Chihuahuas 10, Albuquerque Isotopes 6
Key Statistics: CF Brandon Lockridge 3-for-5, 3 R, BB, 2B; RF Forrest Wall 3-for-4. R. BB. 3B, SB (15); 3B Mike Brosseau 2-for-5, R, 2 RBI; RHP Logan Gillaspie 4 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K; RHP Manuel Castro (W, 1-0) 0.2 IP, BB, K; RHP Bradgley Rodriguez 1.1 IP, BB
Brandon Lockridge added some speed to the El Paso lineup. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas’ offense failed to homer, but they used a 12-hit attack to defeat Albuquerque in front of a huge crowd of over 12,000 at Isotopes Park. … Center fielder Brandon Lockridge didn’t hit much with the Padres this season, but he’s had no issues making contact in the PCL. The speedster had three hits, including a double, and he scored three runs out of the leadoff spot. In his first five games back with El Paso, the outfielder has a 1.300 OPS. … Not to be outdone, right fielder Forrest Wall had a pair of singles, stroked a triple, and stole his 15th base to cap off a productive night. The veteran outfielder got off to a slow start to his first season in the system, but he hit .304/.396/.418 in June, and he’s off to a 6-for-12 start in July. … Logan Gillaspie was designated for assignment last week but cleared waivers and was outrighted to El Paso. He made the start on Friday and delivered four shutout innings. He gave up a pair of hits, walked two, and struck out three. The veteran righty was rehabbing a left oblique strain before being removed from the 40-man. While Gillaspie doesn’t have a ton of upside, he’s capable of eating innings in the bullpen or in the rotation as needed.
Corpus Christi Hooks 5, Missions 4 (completion of July 3 game)
Key Statistics: 1B Romeo Sanabria 2-for-4, R, HR (7), 3 RBI; SS Wyatt Hoffman 2-for-4, R; C Anthony Vilar 1-for-4; LHP Jagger Haynes 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K; RHP Jose Geraldo 2 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K; LHP Jake Higginbotham (L, 5-3) 0.2 IP, 3 H, ER
Corpus Christi Hooks 2, Missions 0 (7 innings)
Key Statistics: C Brandon Valenzuela 1-for-3; DH Albert Fabian 1-for-3, 2B; RHP Enmanuel Pinales (L, 4-4) 4.2 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K; RHP Kevin Kopps 1.1 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 4 K
Romeo Sanabria. (Photo: Vashaun Newman)
Prospect Watch: After the Missions’ game was suspended in the fifth inning Thursday, the club ended up losing that contest and their planned game on the road in Corpus Christi Friday. … After singling in the first inning Thursday, Romeo Sanabria connected on his seventh homer of the season in the continuation Friday. The 23-year-old was one of the best hitters in the Texas League for the first two months of the season, but he had a miserable June, hitting a paltry .194/.260/.237 with a 28.8% K-rate. In the season’s first two months, the first baseman punched out in just 15.8% of his plate appearances. Despite the prolonged slump, he carries a wRC+ of 104 with the Missions this season. … Wyatt Hoffman had a pair of singles in the first game. He also scored a run. It was Hoffman’s fourth multi-hit game of the season for the Missions. Hoffman provides some speed and defensive versatility, but he’s hitting just .163/.235/.183 in 2025. … Jagger Haynes was done with his outing before the rain arrived Thursday night after struggling to find the strike zone. He managed six strikeouts in 4.2 innings, but he walked five batters and allowed two runs on three hits. The 22-year-old has had a bit of an uneven year for the Missions. On one front, he’s averaged a strikeout per inning while holding Texas League batters to a .234 average. On the other hand, he’s walked 40 batters in 73 innings. Overall, the North Carolina native has a 4.07 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) this season. … The San Antonio offense managed just two hits in the seven-inning nightcap. Enmanuel Pinales matched solid pitching with the Hooks through the first four, but got tagged for six runs in the fifth inning as this one got away from him and the team. The 24-year-old righty had been working in a relief and piggyback role since late May after getting off to a brutal start to the year. He worked to a 2.21 ERA out of the bullpen, but has a 5.82 mark as a starter. … Albert Fabian, who joined the club Thursday, had a double in three trips to the plate in his first Double-A game.
