Chihuahuas 13, Albuquerque Isotopes 7
Key Statistics: DH Pablo Reyes 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI; CF Carlos Rodriguez 1-for-4, HR (1) 3 RBI; RF Jase Bowen 0-3, 2 BB, SB (7); 3B Will Wagner 0-for-2, 2 BB; LF Nick Schnell 1-for-5, HR (10), 2 RBI; 2B Marcos Castañon 2-for-4, HR (6) 2 RBI, SB (1); SS Mason McCoy 1-for-4, 3B, SB (13); LHP JP Sears, (W, 4-1) 5 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 7 K, 2 HR; RHP David Morgan IP
Marcos Castañon can do damaage when he elevates the ball. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: Chihuahuas batters took full advantage of the optimum hitting conditions in the Colorado Rockies’ mini-funhouse in Albuquerque as they hit three home runs and put 13 runs on the board to claim their second win in five games and nearly reversed the score of yesterday’s game. … Marcos Castañon had a big night with two hits including slugging back-to-back home runs with Nick Schnell in the top of the fifth inning. The UC – Santa Barbara product has had a strong May, slashing .339/.426/.475. He has a career-low 17% strikeout rate, but his .460 slugging percentage ranks sixth among seven qualified Chihuahuas hitters. Defensively, he’s logged equal time at first, second, and third base. Later this week, we will have our interview with him from El Paso. … While his 6.93 ERA is not pretty, JP Sears leads the team with 50.2 innings pitched and 52 strikeouts. He mirrored that season-long trend Saturday, giving up five runs, including a pair of homers, but held in there to throw 87 pitches across five innings and pick up the win. Sears has struggled with command since the Padres acquired him at last year’s trade deadline, posting a walk rate north of 10.5% after keeping it around seven percent throughout his big league career. He walked three Isotopes and uncorked a wild pitch. … David Morgan needed only six pitches to get the final three outs, running his fastball up to 99.6 mph in the process. Morgan got a pair of weak grounders and a lineout in one of his better outings since getting optioned to the minors.
Josh Mallitz has pitched well in May. (Photo: Vashaun Newman)
Missions 1, Corpus Christi Hooks 0
Key Statistics: SS Cole Tucker 1-for-4; RF Tirso Ornelas 1-for-3, SB (1); CF Kai Roberts 0-for-2, BB, R; C Chris Sargent 1-for-3, RBI; RHP Miguel Mendez 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K; RHP Josh Mallitz (W, 1-0) 2 IP, H, BB, K; RHP Eric Yost 1.1 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K; RHP Andrew Moore 1.2 IP, BB, 4 K; RHP Clark Candiotti (S,1) IP, 2 K
Prospect Watch: On a night when most of San Antonio was watching a different game, the Missions pitching staff delivered a gem as five hurlers combined to shut out the Houston Astros Double-A affiliate. The game’s lone run came across in the fifth inning when Kai Roberts walked, was sacrificed to second, and came home on backup catcher Chris Sargent’s RBI single. … In his fourth outing since coming off the injured list, Miguel Mendez needed 61 pitches, 39 for strikes, to get through three innings. After cruising through the first two innings, he loaded the bases on a hit, walk, and hit batter with one out in the third before roaring back with back-to-back strikeouts to avoid any damage. The key for Mendez this year has been to build more consistency with his slider and changeup, because his fastball is electric. … Josh Mallitz threw two strong innings to pick up the win and cap a stellar May in which he held Texas League batters to a .189 batting average in 11 innings. Mallitz, an undrafted free agent signee out of University of Mississippi last year The righty impressed last year, but struggled out of the gate this year after pitching for Team Israel in the WBC this spring. . Even after righting the ship this month, his ERA is still a bloated 8.36. … Eric Yost came off a three week stint on the IL and threw 1.1 innings, giving up a hit and a pair of walks. The righty has struck out 35 in 29.1 innings of work on the year. … Clark Candiotti earned his first professional save the hard way. After getting the first two batters, he allowed a double and then threw a wild pitch to put the tying runner on third base. Candiotti came back to get the final batter on a swinging strike to end the game. … San Antonio has now won three out of five against Corpus Christi and will go for the series win Sunday.
South Bend Cubs 7, TinCaps 0
Key Statistics: 2B Rosman Verdugo 1-for-3; RF Jake Cunningham 1-for-3; 1B Jack Costello 1-for-4, 2B; RHP Abraham Parra (L, 0-4) 5.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 7 K; RHP Ty Adcock IP, H, BB, K; RHP Will Varmette IP, K
Abraham Parra in action with the TinCaps. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: The good news was that right-hander Abraham Parra threw his longest outing of the season and tied a career-high with seven strikeouts. The bad news is he allowed five runs on a night when the TinCaps offense did almost nothing against the Cubs. The 20-year-old Venezuelan, who leads the TinCaps with 37 innings pitched, has flashed interesting stuff while striking out 38, but he’s walked 20 and batters have gotten to him for 38 hits when they have made contact. On Saturday, he needed 92 pitches, 55 for strikes, to get through 5.1 innings. … Jake Cunningham had a single and walk as he continues to be a major contributor since signing as a minor league free agent in the offseason. After three largely forgettable years in the Baltimore Orioles’ system, the UNC-Charlotte grad seems to have found his groove with the Padres, posting a .301/.390/.594. At 23, he’s slightly older than league average, but the rangy 6-foot-3 outfielder can play all three positions and is primarily a corner outfielder. He and Alex McCoy could be on their way to San Antonio before the All-Star break.
Storm 2, Inland Empire 66ers 0
Key Statistics: 1B Kerrington Cross 2-for-4; CF Ryan Wideman 1-for-4, 2B; 2B Jose Verdugo 1-for-3, 3B; C Alcides Hernandez 1-for-3, 2B; RHP Tyler Schmitt (W, 3-3) 6 IP 4 H, 3 BB, 9 K; RHP Nick Falter 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K; RHP Will Koger (S, 5) IP H
Kerrington Cross rebounded with a big May. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Prospect Watch: The Storm got three strong pitching performances to win their fourth in five games against the 66ers. Tyler Schmitt, 21, had another strong May start, tossing six scoreless innings and striking out a career-best nine batters. After posting an ERA of 9.73 ERA in 12 April innings, this month has been a different story. He has thrown 27 innings with a 2.33 ERA and a 27:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and Saturday was the second time he went six shutout innings. The Padres selected Schmitt in the 17th round last year after his lone season at the University of Illinois, where he led the staff in strikeouts and innings pitched. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Schmitt throws in the low 90s with a fastball, changeup, and sweeper. Schmitt spent his first two years at Wisconsin-La Crosse before transferring to Illinois. … The Storm scored in the first when Jose Verdugo tripled to plate Kerrington Cross, then took advantage of a fielding error in the eighth to plate an insurance run. … Cross struggled to a .184, average in April even has he did post a .394 OBP, but has put together a stellar .361/.505/.653 line in May. The former University of Cincinnati Bearcat has rotated between third and first base this season with the Storm. The Padres selected Cross in the seventh round in the 2025 draft after being named the Big Ten Player of the Year. At 24, and nearly three years older than league average, he should be a prime candidate to go back to the Midwest in Fort Wayne soon. … Verdugo’s triple – his second in three days – extended his hitting streak to eight. The 18-year-old from Mexico had just four extra-base hits through his first 112 at-bats, but has matched that total during his current streak, adding 115 points to his OPS in the process.