Chihuahuas 7, Las Vegas Aviators 3
Key Statistics: 1B Trenton Brooks, 1-for-4, R, HR (5), RBI; C Luis Campusano, 1-for-3, 2 R, HR (2), RBI; 3B Eguy Rosario, 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB (1); SS Mason McCoy, 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI; CF Clay Dungan, 3-for-3, RBI; RHP Stephen Kolek, 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 K; RHP Ron Marinaccio (W, 1-0) 2 IP, H, K; RHP Francis Pena, IP, ER, 2 BB, K
Steven Kolek’s deep arsenal makes him a good starting pitching threat. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas used a four-run seventh inning to pull away from the Aviators Friday night. … Trenton Brooks only had one hit, but he made it count as he connected on his fifth homer of the year to move into a tie for second in the PCL, just one off the league lead. The veteran minor leaguer’s 1.298 OPS is second in the circuit, and he has walked (ten) more times than he has struck out (six). The 29-year-old hit a career-high 22 homers in the PCL in 2023, splitting the season between Las Vegas and Sacramento. … Like Brooks, Luis Campusano only had one hit Friday, but it was a majestic blast into the El Paso night. Campusano’s second homer of the season left the bat at 107 mph and traveled 436 feet. The 26-year-old backstop has a career .889 OPS in 185 games at the Triple-A level, but has not been able to translate the success at the big-league level. … Clay Dungan made the start in Triple-A and had a perfect night at the plate, tallying three hits while hitting out of the ninth spot in the order. The 28-year-old Dungan has been a useful player since joining the Padres in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft before last season. He’s played all over the infield and has added center field to his resume. Dungan’s .764 OPS this season aligns with his career mark of .749. … On the pitching side, Stephen Kolek bounced back from a rough outing last time out and pitched five solid innings. The former Mariners farmhand allowed a pair of runs on four hits and striking out four without a walk. Kolek topped out at 94 mph with his fastball and sat just a tick below that. The 27-year-old has had a pair of solid outings wrapped around one clunker that has inflated his ERA to 5.14 overall.The underlying numbers offer a few reasons to be optimistic. In 14 innings of work, Kolek has walked just one batter while striking out 13. Thus far, Kolek has looked like a solid depth starter who could contribute at the big-league level as he continues to build out a mix of six pitches. … After he left Thursday’s game when he was hit in the ribs with a pitch, Tirso Ornelas was again held out of the El Paso lineup.
Roster Moves: With Jake Cronenworth hitting the injured list, the Padres purchased Tyler Wade‘s contract and added him back to the big league roster. Veteran big leaguer Mike Brosseau came off the development list to occupy Wade’s roster spot.
Corpus Christi Hooks 4, Missions 3
Key Statistics; SS Anthony Vilar, 2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, SB (1); Marcos Castañon, 2-for-5, RBI; Moisés Gómez, 2-for-4, SB (2); 3B Devin Ortiz, 2-for-4, 2B, SB (1); LF Kai Murphy, 2-for-4, R, 2B; RHP Henry Baez, 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K; RHP Jose Geraldo, 2 IP, H, 3 K; Jake Higginbotham (L, 1-1) 0.1 IP, 2 ER, 2 BB
Henry Baez has had a solid year. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Prospect Watch: The Missions let a lead slip away in the seventh and lost on the road to Corpus Christi. … Anthony Vilar had a double and a single out of the leadoff spot, and he added a stolen base for good measure. The former Miami Hurricane started at shortstop for the third time in his professional career. The two-hit effort raised his OPS to .722. … Marcos Castañon continued his torrid start with two more singles and an RBI. The 26-year-old infielder has hit safely in all seven games this season and has three multi-hit games to second in the circuit with a .464 batting average. … Kai Murphy had a double and a single, scoring a run in the Missions’ loss. Murphy, 24, is 4-for-11 in three games this week. … Righty Henry Baez made the start and pitched well but did not factor in the decision. The only blemish against Baez was a two-run blast in the third inning. The 22-year-old completed four innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He struck out six without allowing a walk. He filled the zone consistently – of his 60 pitches, 40 landed for strikes. Baez should be able to throw 75-80 pitches in his next outing as he continues to stretch out. … Jose Geraldo took over for Baez and pitched well, tossing a pair of scoreless innings. The 26-year-old has thrown up 3.2 innings of scoreless relief to start the season. He impressed last year down the stretch for the Missions, where he pitched to a 2.70 ERA in nine games.
