RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. — The Storm dropped their opening night contest up the road in Rancho Cucamonga 16-9 in a sloppy three-plus hour contest that included 19 walks, three hit batters, three wild pitches, and five pitch clock violations.
“Obviously, that’s not how we wanted to start,” said new Storm manager Brian Burres. “But it was nice to see the offense keep grinding at-bats and put up a couple of crooked numbers.”
Maikel Miralles, 20, got the opening night nod after making 16 appearances – five starts – for Lake Elsinore in the 2024 campaign. The righty worked mainly with a fastball sitting 92-93 mph and a slider, though he showed a handful of solid changeups to left-handed batters.
The Venezuela native gave up a leadoff double to open the game, then saw the run come around on a passed ball and sacrifice fly. He pitched around a couple of two-out runners in the second, but the top of the Quakes lineup plated three against him in the third inning as he issued a pair of walks along with two hits. While Miralles punched out three, he landed just 29 of 58 pitches for strikes on the night.
Lamar King, who drew a walk in the first inning, collected Elsinore’s first hit of the year when he rifled a 104 mph single to left field to open the fourth. One out later, B.Y. Choi flared a broken bat single to right. After Ryan Wilson bounced into a fielder’s choice, a pair of walks from Quakes starter Hyun-Seok Jang pushed across the Storm’s first run.
Things went off the tracks for Lake Elsinore in the fifth when three pitchers combined to allow seven runs on six hits, four walks, a hit batter, and a balk. Impressively, though, the offense scratched back in the next half inning.
After two quick outs, the Storm plated four as they strung together five straight singles and a Quakes throwing error. While none of the balls were hit hard, it was a clear example of the organization’s commitment to “Petco Park Hitting.”
Lamar King crushed a grand slam in the 2025 season opener. (Photo: Gail Verderico)
The bullpen couldn’t keep the game close, allowing a pair of runs in each of the next two frames before the Elsinore offense again got going with two outs in the eighth. The Storm were gifted with a pair of walks and a hit batter to load the bases for King. The big catcher got ahead 2-0 before launching a grand slam deep into the right-center gap.
“He got a pitch he could handle and took advantage,” said Burres. “I didn’t expect to see a ball go out to that part of the park, especially late when it was this cold.”
King, whose career has been slowed by a series of injuries since the Padres drafted him out of high school in the fourth round back in 2022, will be counted on to fuel the Storm offense, especially until Cobb Hightower, Kavares Tears, and Kale Fountain are healthy enough to join the club. The 21-year-old had something of a coming-out party in the ACL last summer offensively as he rehabbed from shoulder surgery, but will look to take another step forward in his first complete year in full-season ball.
Choi also reached base three times in the contest as he drew a pair of walks. The 2023 20th-round pick had an .829 OPS in the desert last summer, but struggled in his first taste of Cal League action. A left-handed hitter, Choi hit just .207/.311/.304 in 24 games with Lake Elsinore at the end of the season. While he got the opening night start at shortstop, he’ll likely shift over to third when Hightower arrives.
Infielder Zach Evans, outfielder Kasen Wells, and right-handed relievers Evan Swilling and Vicarte Domingo made professional debuts in the contest. Evans, Wells, and Domingo were each drafted out of college last summer, while Swilling signed as an undrafted free agent.
