Sugar Land Space Cowboys 2, Chihuahuas 1
Key Statistics: CF Jose Azocar, 1-for-4; SS Mason McCoy, 2-for-3, RBI; DH Cal Mitchell, 1-for-4, R, 2B; RHP Jhony Brito (L, 0-2) 0.1 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, K; LHP Omar Cruz, 5.2 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 4 K; RHP Lake Bachar, IP, H, 2 K
Prospect Watch: Sugar Land scored single runs in the first and second then held on to outlast the Chihuahuas in the suburbs of Houston. … On the mound, Johny Brito continued his work to be a viable starting pitching option for the Padres, but once again struggled. Brito recorded just one out while he allowed a booming double and three walks before before being pulled. The 26-year-old righty struggled to throw strikes; just 11 of the 26 pitches he threw crossed the strike zone. Brito never walked more than two batters in any outing with the Padres this season and had a sparkling 5.1% walk rate in 41.1 innings pitching out of the big league bullpen. After throwing five shutout innings on July 11, Brito went 20 days in between outings due to arm soreness but was not placed on the injured list. In his last two outings, the former Yankee has failed to complete the first inning. Brito’s velocity looked solid, topping out at 97.9 mph but he missed up for most of his abbreviated outing. Hopefully, it’s just rust and a minor setback for an
Mason McCoy got El Paso on the board. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
important and versatile depth arm. … Lefty Omar Cruz took over for Brito and once again pitched well, keeping El Paso in the game. He worked 5.2 innings and allowed just one run on a single hit. He did walk three and struck out four, generating nine swings and misses. The native of Hermosillo, Mexico, rejoined the Padres’ organization in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft last winter. The lefty, who originally signed in 2017, was part of the trade that sent Joe Musgrove to San Diego. This season, the 25-year-old is establishing himself as an interesting prospect. In 66.2 innings between El Paso and San Antonio, Cruz has a solid 3.38 ERA, including a strong 2.84 mark in 19 innings in the Pacific Coast League. He’s struck out a whopping 94 batters this season while allowing opposing batters to hit just .190. Based on Tuesday’s outing, his next outing could come as a member of the starting rotation. … Mason McCoy had two hits and drove in El Paso’s only run of the evening. The shortstop has hit safely in seven straight games, adding 17 points to his batting average in the process. The former Blue Jay is 10-for-19 in five August games.
Springfield Cardinals 11, Missions 0
Key Statistics: CF Connor Hollis, 1-for-4, 2B; C Michael De La Cruz, 1-for-3; RHP Victor Lizarraga (L, 4-6) 2.1 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; RHP Raul Brito, 3.2 IP, H, 3 K
Prospect Watch: After traveling nearly 700 miles to take on the Springfield Cardinals, the Missions managed just two hits, losing big to the Cardinals. … The usually reliable Victor Lizarraga made the start and he was knocked around early and often. Lizarraga, 20, pitched less than three innings for the first time since April, and he allowed a season-high seven earned runs. He walked three and struck out two. The young righty had a
Raul Brito continues to provide reliable length out of the bullpen. (Photo: Joe Alexander)
solid July, pitching to a 3.24 ERA in five starts – including a pair of scoreless outings to end the month. The rough appearance inflated Lizarraga’s ERA from 3.55 to 4.19. … Raul Brito took over for Lizarraga and pitched well. He worked 3.2 innings and allowed just one hit. He struck out three without allowing a walk. The 27-year-old has been a solid reliever who can pitch multiple innings since joining the organization last season as a minor league free agent. In 38.2 innings for San Antonio, Brito has punched out 49 batters while pitching to a 3.49 ERA.
TinCaps 5, South Bend Cubs 2
Key Statistics: C Ethan Salas, 1-for-4, R, HR (3), 3 RBI; LF Nick Vogt, 1-for-2, R, 2 BB; SS Nik McClaughry, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI; LHP Jagger Haynes, 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 6 K; RHP Jose Geraldo (W, 3-1) 2 IP, H, BB, K; RHP Manuel Castro (S, 8) IP, H, K
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps trailed late before a clutch, three-run homer from Ethan Salas gave the TinCaps a lead they would not relinquish. … For Salas, it was his only hit of the evening. The blast to right field was his third homer of the season and first since May 21. The talented 18-year-old has had a rough first full season playing in Fort Wayne. Among qualifiers, Salas came into Tuesday’s action with the second-lowest OPS in the league. If there is a positive, Salas has a solid 11% walk rate and a respectable 21% K rate. He is hitting just .243 on balls in play – the third-lowest mark in the league. Salas is still incredibly young for the league but surely the organization hoped for more from the young catcher. He still has another
Ethan Salas went deep in a key moment for the TinCaps. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
month of at-bats to convert on some of the immense potential he possesses. … On the mound, the TinCaps got another solid start from Jagger Haynes. The 21-year-old completed six innings – the ninth time in 18 outings he’s pitched at least six innings. He allowed just two runs on six hits, struck out six batters and made it through his first walk-free appearance of the year. The North Carolina native is closing in on 100 innings for the year after battling injuries since being drafted back in 2020. He’s allowed two runs or less in eight of his last nine outings. … Righty Jose Geraldo pitched two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk, earning his third win of the season in the process. He allowed one walk and struck out one before giving way to Manuel Castro. The 25-year-old had a miserable outing on June 22 in which he allowed four earned runs in a third of an inning in a loss to Wisconsin. That outing inflated Geraldo’s ERA to an ugly 9.72. Since then, Geraldo has looked like a different pitcher. Over his last 15.1 innings, Geraldo has allowed just one earned run. He’s struck out 19 batters, lowering his season ERA to 5.34 in the process.
Storm 6, Stockton Ports 3
Key Statistics: SS Leo De Vries, 1-for-4, R; CF Kai Roberts, 2-for-4, R, BB; 2B Brandon Butterworth, 1-for-3, R, BB, 2B, RBI, SB (1); RF Braedon Karpathios, 2-for-4, 2B; 2 RBI, SB (3); LHP Luis Gutierrez (W, 2-2) 5.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K; RHP Miguel Valdez (S, 1) 2 IP, H, BB, K
Prospect Watch: After a rough series in Fresno, the Storm moved on to Stockton and won their series opener. … Center fielder Kai Roberts made his professional debut and reached base three times. He singled twice, drew a walk, and scored a run. Roberts was drafted in the seventh round in last month’s draft, out of the University of Utah. Roberts was an all-Pac-12 player for the Utes, hitting .356/.430/.562 with seven homers in his senior season. … Second baseman Brandon Butterworth also made his professional debut and he delivered an RBI double to go with a stolen base. Butterworth was the Padres’ 12th-round selection out of North Carolina State, where he started all 61 games at shortstop. The 21-year-old hit .250/.369/.420 with seven homers for the Wolfpack in 2024. … Lefty Luis Gutierrez made the start for the Storm and earned his second win of the season. He pitched 5.1 innings, allowing a run on three hits. He walked three and struck out six batters. The 21-year-old from Venezuela has struggled with consistency in his first voyage into full-season ball. Tuesday’s start lowered his ERA to 5.66 in 13 appearances (10 starts) with the Storm this year.
Roster Moves: In case you missed it, the Padres made over 20 transactions yesterday, including promotions, professional debuts, and unfortunately releases. We recapped everything yesterday in our weekly summary.
