LAKE ELSINORE—Down 2-1, the Storm drew three walks to open the seventh inning before a one-out sacrifice fly by Oswaldo Linares and a single rocketed to right field by Chase Valentine put the home team in front.
“Chase is just a ballplayer,” said his manager, Lukas Ray. “He plays a challenging game; he’s always grinding. He struck out the at-bat before and then came back and hit a line drive off the wall. That’s just what he does.”
In the eighth, Ethan Long put the game out of reach with an opposite-field three-run home run over the tall wall in right field.
Ethan Long has been making strides in the field and at the plate. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
“It’s amazing how hard the ball comes off his bat when he makes contact,” said Ray. “It’s impressive, and he’s adjusted to cut down on swing-and-miss and use the whole field.
“You saw some of the results of that with his home run tonight. And it’s just not hitting; he’s playing a nice first base and running the bases well. He’s turning into a pretty good player.”
Long, 23, who finished the game with three hits and a walk, might be a bit of a sleeper. The right-handed slugger had a monster freshman year with Arizona State, where he hit 16 home runs and posted an OPS of 1.120, but fell off dramatically in his next two years.The Padres signed him after the 2023 draft, hoping that recovery from a wrist injury would allow him to get back on track.
At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Long has been playing both first and third. Through his first 76 plate appearances since joining Lake Elsinore in May, he’s posted a .266/.382/.422 slash line.
The Storm got a solid start from Miguel Mendez, who went five innings with six strikeouts. Though he walked three and hit a batter, he was in the zone for much of the night, landing 54 of his 86 pitches for strikes.
Miguel Mendez had his best outing of the year. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
“Every pitch that comes out of his hand is absolutely disgusting, and it’s like ‘wow,’” smiled Ray. “He has some good velocity; the pitches are tight and sharp.
“He has a very wiry athleticism and is much stronger than you think. He’s like the guy you see on a basketball court that will jump out of the gym.”
Tonight was the best outing of the season for the 21-year-old Venezuelan, who went five innings for the first time this year. Relying on a fastball that can get into the upper-90s, he has 37 strikeouts in 34.2 innings on the season, but has issued 33 walks as he has trouble repeating his high-effort delivery.
Xavier Ruiz closed the game, striking out two after giving up a run for the 6-3 victory.
Notes: The Storm clinched another series win over the Dodgers’ affiliate and will try to close out the month on a high note. … Of the 29 players on the Lake Elsinore roster, including those on the injured list, only six were acquired through the draft. Six of their 13 active position players signed as undrafted free agents.
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