San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report: April 16

Round Rock Express 10, Chihuahuas 9

Key Stats: RHP Griffin Canning 2.2 IP, H, 6 R (2 ER), 6 K, 4 BB; RHP Andrew Thurman 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, K, BB; LHP Yuki Matsui IP, H, K; SS Mason McCoy 2-for-3, 2 HR (3), 4 RBI; 2B/1B Nick Solak 2-for-3, BB, 3 RBI; CF Jase Bowen 1-for-4, 3B

Prospect Watch: The Padres have said they want Griffin Canning to get a typical full spring training build-up on his rehab assignment. This one definitely felt like a mid-March contest for the righty, who struck out the side in the first, but completely lost the zone in the third inning as he walked the bases loaded. He induced a two-out fly to right-center that should have ended the threat, but the ball popped out of Carlos Rodriguez‘s glove in the gap to allow all three runs to come around and end his night. Canning had a healthy 36% whiff rate as he used his full five-pitch mix. He will certainly make at least one, and possibly two, more starts before he is ready to join the Padres. … Mason McCoy had a pair of two-run homers to lead the offense. The long-time defensive stalwart has had an odd start to his campaign, committing five errors on the left side of the infield in his first 64 total chances, but putting himself on track to pass his career-high 21 home run season for Tacoma back in 2023. … Jase Bowen collected his PCL-leading third triple of the year and drew a walk, but also punched out two more times. The 25-year-old has a career-best .355 isolated power rate in the early going while posting a 29.9% strikeout rate that’s in line with his career mark.

Missions 4, Midland RockHounds 1

Key Stats: RHP Miguel Mendez 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 6 K, 2 BB, WP; RHP Eric Yost 4 IP, H, 3 K, 3 BB; C Ethan Salas 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2B, SB (2); 2B Ryan Jackson 2-for-3, BB, 2B, 2 SB (4); 3B Luis Verdugo 2-for-3, 2B

Prospect Watch: Miguel Mendez continued his strong start to the year, punching out six while allowing just one run to pick up the win as he threw five innings for the first time. The Padres’ top right-handed pitching prospect is holding Texas League batters to a .178 average, 81 points better than his average against in six outings with the Missions at the end of last year. He’s still posted a 11.5% walk rate in the early going as he fights to dial in command of his lively stuff. In the coming weeks, both Tulsa and Midland will get a second look at him, which will be telling match-ups. … For the second straight outing, Eric Yost threw four scoreless innings in a piggyback role. He’ll likely slide into the rotation the next time through. He has struck out 10 and walked five in 9.2 innings. … Ethan Salas continues to heat up, collecting a double and two walks out of the leadoff spot. After starting the year 2-for-18, he’s hit in four straight games, and has reached base multiple times in the last three. He now has a .353 on-base percentage in the early going, though he continues to punch out at better than a 30% clip.

TinCaps 8, Lake County Captains 3

Key Stats: RHP Carson Montgomery 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 K, 3 BB, 2 HR, 2 HBP; RHP Tucker Musgrove IP, 3 K; LHP Braian Salazar 1.2 IP, H, 5 K, BB; C Lamar King Jr. 3-for-4, HR (1); DH Alex McCoy 1-for-4, HR (3); LF Jake Cunningham 2-for-4, 2 HR (3), 4 RBI; 3B Rosman Verdugo 1-for-4, HR (1)