Roster Moves: Right-handed reliever Kevin Kopps was sent down from El Paso to San Antonio. Kopps threw Friday, allowing an earned run in 1.1 innings despite recording all four outs by strikeout. He had a 5.30 ERA in 35.2 innings for the Chihuahuas
TinCaps 6, Lansing Lugnuts 3
Key Statistics: 2B Rosman Verdugo 3-for-5; 3B Ryan Jackson 1-for-4, R, BB, RBI; C Brendan Durfee 2-for-3, R, HR (1), 2 RBI, BB; CF Brandon Butterworth, 1-for-5, 2B; RHP Isaiah Lowe (W, 3-7) 6.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 4 K; RHP Garrett Hawkins (S, 5) 1.1 IP, H
Rosman Verdugo continues to be productive despite holes in his game. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps scored a pair in the first inning and never trailed, winning on the road in Lansing. … Rosman Verdugo singled three times in five plate appearances. He has hit safely in all three games he’s played this month. His hot start to July comes on the heels of a strange June. The Ensenada native had an impressive .426 on-base percentage last month, thanks to 25 walks. However, he struck out 27 times and hit just .194. Overall, the TinCaps infielder has a .816 OPS this season, despite striking out in a third of his plate appearances. … Catcher Brendan Durfee connected on his first homer of the year as part of a multi-hit evening. The 2024 draftee out of UC Santa Barbara impressed in a brief cameo with the Storm last season, but the 23-year-old has struggled to a .621 OPS this season. … Brandon Butterworth had a double in five plate appearances, but that was not the most interesting development involving the former NC State infielder. Butterworth, who has been a steady offensive contributor, made his first professional start in center field. The speedy North Carolina native had never played on the grass at any point in his career, but the versatility will help as his most likely path to making the big leagues is as a super utilityman. … Righty Isaiah Lowe looked sharp Friday, tying a career-high with 6.1 innings pitched. He allowed eight hits, but for the first time this season, he did not issue a walk. The 22-year-old righty, who came into the year as the Padres’ seventh overall prospect, has shown flashes but has battled command issues, especially earlier in the season. While Friday’s outing was far from perfect, it was as sharp as he has looked all year as he ran his fastball up to 97 and got awkward swings with his slider. … Garrett Hawkins recorded the final four outs for his fifth save of the season. More impressively, it was the 20th consecutive outing in which Hawkins has not allowed a run. He’s pitched 25 consecutive scoreless innings. Opponents are hitting just .127 against the big righty on the year.
Storm 14, Inland Empire 66ers 6
Key Statistics: SS Cobb Hightower 2-for-4, 3 R, 2 BB, RBI; LF Kaden Hollow 2-for-4, 2 R, BB, RBI; 3B Zach Evans 2-for-5, 3 R, BB, 2 RBI; 1B Victor Figueroa 2-for-5, 2B, BB, 3 RBI; DH Kavares Tears 2-for-4, BB, 2B, 3B, 2 BB, 3 RBI; C Carlos Rodriguez 2-for-3, 3 R, 3 BB, RBI; RHP Maikel Miralles 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB; RHP Johan Moreno (W, 2-4) 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K; RHP Tanner Smith 1.2 IP, H, K
Kavares Tears has shown the ability to do damage on contact. (Photo: Artur Ivanov)
Prospect Watch: The Storm scored six runs in the sixth inning to pull away from the 66ers in front of a packed house in San Bernardino. … The Storm had six different players notch a multi-hit game and their first five batters all reached base at least three times. … Cobb Hightower set the tone out of the leadoff spot, reaching base four times in six plate appearances on a pair of singles and two walks. He also scored three runs. The 20-year-old shortstop has looked much more comfortable at the plate in recent days after battling injuries this season. He’s reached base in four consecutive contests. He has a solid .363 on-base percentage for the Storm. … Lamar King Jr. got the night off, but catcher Carlos Rodriguez helped fill the void of the reigning California League Player of the Month by reaching base five times. The 22-year-old singled twice, drew three walks, and scored three runs as well. The Venezuela native began the year in the desert before earning a second go-around with the Storm. In a small, 11-game sample, Rodriguez has an .894 OPS. … Kavares Tears doubled and tripled in four at-bats, providing the slug for the potent Storm offense. In 62 games for the Storm, the former Tennessee outfielder has 22 extra-base hits, including a team-leading nine homers. … After starter Maikel Miralles struggled, Johan Moreno came in and stabilized things a bit. The righty pitched 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits, earning the win for his efforts. The 22-year-old has a 6.04 ERA in 19 games for the Storm.
ACL Rangers 7, ACL Padres 5
Key Statistics: 2B Luis De Leon 2-for-3, 2 R, BB, SB (11); CF Donte Grant 3-for-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B, RBI; 3B Kevin Hacen 2-for-5, R; RHP Luis Maracara 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; RHP Xavier Ruiz (L, 0-1) 1.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 K
Donte Grant continues to work to turn his tools into production. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: The ACL Padres showed some fight but lost their tenth straight, dropping their record to 10-35. Their run differential of -159 is 76 behind the second-worst total in the league with two weeks left to play. … Center fielder Donte Grant had three hits, including a double. He also drove in a pair of runs. The 20-year-old has yet to make it out of the ACL since signing as an undrafted free agent two years ago as he works to gain strength. Grant has yet to homer in his professional career, but he has eight doubles and three triples in 42 games this year. Overall, the Washington native’s .690 OPS this season is right in line with the .691 mark he posted in 59 plate appearances between 2023 and 2024. … Luis De Leon continued his outstanding year with two more hits. He also stole his 11th base of the season. The switch-hitting infielder has a .768 OPS this season. … Righty Luis Maracara made the start and tossed 3.1 innings. He allowed two runs on two hits, walking three and striking out two. He has a 7.53 ERA for the complex club.
