Chihuahuas 9, Reno Aces 5
Key Stats: CF Jase Bowen 2-for-4, 2B, BB; 2B Samad Taylor 3-for-5, 2B, HR (4), 4 RBI; LF Nick Schnell 1-for-3, 2B, BB, 3 R; LHP Jackson Wolf 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), 3 K, 2 HBP; RHP Eli Villalobos IP, 2 K; LHP Yuki Matsui 2 IP, H, 2 K
Prospect Watch: The top of the El Paso lineup continued to shine as the club clinched a series win. John Conniff has the story from on-site in the Sun City.
Amarillo Sod Poodles 3, Missions 2 (11 innings)
Key Stats: LF Tirso Ornelas 1-for-5, 2B; SS Carson Tucker 1-for-3, 3B, BB; RHP Ian Koenig 3 IP, 3 H, 3 K, BB; LHP Omar Cruz 2 IP, H, 3 K; RHP Francis Peña 2 IP, H, 2 R (0 ER), K, BB, WP
Ian Koenig returned from the IL to throw his best game of the year. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
Prospect Watch: Pitching dominated Sunday afternoon as the clubs combined for only 10 hits and two earned runs, but Amarillo came away with the victory in extra-innings. Righty Ian Koenig looked solid coming off a brief IL stint, punching out three over three scoreless innings. The 25-year-old walked the first batter he saw on the afternoon, but bounced back well and finished the day with 41 strikes among 61 total pitches. … Lefty Omar Cruz, who was sent down from El Paso to help the Missions navigate injuries this week, followed Koenig with a pair of scoreless innings, striking out three of the seven batters he faced. Expect to see the system veteran back in El Paso soon. … Francis Peña took the tough-luck loss, allowing both Manfred men to score as he worked the 10th and 11th innings. The righty continues to see some bounce-back in velocity and landed 19 of his 29 pitches for strikes. After a meltdown in his second appearance of the year, the 25-year-old has given up only one earned while striking out 10 over his last 8.2 innings. … The Missions lineup managed just four hits on the day. Carson Tucker, who is off to a strong start to his first season in the organization, collected a triple and walk in for trips to the plate after sitting for three straight days. The 24-year-old, who was out of affiliated ball for nearly two years before signing with the Padres in the offseason, is hitting .317 with an .806 OPS in the early going.
Roster Notes: Luis Gutierrez was moved to the 60-day IL earlier in the week. The lefty hit the shelf with a lat strain under his left pitching shoulder. The move was made largely because he’ll be shut down from throwing for multiple weeks, and then need a significant build-up period, but it doesn’t appear to be a serious injury. Top right-handed pitching prospect Miguel Mendez also hit the shelf, but is expected to return after missing just one start with a neck strain.
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 8, TinCaps 0
Key Stats: LF Jake Cunningham 1-for-4, 2B; 1B Jack Costello 1-for-3, 2B; CF Kasen Wells 1-for-3, BB; RHP Abraham Parra 4.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), 7K, 2 BB
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps’ rough start to the year continued as they fell to 7-14 on the year. Clark Fahrenthold has all the news from the series finale in the Summit City.
Storm 5, Visalia Rawhide 2
Key Stats: SS Jorge Quintana 1-for-3, HR (1); 3B Bradley Frye 1-for-3, 3B, 2 RBI; CF Ryan Wideman 1-for-3, HBP, 2 SB (16); 2B Jose Verdugo 2-for-3, SB (7); LF Qrey Lott 1-for-3, 2B; RHP Carlos Medina 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 K, BB; LHP Javier Chacon 2 IP, H, K
Prospect Watch: The Storm used a three-run third inning to complete pull ahead and held on to complete a six-game sweep of Visalia to pull into a tie atop the division. Starter Carlos Medina, who signed his first contract as a 21-year-old last December, continued a strong professional start, throwing four innings of one-run ball with three strikeouts. The Culiacan, Mexico, native owns a 2.25 ERA through his first 16 innings. After starting the year in the bullpen to get built up, he’s now stretched out to 59 pitches. He has an impressive 16:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the early going. … With the TinCaps bullpen continuing to struggle, lefty Javier Chacon continues to make a case for early promotion working in relief for Lake Elsinore. The 23-year-old Cuban picked up the victory with two more scoreless innings Sunday afternoon. While he struck out only one batter – a rarity for a pitcher who has punched out more than a third of the hitters he has faced – he dropped his ERA to 1.80 on the year. … Shortstop Jorge Quintana, the second-highest-rated position player in the organization, connected on his first homer of the year with a laser out to right-center. The switch-hitter started the year ice cold, but has hit in six of his last seven games, collecting three extra-base hits in the process. Quintana, 19, is hitting .200 after going 1-for-20 out of the gate. … Infielder Jose Verdugo, one of three 18-year-old hitters in the Cal League, picked up a pair of hits out of the three-hole in the lineup. The undersized hitter continues to show stellar bat-to-ball skills, posting a 13.7% strikeout rate. Not surprisingly, the Mexico native isn’t showing much power yet with just two doubles in 73 trips to the plate. … Bradley Frye continues to blister the ball to start the year, collecting his first triple of the season to drive in a pair Sunday afternoon and push his OPS up to 1.084, good for second on the circuit. The 23-year-old looks to add his name to the list of Padres undrafted free agent signees to emerge as legitimate big-league prospects.