Prospect Watch: A TinCaps squad that had six homers through the first 10 games of the year exploded for five round-trippers on a rainy night in the Cleveland suburbs to claim the win despite nearly two hours of rain delays. Outfielder Jake Cunningham led the parade with a pair of blasts, including a three-run shot to put the game out of reach in the ninth inning. The minor league free agent signing, who never got out of High-A after the Orioles drafted him in the fifth round in 2023, now sports a 1.148 OPS through his first 24 plate appearances in the Padres system despite an unsustainable 41.7% strikeout rate. … Catcher Lamar King Jr. had a big night as he looks to get untracked after a rough start to the season. The 22-year-old unloaded on a homer to deep left field to get the TinCaps on the board in the second inning and finished the night a triple short of the cycle. King came into the night just 2-for-28 with nine strikeouts in his first nine games, but added 253 points to his OPS with the big game. … Alex McCoy opened the year batting eighth in the lineup, but he’s continued to move up as he produces. The big man, serving as designated hitter Thursday, crushed his third homer of the year with a 110 mph shot deep over the left field wall. He’s now hitting .318/.368/.657 through 10 games. He already has 10 balls with an exit velocity of 104 mph or better. … Carson Montgomery wasn’t as sharp in his second start of the year, but the righty still fought through four innings, allowing a pair of runs while striking out four. The 23-year-old righty gave up leadoff homers in each of the first two innings and fought his command as he walked three and hit two, but did convert 42 of his 68 pitches into strikes. … Tucker Musgrove struck out the side as he made his first appearance of the year. He had a minor setback right before the Spring Breakout game in Peoria and was held back in Arizona to start the year, but is now looking to get two appearances a week as he continues to find a routine as a professional reliever. … Lefty Braian Salazar shut the door, striking out the side to end the game. The 20-year-old carried a career strikeout rate of over 30% into the year, but he’s always posted double-digit walk rates to go with it. In his first four outings this season, he’s punched out 13 of the 28 batters he’s faced, while walking only two.

Storm 11, Stockton Ports 7

Key Stats: RHP Bryan Balzer 5 IP 6 H, 4 ER, 5 K, 2 BB, WP, Balk; LHP Javier Chacon 2 IP, H, 2 R (0 ER), 6 K; CF Ryan Wideman 2-for-3, BB, 2B, HBP, CS (3); DH Bradley Frye 3-for-5, SB (2); C Truitt Madonna 2-for-5, 2 2B, SB (5); RF Kale Fountain 1-for-5, HR (2), 3 K; 2B/SS Jose Verdugo 2-for-5, 2B; 2B Justin DeCriscio 1-for-2, HR (1); 3B Kerrington Cross 2-for-3, 2B, HR (1), BB

Prospect Watch: The Storm pounded out seven runs in the second inning and added a three-spot to back a decent-but-not-great outing by Bryan Balzer to claim a win in Stockton. Center fielder Ryan Wideman continues to set the table well out of the leadoff spot for Lake Elsinore. He reached base four times on the night, collecting a double along the way. The dynamic athlete is making more contact this year with his toned-down leg kick and is hitting .271/.375/.417 through his first 56 plate appearances. He was cut down trying to steal for the third time in 10 attempts and continues to rely on his speed to outrun poor reads in center field. … Truitt Madonna, who is getting more work behind the plate with Ty Harvey on the IL, had a pair of doubles on the night to extend his hitting streak to eight straight. He’s 10-for-31 in that stretch with three doubles and a triple. … Undrafted free agent infielder Bradley Frye continued his stellar season debut, collecting three more hits. The 23-year-old is now hitting .412/.462/.618. … Kerrington Cross had a pair of extra-base hits including his first home run of the year, and drew a walk the night after turning 24. The senior sign out of the University of Cincinnati has drawn six walks and struck out nine times in the first 30 plate appearances of the year. … Balzer picked up his second win despite giving up runs in each of the first three innings. The 21-year-old righty, who only allowed one earned run across nine innings in his first two starts, surrendered six hits, a pair of walks, a wild pitch and a balk to push across a run through the first 3.2 innings, but closed strong by setting down the final seven batters he faced, including striking out the last two. That resilience may be the most impressive step forward the 2023 international free agent has taken in the last year as he gets more and more acclimated to pitching professionally. … Lefty Javier Chacon recorded all six of his outs by way of the K as he tossed a pair of innings. The 23-year-old out of Cuba is now up to 15 punchouts through 7.2 innings of work to open his third straight year in the Cal League. He’s likely to move up to Fort Wayne sooner than later.