32.2 innings for El Paso last year. … Tim Locastro, serving as El Paso’s leadoff man and first baseman, remained en fuego, connecting on a double and home run, scoring a pair of runs and driving in one. The 31-year-old veteran started the season solidly, but has reached a new level in May with a .476/.560/.714 slash line. It seems reasonable Locastro will get a chance return to the big leagues at some point this season, whether with the Padres or not. … Another big league veteran with a big night was Brett Sullivan, who also went 2-for-5 with a homer and a double. The lefty-swinging backstop is batting .323 with a .977 OPS for El Paso. … On the other end of the experience spectrum, 24-year-old Tirso Ornelas smacked a pair of singles for his third two-hit game of May. The Tijuana native is batting .264 with a .761 OPS in 91 at-bats. Still, the concerning issue for the young outfielder remains his lack of ability to tap into his power, with only two home runs while playing in the elevated air of the Pacific Coast League. … Righty reliever Logan Gillaspie, who got a brief cameo in the Padres bullpen earlier this year, was lifted from the game while facing his third batter of the ninth inning after a visit from the training staff. A free agent signee over the winter, Gillaspie appeared to be having discomfort in his right hip.
Ryan Bergert got back on track in his outing Thursday. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Frisco Roughriders 9, Missions 5
Key Statistics: RHP Ryan Bergert, 4.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K; RHP Reggie Lawson, 1 IP, 1 K; LF Cole Cummings, 2-for-5, 2B; CF Ripken Reyes, 1-for-2, 2 RBI
Prospect Watch: Although he is now 0-3 on the season, Ryan Bergert turned in a nice bounce-back effort after getting tagged for six runs in two-thirds of an inning in his last outing. The righty out of West Virginia looked more like his usual self, cruising through four scoreless innings before things came apart for him and his defense in the fifth. The 24-year-old, whose development subscribers can read more about here, gave up three of the five total hits he surrendered and a walk in the fifth, finishing his night with 77 pitches thrown. A sixth-round pick in 2021, Bergert is probably the least heralded member of San Antonio’s vaunted rotation but has become a starting prospect for the Padres. … Reggie Lawson pitched his first full scoreless inning since April 26, a hopeful sign the returning righty is making progress in his comeback season. A former top Padres prospect as a starter, Lawson retired during an injury-plagued 2022 campaign and spent all of 2023 out of baseball before getting healthy and deciding to give it another shot. In 11.1 innings, the 26-year-old is 1-0 with a 7.15 ERA and 13 strikeouts. … San Antonio’s only two-hit performance of the evening came courtesy of Cole Cummings, who collected his ninth double of the year. The 25-year-old outfielder is batting .287 with an .831 OPS in his return to San Antonio, where the UC Santa Barbara product slashed .245/.332/.418 in 294 at-bats in 2023. … 27-year-old Ripken Reyes first reached San Antonio in 2022, and is now in his third season with the Missions as his versatility and leadership has made him a valuable member of the club. With Jakob Marsee dealt to Miami, Reyes got the start in center field, where he went 1-for-2 and drove in a pair of runs. Reyes, who has played third, second, short, left field, and center field in 2024, has been hit by 11 pitches this year after being plunked a record-setting 49 times last season.
West Michigan Whitecaps 6, TinCaps 3
After a slow start, Nerwilian Cedeño looks to get going for the TinCaps. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Key Statistics: LHP Miguel Cienfuegos 5 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 4 K, 3 BB; RHP Bradgley Rodriguez, 2 IP, 1 BB, 1 K; 2B Nerwilian Cedeño, 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI; CF Homer Bush Jr., 1-for-4; SS Nik McClaughry, 2-for-3, RBI
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps fell behind early, but some timely relief work from Bradgley Rodriguez kept Fort Wayne in the game. The 20-year-old righty threw two scoreless innings, allowing only a walk to add on to 2.1 scoreless frames on May 4. A native of Petare, Venezuela, Rodriguez owns a 4.50 ERA and has struck out 15 batters in 12 innings of work between the two Single-A clubs in 2024. … Tonight continued some encouraging signs from Nerwilian Cedeño, who followed up his first two-hit game since April 9 with another one. It’s been a struggle at the plate for the 22-year-old switch-hitting infielder, who is batting .193 in 83 at-bats for Fort Wayne. … Homer Bush Jr. went 1-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to six games while having at least one hit in all but one game this month, batting .333 with his lone double of the season in the span. On the season, the GCU product is batting .253 with a .616 OPS and 14 stolen bases. … After a tough start to the 2024 season, Arizona alum Nik McClaughry is now batting .296 with a .762 OPS in the month of May, bouncing back from a .167 April. The 24-year-old shortstop is slashing .500/.632/.786 across 14 at-bats against left-handed pitching.
Storm 5, Inland Empire 66ers 4
Key Stats: CF Nick Vogt 4-for-4, 3B, 2 SB; C Jacob Campbell 1-for-4, 2B; RHP Sam Whiting 3 IP, 1 H, 1 K, 1 BB; LHP Harry Gustin 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 K, BB; RHP Keegan Collett 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, K, 2 BB, HBP
Kevin Charity was onsite in Lake Elsinore with coverage as Nick Vogt‘s big night helped the Storm to victory over the Angels’ Cal League affiliate.
ACL Padres 8, ACL Rangers 3
Key Statistics: RHP Kleiber Olmedo (W, 1-0), 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K; RHP Bernard Jose, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K; SS B.Y. Choi, 2-for-3, R, RBI, BB; 3B Yendry Rojas, 2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Prospect Watch: Kleiber Olmedo picked up his first stateside victory as he got the job done with three strikeouts in three scoreless innings. The 19-year-old righty has thrown four scoreless innings in his first two appearances of the season after going 2-0 with a 3.14 ERA and nine strikeouts in 14.1 innings pitched in the Dominican Summer League in 2023. Olmedo didn’t sign his first professional deal until he was 18 years old last year. The Padres’ decision to invest most of their signing pool in Ethan Salas left them turning to older free agents for most of their international pitching signings last year. … Bernard Jose scattered a hit and a pair of walks over two scoreless innings to wrap things up for the Padres. The 21-year-old Dominican righty, another 2023 signee, has thrown four scoreless frames to begin his 2024 season after posting a 4.93 ERA in 42 innings in his native country last summer. … Continuing a hot start to the 2024 season, B.Y. Choi went 2-for-3 with a walk. The 22-year-old shortstop, a 20th-round pick in 2023, is batting .357 with a 1.026 OPS in the early going of the rookie-level season after going 2-for-20 with no extra-base hits in the desert in 2023, good for a .282 OPS. … Yendry Rojas went 2-for-3 with a double and scored a pair of runs while driving in one of his own. The 19-year-old infielder, who, like Choi is a left-handed hitter, is batting .333 after getting his first hits of the season.
