San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report: May 28

Chihuahuas 3, Sacramento River Cats 1

Key Statistics: LF Tirso Ornelas 2-for-4, HR (3), 2B, 3 RBI; 1B Trenton Brooks 2-for-3, R, BB, 2B; RHP Ryan Bergert 4 IP, H, 4 K; RHP Miguel Cienfuegos 2 IP, 2 H, K; RHP Francis Peña IP, 2 H, ER, BB

Prospect Watch: There was a pitchers’ duel in the state capitol on Wednesday as Ryan Bergert faced off against the River Cats’ Mason Black. Bergert was outstanding over his four innings of work, allowing only one baserunner. He threw 65 pitches – 40 for strikes – five days after he threw 46 pitches. If he should start his next game in San Diego, he should be good for around 80 pitches. Bergert averaged 94.6 mph on his fastball and generated nine whiffs over his four innings of work. … Through the seventh inning stretch, Tirso Ornelas‘ third home run of 2025, and second in as many days, was the only run. The ball, which was the third-hardest hist ball in Triple-A on the day at 109.8 mph, traveled 414 feet.  After the River Cats rallied for a run off Francis Peña to tie it in the seventh, Ornelas once again got to be the hero. Facing old friend Joey Lucchesi, who cruised through his first two innings, with two on in the ninth inning, Ornelas scorched a two-RBI double that chased Lucchesi from the game and gave the Chihuahuas a 3-1 victory. Since being sent down, the Tijuana native is hitting .299/.329/.455.

Game 1: Missions 4, Northwest Arkansas Travelers 1 (7 innings)

Key Stats: LHP Jagger Haynes 6 IP, H, R, 3 BB, 6 K; 1B Romeo Sanabria 2-for-4, 2B, R; C Brandon Valenzuela 1-for-3, R, RBI, BB; DH Marcos Castañon 2-for-3, R

Game 2: Missions 1, Northwest Arkansas Travelers 0 (8 innings)

Key Statistics: RHP Henry Baez 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K; RHP Jose Espada 1.2 IP, 2 K; RHP Bradgley Rodriguez IP, 2 K; RF Joshua Mears 1-for-2, BB; DH Brandon Valenzuela 1-for-3, 2B; 1B Romeo Sanabria 1-for-3

Prospect Watch: After back-to-back bad outings, Jagger Haynes ended the month on an incredibly high note. Not only did the 22-year-old lefty not allow an earned run over six-plus innings, but he did not allow a ball to leave the infield until the sixth inning. Through five innings, Haynes only allowed one a walk, and he subsequently picked off the runner on first.  The only member left of the 2020 draft class will finish May with a 3.55 ERA and 11.01 K/9 for the month. … It would have been hard for Henry Baez to match Haynes’ start, but the 22-year-old also did not allow an earned run despite needing 64 pitches to get through 4.1 innings. While it might have been a quick hook for Baez, the only hitter to make hard contact off Baez was coming up and was already 2-for-2 off him.  Baez finishes the month not allowing an earned run over his last three starts (15.2 IP) and fa 1.80 ERA and 7.2 K/9 overall. … The Missions finally scratched a run across in the extra eighth thanks to the Manfred man, and called upon Bradgley Rodriguez for the save. The first batter hit a grounder to short that was booted, putting the tying run on third with no out. From there, the 21-year-old reliever did it himself, striking out the next two batters before getting a weak grounder to second to end the game.  Rodriguez has not allowed a run in 10 of 11 May outings.  Possibly more impressive, the flame-throwing Rodriguez has not walked a batter in four weeks. … While offense was hard to come by in both games, the top offensive threat was Romeo Sanabria. By “only” getting one hit in the nightcap, Sanabria snapped a streak of three straight multi-hit games with a double. While the Missions offense is ninth in the 10-team Texas League in most categories, Sanabria is hitting .336/.377/.510 in Double-A. Sanabria leads the circuit in batting and is fourth with an .887 OPS.

Roster Notes: The organization has been managing workload for Braden Nett, who last appeared in a game for the club on May 17. The righty, who threw only 65 innings last year and had a short offseason between throwing in the Puerto Rico winter league into December and reporting to big league camp in early February, will likely get another break at some point in the season as he looks to approach doubling his career pitch total this year.