TinCaps 5, Dayton Dragons 1
Key Statistics: C Brendan Durfee, 2-for-4, 2B, RBI; Brandon Butterworth, 1-for-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Rosman Verdugo, 1-for-2, R, 2 BB; RHP Enmanuel Pinales (W, 1-0) 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 7 K; RHP Eiker Huizi, 2 IP, K; RHP Tyson Neighbors, IP, H, 3 K
Enmanuel Pinales delivers for the TinCaps. (Photo: Fort Wayne TinCaps)
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps were stymied early by last year’s number two overall pick (and 2021 Padres draftee) Chase Burns, but they rallied for three runs in the sixth to beat the Dragons in Dayton. … Brendan Durfee had a nice day at the plate with two hits, including a double. He also added an RBI as well. The 23-year-old catcher is hitting .320/.320/.480 with four doubles to start the year, though he has struck out 10 times in 25 plate appearances. … Enmanuel Pinales turned in a fantastic outing, earning his first win of the season. The 23-year-old battled the cold Dayton air and pitched five shutout innings, allowing just one hit. He walked a pair and struck out seven. Pinales is back in Fort Wayne after a solid run in the Summit City last season, though he might not spend much more time in Northeast Indiana if his early results are any indicator. Through two starts, Pinales has not surrendered a run in 8.2 innings. He’s punched out 11 batters and allowed just three hits. The right-hander has four pitches and typically sits in the 91-93 mph range with his fastball. San Diego will need to add him to the 40-man roster this off-season or risk losing him in the Rule 5 Draft. …Tyson Neighbors entered the game in the ninth, and even though it wasn’t a save situation, was still quite sharp. The former Kansas State reliever struck out the side around one hit. Through three outings, Neighbors has not allowed a run. He has racked up seven strikeouts while walking three batters.
Modesto Nuts 13, Storm 9
Key Statistics: DH Sean Barnett, 2-for-4, R, BB, 2B; 3B B.Y. Choi, 1-for-3, 2 R, 3B, 2 BB, 2 RBI; 1B Zach Evans, 2-for-5, R; RF Ryan Wilson, 3-for-5, 2 R, RBI, SB (1); C Victor Duarte, 2-for-5, R, RBI; RHP Maikei Miralles, 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; RHP Bernard Jose, 2.1 IP, 3 H, BB, 2 K; LHP Yovannki Pascual (L, 0-1) 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K
Sean Barnett has hit well while adjusting to the professional game. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Prospect Watch: The Storm were three outs away from their first victory of the season, but Modesto exploded for five runs to pull away. The loss dropped their record to 0-7. The Midwest League’s Peoria Chiefs are the only other winless team in affiliated baseball. … The Storm’s struggles have largely been on the pitching side. Through seven games, the Storm pitching has an unfathomable 10.50 ERA – by far the worst mark in all of minor league baseball. Opposing hitters have carried a Tony Gwynn-like .342 average against Storm pitching, which has also issued 57 free passes in 60 innings. The collective 2.43 WHIP is also the worst in professional baseball. … The Storm offense has looked better against Modesto, as Sean Barnett continues to swing the bat well. The designated hitter had a single and a double and drew a walk in the loss. Barnett is hitting .273/.407/.455 through six games with a double and a homer. … Right fielder Ryan Wilson had three singles, scored two runs, and drove in a run. Wilson came into the night just 3-for-22 on the season. Last season, Wilson had a solid .361 on-base percentage but had the lowest slugging percentage (.282) among qualified hitters in the Cal League. He has yet to notch an extra-base hit this season. … Infielder B.Y. Choi, in the lineup at third base, had a triple and drew two walks in five trips to the plate. The Padres’ 20th-round pick in 2023, who turns 23 at the end of the month, has shown a quicker bat so far this season, helping him cut down his swing and miss. Through his first 20 plate appearances, he’s struck out only three times.
