San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report: August 17

Reno Aces 6, Chihuahuas 4

Key Statistics: RF Jose Azocar 2-for-4, HR (4), 3 RBI, SB (14); SS Mason McCoy 2-for-4; 1B Kevin Plawecki 1-for-3, BB; RHP Jhony Brito 3 IP, 8 H, 3 R, HR; LHP Omar Cruz (L, 1-1) 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, BB, 7 K; RHP Alek Jacob 1.1 IP, H, R, BB, 2 K, HR; LHP Tom Cosgrove 1 IP, 2 K

Prospect Watch: After going down 3-0 early, the Chihuahuas took the lead in the fifth inning on a Brandon Lockridge RBI groundout and a three-run home run by Jose Azocar. Unfortunately for the home team, that was all the scoring they could manage and the Aces scored three late for their fifth straight victory. … Omar Cruz took the loss and gave up two runs but threw three and two-thirds and punched out seven batters. In his last five appearances, Cruz has thrown at least three innings; last Sunday, he threw six shutout innings. In 15.1 innings in August, he has a 1.76 ERA and a 17:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. While he’s not on the 40-player roster, he might be the best long relief option that the big club has in the minors. … Azocar had a pair of hits to continue a solid August. The 28-year-old, who played right field, has a .310/.344/.448 slash line for the month. He also swiped his 14th base in 40 games since getting sent down. … Tom Cosgrove continued his perfect August with two strikeouts in a shutout inning. In seven innings across six appearances this month, he has 11 strikeouts against four walks and has yet to allow a run while holding opponents to a .125 average.

Missions 4, Amarillo Sod Poodles 0

Key Statistics: LF Ripken Reyes 1-for-2, BB, RBI; 2B Michael De La Cruz 2-for-4, RBI; RHP Victor Lizarraga (W, 5-6) 6 IP, 3 H, BB, 8 K; RHP Jose Geraldo 2 IP, H, 3 K; LHP Jason Blanchard 1 IP, H, K

Prospect Watch: After dropping the first two games of the series against the Sod Poodles, the Missions won their third straight on Saturday as San Diego native Victor Lizarraga delivered his best outing of the month. The righty tossed six shutout innings with eight strikeouts, landing 63 of 90 pitches for strikes. One of the youngest pitchers in the Texas League, the 20-year-old has a 4.03 ERA in 96 innings across 21 starts, striking out 102 against 44 walks. Lizarraga “works backward,” counting on landing his breaking pitches and generating swings and misses early in the count with his changeup early in the count, which is something most Double-A pitchers don’t do. His fastball is in the low 90s, but he has command of it and can put it where batters don’t want to swing. … After a tough return season to the Alamo City, Ripken Reyes is surging in August. He had a hit and a walk Saturday to push his on-base percentage this month to .385. … Jose Geraldo tossed a pair of scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Since being promoted from Fort Wayne, the 25-year-old righty has yet to allow a run while striking out nine against only one walk in his first three appearances (five innings). While he had a 5.34 ERA overall in 32 innings with the TinCaps, he had allowed just one run in his final 13 innings in the Midwest League.

Dayton Dragons 8, TinCaps 7

Key Statistics: C Ethan Salas 2-for-4, 3 RBI, BB; 1B Devin Ortiz 2-for-5, HR (6), 3 RBI; SS Wyatt Hoffman 1-for-2, RBI, BB, HBP; LHP Jagger Haynes 5.1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 BB, 7 K; RHP Dwayne Matos (L, 1-2) 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, K, HR

Prospect Watch: It started well for the TinCaps, with Devin Cruz hitting a three-run home run in the first, followed by a two-run Ethan Salas single, while Jagger Haynes threw five no-hit innings. Then the wheels came off. Haynes gave up a pair of singles to open the sixth then walked two in a row. Haynes got a force out at home plate before being pulled with the bases still loaded. Dwayne Matos then gave up a grand slam on his third pitch and Dayton never looked back in claiming their fifth straight win over Fort Wayne. Haynes, the last of the 2020 draft class still in the Padres organization, has showed plenty of upside as he’s finally been healthy enough to log 95.1 innings across 19 starts this year, posting a 4.15 ERA. Like Saturday’s performance, though, a high walk rate has hurt his overall performance. While he’s held opponents to a .220 average and struck out 96, he’s walked 58, nearly 15% of the batters he’s faced. Still, the 21-year-old lefty has accomplished his primary goal coming into the season, taking the ball and giving his team a chance to win every week. … Salas had another good game, collecting a pair of hits and a walk. He’s now reached base in 11 straight games, raising his OPS for the season 41 points in the process.

Inland Empire 66ers 3, Storm 2

Key Statistics: DH Brendan Durfee 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI; C Oswaldo Linares 1-for-3, 2B; RHP Miguel Mendez 4.2 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 7 K; RHP Xavier Ruiz 1.1 IP; LHP Yovannki Pascual 2 IP, H, BB, 4 K; RHP Luis German (L, 1-3) 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K  

Prospect Watch: The Storm carried a 2-0 lead into the ninth, but with two on and two outs, Randy Flores of Inland Empire drilled a single to center to tie the game off of reliever Luis German. He then stole second base and scored on a single. The Storm drew two walks in the bottom of the frame, but couldn’t get it done as B.Y. Choi struck out for his fourth time in the evening and Oswaldo Linares, who doubled earlier in the game, flew out to left field. The Storm will try to even the series on Sunday. … Leo De Vries had to exit the game in the top of the second inning after he jammed his right arm on a diving attempt up the middle. The 17-year-old superstar missed two weeks earlier this year when he injured his left shoulder on a similar attempt, but has appeared unbothered by it since returning. We’ll provide an update as soon as more information is available this week. … While the roster has nearly completely turned over from the one that clinched the playoffs in the first half, the Storm once again have a winning record in the second half as they get solid performances from recent draftees and other new additions. … Brendan Durfee, 23, had two hits against the 66ers and has a 1.014 OPS in his first 36 plate appearances. The Padres selected the big-bodied left-handed hitter out of UC Santa Barbara in the 14th round after he hit .349/.455/.566 in 209 plate appearances while splitting time between catcher and first base in his lone year facing D-1 competition. … Hard-throwing righty Miguel Mendez has been a key contributor to the rotation in the second half, bouncing back from a bumpy first few months. The wiry 22-year-old tossed 4.2 scoreless innings Saturday, lowering his ERA to 2.93 across 40 innings since the standings reset. While he’s continued to issue too many walks, he’s struck out 49 and held opponents to a .207 average as he works deeper into the year than he has since signing before the 2021 season. … After a hiccup in July, Xavier Ruiz, 21, has been back on track out of the Storm bullpen. The righty worked an inning and a third without allowing any runs, stranding the two runners he inherited from Mendez. On the season, he has a  2.44 ERA with 46 strikeouts and only 15 walks in 44.1 innings.