Great Lakes Loons 10, TinCaps 1

Key Statistics: SS Leo De Vries 1-for-4, E (12); 2B Brandon Butterworth 1-for-4, RBI; DH Sean Barnett 1-for-3, 2B, R; RHP Clark Candiotti 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R (ER), BB, 6 K

Prospect Watch: After setting the world on fire in April, Leo De Vries has come back down to Earth. While he has reached base safely in all but three games, including a single Wednesday, hits haven’t been coming in bunches and the power has disappeared. De Vries had 12 extra-base-hits in April, including four home runs but has only four total extra-base hits in May. He also committed his league-leading 12th error Wednesday in his 35th game at short. With runners at second and third, and one out in the first, De Vries was playing in to cut off the run. Clark Candiotti induced the grounder right to De Vries, but he picked his glove up too quickly to try and make the throw, and the ball squirted under his glove. While frustrating, it remains an on-the-job learning experience for De Vries. … After the first inning, Candiotti settled down and had one of his best performances in pro ball. The 24-year-old completed five innings for the second time this month but has given up no more than one earned run in three of four starts. More importantly, after walking 15 and hitting four over his first six starts (15.2 IP), Candiotti has only walked one in each of his last two starts while striking out a combined 15 batters in 9.2 innings. … After lighting the MWL on fire with a .438/.545/.563 line in his first week with the club, Sean Barnett has cooled down drastically.  The 21-year-old, who has progressed to live bullpens in his ramp-up to make his pitching debut next month, came through with his first double since he had two doubles during the first week of games in the first week of May. Barnett is hitting .250/.375/.318 for the TinCaps.

Stockton Ports 6, Storm 4

Key Statistics: DH Kavares Tears 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI; 3B BY Choi 1-for-4, RS; C Carlos Rodriguez 2-for-3, R, RBI, BB; CF Ryan Wilson 1-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI; LHP Ruben Salinas 2.1 IP, 4 K

Prospect Watch: Despite the four runs, the Storm had only six hits and grounded into two double plays. Kavares Tears led the way with two hits, including a double. The former Tennessee Volunteer is still waiting to be healthy enough to play the outfield, but even with his hamstring issue, he is still hitting .272 with a .743 OPS.  … After catcher reshuffling across the system on Tuesday, Carlos Rodriguez got his first chance of the year to play in the Cal League.  After hitting .357/.471/.393 in nine games in the ACL, Rodriguez immediately made the most of his first start. He singled in the first run of the game in the fourth, and then scored after walking in the seventh. Despite signing with the Padres nearly six years ago, this was only the eighth-ever game of full-season ball for the 22-year-old catcher to make a great first impression.  … Converted outfielder Ruben Salinas, another 2019 signee also had a great outing. The lefty did not allow a hit for the first time this year, and a run for just the second time.  The 22-year-old who grew up south of Ensenada had his best outing by far as a professional, going seven up and seven down with four strikeouts. He was previously with the Storm in 2022 when, as an outfielder, he posted a .299 OPS in limited action and was soon moved to the mound.

Roster Notes: Lefty Kash Mayfield, who left his last outing on May 13 with shoulder discomfort, met with medical staff and was cleared. Because he is so young and will have his workload managed throughout the year, the organization has him working back slowly. He’ll throw a side and a live bullpen this week and should be back in game action next week. … Cobb Hightower has been sidelined by a balky knee over the last week. He’s continuing to undergo evaluation and should have a plan for his return to action.

The ACL Padres return to action Thursday with Humberto Cruz scheduled to work two innings again. Kale Fountain, who has been out of action for two weeks with a hamstring issue unrelated to last fall’s Tommy John surgery, should also be back in action at designated hitter. The leg injury doesn’t appear to have had an impact on the timeline for him to get into action at first base next month. … Starting next week, he’ll likely be sharing DH duties with Albert Fabian, who suffered a gruesome let injury almost exactly a year ago in Fort Wayne. The left-handed slugger was as hot as anyone in the game in the weeks before his injury and will look to show he can be ready to join an affiliate by late June.

 

David Jay contributed to the reporting, and likely typos, in this piece.