El Paso Chihuahuas (Won Series against the Las Vegas Aviators)
Francis Pena had his most impressive week in Triple-A. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Top Performers: The Chihuahuas came within a blown save in the ninth inning on Sunday of sweeping the Aviators and winning 11 of their last 12 games. Still, it was an impressive end-of-the-year performance for Pete Zamora’s squad. … Calvin Mitchell put himself in the conversation for a spot on the 40-man roster this winter and possibly a shot with the Padres next Spring. This week, he hit five home runs in six games, with nine overall hits and three walks for a slash line of .391/.444/1.087. An interesting side note: he also struck out eight times, but it is essential to note what he was doing when he wasn’t striking out: a lot of damage. Mitchell, 25, had his best month in September, finishing off with a 1.193 OPS in 72 plate appearances, and on the season, was just behind Tirso Ornelas with 22 home runs for a .871 OPS. … Francis Pena, 25, started the year in High-A Fort Wayne, and his electric stuff carried him to the brink of the big leagues in El Paso. This week, he appeared in three games, threw four innings, and led the team in strikeouts with seven against no walks, two hits, and one earned run. Between three levels, he threw 63 innings, which nearly doubled his career-high of 34 innings, with 64 strikeouts and only 18 walks for a 3.29 ERA.
Ethan Routzahn had a 2.19 ERA across three levels. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Others of Note and Top Prospects: After spending most of the year in the big leagues, Luis Campusano, 25, could have easily put in a half-ass effort, but he helped to lead the Chihuahuas to their best stretch of the season as the team went 10-1 and the staff had the second best ERA in the PCL at 3.45. At the plate in Las Vegas, he hit .478 with 11 hits in five games and six RBI for a 1.152 OPS. El Paso had seven batters that posted an OPS of .800 or above, but after Mitchel and Campusano, Clay Dungan, 28, stood out the most with a .364/.444/.545 slash line while again playing all over the field. The left-handed hitter, who was a Rule 5 minor league selection this past offseason, saw regular time at shortstop, second, and third base in the infield in addition to center and left field. … Gabe Mosser finished a strong year, going six innings in his final start and only allowing two runs. Mosser, 28, finished the year leading the Chihuahuas in innings pitched with 133.1 and strikeouts with 103. As his manager, Pete Zamora, said, “He takes the ball every fifth day and gives you a chance to win.” … Ethan Routzahn,26, closed out a fine season with three scoreless appearances with three strikeouts against one hit and one walk. As with Pena, he also saw time at three different levels and finished the year with a 2.19 ERA in 70 innings.
