Chihuahuas 8, Oklahoma City Baseball Club 3
Key Statistics: 3B Eguy Rosario 1-for-3, BB, 2 SB; 1B Nate Mondou 0-for-2, 2 BB; LF Calvin Mitchell 1-for-3, BB, RBI; SS Mason McCoy 2-for-4, 4 RBI; 2B Clay Dungan 2-for-3, RBI, BB, SB; RHP Carl Edwards Jr. (W, 1-2) 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 5 K; RHP Lake Bachar 2 IP, 2 H, 5 K; LHP Jayvien Sandridge IP, 2 BB; RHP Logan Gillaspie IP, BB, 2 K
Lake Bachar unleashes one for El Paso. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: El Paso won its fourth of five games with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ affiliate by playing small ball; the Chihuahuas didn’t record one extra-base hit but stole eight bases without being caught, and the pitching staff held OKC batters to an 0-for-10 night with runners in scoring position. … Carl Edwards Jr. gave up a pair of earned runs on five hits as he tossed five innings for the first time since August 25, 2014 to pick up the win. Edwards made three appearances for El Paso in 2019 after coming over from the Chicago Cubs in a trade for Brad Wieck in the middle of a nine-year stretch in which he made 295 big league relief appearances. Now 32 and mounting an attempt to return to starting, he has posted a 4.76 ERA with 18 strikeouts – though 12 walks and 19 hits allowed – in four starts and 17 innings with El Paso. As we first reported, he signed with the Padres organization last month after he triggered an opt-out clause with the Chicago Cubs. With the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, he had a 1.85 ERA in 24 relief innings with 22 strikeouts and 15 walks. … Eguy Rosario continued to torch Triple-A pitching, collecting a hit and a walk and contributing a pair of stolen bases. Over the three months since he was optioned to Triple-A, he has a .997 OPS with 15 home runs among his 34 extra-base hits in 56 games. … Lake Bachar made his first appearance since being added to the 40-player roster earlier in the week and struck out five in two innings. In his eighth season in the organization, he has a 3.92 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 59.2 innings against 28 walks.
Frisco RoughRiders 4, Missions 2
Key Statistics: 3B Marcos Castañon 1-for-4, HR (9), RBI; RF Robert Perez, Jr. 1-for-3, HR (6), RBI; RHP Ryan Bergert 3.2 IP 7 H, 2 R, BB, 4 K; LHP Ryan Och (L, 1-2) 0.2 IP, H, 2 R, BB, 2 K; LHP Jason Blanchard 2.1 IP 5 K; RHP Francis Pena IP, 2 BB
Marcos Castañon hits his ninth home run of the season. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Prospect Watch: After falling behind, San Antonio tied the game in the fifth inning with a pair of solo home runs by Marcos Castañon and Robert Perez Jr. before Frisco rallied back in the sixth to send the Missions to their fourth loss in five games. … Righty Ryan Bergert worked around four hits to get through the first three innings scoreless, but gave up a homer to open the fourth and ultimately was charged with another run after gave way with the bases loaded. The 24-year-old has had some flashes of success as he works to reboot a challenging season over the last month, but still owns a 6.00 ERA on the year. … Jason Blanchard, 27, struck out five in 2.2 innings tonight, with 20 of his 29 pitches landing for strikes. The Padres’ ninth round pick in 2019 continues a strong year coming out of the bullpen with a 3.89 ERA in 44 innings. … Francis Pena, 23, walked two batters but didn’t allow a run. In 26.1 innings with the Missions, he has only allowed three runs, and between Fort Wayne and San Antonio, he has a 1.52 ERA in 47.1 innings with 48 strikeouts against only 12 walks. … Joe Musgrove is scheduled to make a rehab start Sunday at Nelson Wolff Stadium. Editor’s note: Jeff Sanders now reports that travel problems led to a change in plans, and Musgrove will now make his rehab appearance for the Storm on the road in Fresno.
Isaiah Lowe delivers in his High-A debut. (Photo: Adam Gaddy)
Game 1: TinCaps 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 2 (7 innings)
Key Statistics: RF Joshua Mears 2-for-3, HR (8), 2 RBI; 2B Nerwilian Cedeño 2-for-3, 3B, 2 RBI; C Colton Bender 3-for-3, RBI; RHP Joan Gonzalez, (W, 3-1) 2.1 IP, BB, K; RHP Bradgley Rodriguez (S, 1) 0.1 IP K
Game 2: West Michigan Whitecaps 3, TinCaps 2 (7 innings)
Key Statistics: RF Kai Murphy 1-for-2, HR (5), RBI, BB; DH Romeo Sanabria 1-for-3, HR( 2), RBI; RHP Isaiah Lowe (L, 0-1), 4.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 4 K, HR; RHP Keegan Collett 1.0 IP, BB, K; RHP Jose Geraldo 2.0 IP, BB, 2 K
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps split a doubleheader on ‘Caps Against Cancer Night that also saw the High-A debut of Padres pitching prospect Isaiah Lowe. Fort Wayne took an early 3-0 lead in the opener and tacked on insurance runs with back-to-back home runs by Joshua Mears and Nerwilian Cedeño. Bradgley Rodriguez came in with two outs in the seventh inning and threw six pitches, four for strikes, for his first High-A save and third overall of the season. … In the nightcap, Lowe was better than his overall line. The 21-year-old needed 75 pitches to get through four innings but only allowed two earned runs. After throwing only 12.1 innings because of shoulder injuries last year, he’s already at 76.1 innings this year in a season that must be considered a resounding success by any metric. … While he was 0-for-5 with a walk at the plate on the day, Ethan Salas threw out a pair of runners and made several nice plays defensively as he caught the nightcap. … Also in the second game, Anthony Vilar, 25, made his first professional appearance at shortstop, converting his one opportunity in the seven inning contest. After splitting time between catcher, first, and second base through the first four months of the season, the TinCaps have recently also added third base to his portfolio – and, of course, emergency pitcher. After a tough April, he’s also been doing well with the bat, hitting .263/.391/.402.
Fresno Grizzlies 9, Storm 1
Key Statistics: PH Lamar King Jr. 1-for-1, HR (1), RBI; SS Leodalis De Vries 0-for-3, BB; RHP Miguel Mendez 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, BB, 4 K, HR; RHP Yerry Landinez 1.1 IP, 3 K
Prospect Watch: Not a lot went right for the Storm on the road as they only avoided a shutout with Lamar King Jr.‘s first California League home run to left-center in the top of the ninth inning. Other than King’s home run, Lake Elsinore was held to three singles on the night. … The outing proved a good microcosm of hard-throwing righty Miguel Mendez‘s season. On one hand, he allowed just one run and struck out four while firing upper-90s fastballs through the first four innings, even as he allowed four extra-base hits. But then he came back out for the fifth and loaded the bases with a hit, walk, and a hit batter, finishing his night after 88 pitches. All three of those runners came around to score after he departed, snapping a stellar stretch in which the 22-year-old allowed only two earned runs over 22 innings. Mendez has made significant progress in his second season with the Storm, but will need to find more consistent command going forward. … Venezuelan Yerry Landinez, 23, a converted position player, had one of the better outings of his career on the mound, striking out three of the five batters he faced.
