Chihuahuas 9, Reno Aces 7
Key Statistics: 2B Will Wagner 2-for-5, 2 RBI; DH Nate Mondou 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, RBI; LF-RF Tirso Ornelas 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR (4, 5), 4 RBI; SS Mason McCoy 2-for-5, 2 R, SB (17); LHP JP Sears (W, 1-0) 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K; RHP Sean Reynolds IP; RHP Ron Marinaccio (S, 5) IP, 2 H, ER, BB, K
Tirso Ornelas had a big night as he works back from the IL. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: El Paso took the lead in the second inning and held on to defeat the Aces in The Biggest Little City in the World. … It was a massive night for Tirso Ornelas, as the El Paso left fielder connected on a pair of homers – his fourth and fifth of the season. Neither of Ornelas’ blasts were prodigious shots – they left the bat at 101 and 96.9 mph. Still, it’s a welcome sight in a frustrating season for the 24-year-old. Ornelas made his big league debut earlier this season, going 1-for-14 in seven games. After being optioned to Triple-A, he missed about two months with plantar fasciitis. With six weeks left in the season, the left-handed hitting outfielder has an opportunity to finish on a high note. … Will Wagner continued his hot hitting with a pair of singles in the El Paso win. The 26-year-old infielder has hit safely in all eight games since joining the Padres organization at the deadline and is hitting .371/.450/.514 since joining the organization. … Lefty JP Sears made his first outing as a Chihuahua and pitched well to earn the win. Sears tossed five innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out three. It was Sears’ first outing in Triple-A since 2022. He has started 23 games at the big league level in 2025, pitching to a 5.15 ERA. The Padres have a full rotation but they still have Sears, Randy Vásquez, Kyle Hart, and Matt Waldron as depth options who have started at least one game for the big league club this season. … Yonathan Perlaza left the game after fouling a ball off his foot in the second inning. The right fielder finished his plate appearance, but was limping badly on his way to first base.
Tulsa Drillers 8, Missions 5
Key Statistics: RF Moisés Gómez 2-for-5, SB (8); SS Francisco Acuña 3-for-4, 2 R, BB, RBI; DH Albert Fabian 2-for-3, R, BB, SB (1); RHP Victor Lizarraga 3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, BB, 2 K; LHP Ryan Och 2 IP, H, 2 K; RHP Andrew Moore (L, 3-2) 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K; RHP Garrett Hawkins IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB
Francisco Acuña serves as a spark at the top of the lineup. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Prospect Watch: The Missions overcame a four-run deficit, but things slipped away in the late innings and San Antonio lost to the Drillers in Oklahoma. … Francisco Acuña had a solid night at the plate, delivering three singles, a walk, and an RBI in the loss. The former Pirates prospect has found new life in the Padres organization after signing as a free agent in the off-season. He’s set new career highs with 89 games played, eight home runs, and 34 RBIs. He’s also carrying a solid wRC+ of 109 while playing good defense at shortstop. He can become a free agent once again this offseason if the Padres don’t add him to the 40-man roster. … Righty Victor Lizarraga got through a pair of scoreless innings before things unraveled. The righty allowed four runs in the third, and he didn’t come out for a fourth. The still-just-21-year-old righty has had a miserable run in his second stint with the Missions. Lizarraga has walked a career-high 13 percent of batters in 2025 to go with a below-average 21% K-rate. Lizarraga has been praised in the past for his ability to sequence hitters, but his below-average heater has not played well in the upper minors. Tuesday’s start inflated his ERA to 7.36 this season. … The streak is finally over as Garrett Hawkins showed is human, after all. The righty saw his 38-inning scoreless streak snapped after he allowed a pair of runs in the eighth inning. He surrendered a pair of hits and three walks in his inning of work. It was the first time since April 23 that the 25-year-old allowed a run and the first time all year he walked more than two. Overall, in 36 games between Fort Wayne and the Missions, Hawkins has a 1.65 ERA.
TinCaps 6, West Michigan Whitecaps 1
Key Statistics: RF Braedon Karpathios 2-for-3, R, BB, 2B, SB (8); 2B Zach Evans 1-for-4, 2B; CF Kai Roberts 2-for-3, R, HR (4), 3 RBI, BB, SB (23); RHP Ian Koenig (W, 5-6) 7 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 7 K; LHP Harry Gustin IP, 2 K
Braedon Karpathios has shown a strong all-fields approach at the plate. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps scored a pair of runs in the first two innings and cruised past the Whitecaps in Fort Wayne. … Braedon Karpathios had another multi-hit game, as the right fielder continues to make his case as the top player on the Fort Wayne roster. He singled twice, drew a walk, and added his eighth stolen base of the season. Karpathios has been red-hot in August, hitting .417/.500/.583. The 21-year-old has turned himself into a legitimate prospect in a system that badly needs players to break out after being thinned out at the deadline. … Kai Roberts connected on his fourth homer of the season in the victory. Roberts added a single, a walk, and his 23rd stolen base of the year. It’s been a disappointing campaign for the former Utah outfielder after he showed promise with the Storm down the stretch last season. The undrafted free agent has punched out in nearly 30% of his plate appearances and is slugging just .264. He has walked in nearly 15% of his plate appearances to bolster his wRC+ to 91. … Righty Ian Koenig tossed seven innings for the second straight game, although this time he found himself in the win column. The righty allowed just one run on five hits, he walked one, and struck out a season-high seven batters. The outing came against a team that is 40 games above .500. Koenig doesn’t miss bats typically, but he’s been a surprisingly durable arm for Fort Wayne. He’s tossed five innings in seven straight games, and over his last three starts, he’s worked 20 innings. Overall, the 24-year-old has a 5.17 ERA.
San Jose Giants 13, Storm 2
Key Statistics: 2B Dylan Grego 2-for-5; SS Jorge Quintana 2-for-5, R; 1B Kale Fountain 1-for-1, R, 3 BB; RHP Humberto Cruz (L, 0-3) 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; RHP Jordan Valenzuela 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, ER, BB, 2 K; RHP Bernard Jose IP, H, BB
Humberto Cruz delivers for the Storm. (Photo: Artur Ivanov)
Prospect Watch: The Storm pitching staff walked 10 batters and the offense went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position to ensure a loss to the Giants at The Diamond. … Shortstop Jorge Quintana made his Lake Elsinore Diamond debut and contributed with a pair of singles. He also turned a fantastic double play after a ball went off a diving Dylan Grego’s glove. Quintana played the ricochet, touched second, and fired to first to complete the twin-killing. In six games with the Storm, Quintana is hitting .208/.296/.250. …Grego also singled twice, notching the first multi-hit game of his young career. The two-hit night extended his hitting streak to five games. Grego started all 58 games for Ball State this past season, hitting .376/.429/.624, while earning first-team All-MAC honors. Grego was selected in the 13th round last month. … Humberto Cruz made the start and struggled against arguably the best team in the Cal League. The 18-year-old tossed 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits. He walked a pair and struck out five, setting a new career-high. Cruz has shown flashes, but as expected for an 18-year-old, he’s also been inconsistent. Overall, Cruz has a 6.97 ERA with the Storm this season.
