Chihuahuas 6, Reno Aces 1
Key Statistics: SS Mason McCoy, 1-for-3, R, BB, RBI, SB (15); RF Nick Schnell, 1-for-4, RBI; 2B Dylan Grego, 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B; RHP Jhony Brito (W, 1-0) 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 4 K; RHP Evan Fitterer (S, 1) 4 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Jhony Brito has gotten strong results coming back from elbow surgery this spring. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Prospect Watch: El Paso took advantage of the opportunities they had, going 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position to cruise to a win against Reno. … Dylan Grego had his second three-hit game of the season in the victory. The El Paso second baseman had a pair of singles and a double and scored a pair of runs. The 22-year-old opened the season as the TinCaps’ primary second baseman, but hit just .109 in April and struck out in a third of his plate appearances. He was moved down to Lake Elsinore to regroup, but after the Padres promoted multiple players to the big leagues, Grego was summoned to El Paso to help the Chihuahuas field a roster. Between the three levels, the former Ball State infielder has a .534 OPS. … Righty Jhony Brito earned his first Triple-A win of the season by tossing five strong innings. He allowed just one run on three hits, walking one and striking out four. He threw just 71 pitches, 49 of them for strikes, while generating seven groundouts. His sinker sat in the 93-94 mph range, topping out at 95 mph. The 28-year-old, who had internal brace UCL surgery last spring, has posted a stellar 61% across three levels as he has worked back into shape this year and looks to be fully stretched out. While his FIP and expected stats lag well behind his on-field results so far, he should be a legitimate option to start for the Padres in the not-too-distant future. … Righty Evan Fitterer took over for Brito and slammed the door, tossing four shutout innings to earn his first save of the season. Fitterer allowed three hits, walked three and struck out three. The 25-year-old has bounced back and forth between the bullpen and rotation this season, posting solid results, albeit with a few red flags. Fitterer has a concerning 13% walk rate and a below-average K-rate of 16%. While his ERA is in the mid-threes, his FIP and xFIP both hover well above five. The Mission Viejo native was signed as a minor league free agent in the off-season.
Transactions: The Padres released lefty Marco Gonzales. The 10-year big league veteran signed a minor league deal in the winter, but never got on track for the Padres organization. He leaves El Paso with a 7.99 ERA across 13 appearances.
Missions rained out
San Antonio’s game in Corpus Christi was postponed early in the day because of weather. The two teams will play a doubleheader Wednesday. The club did announce that reliever Bernard Jose has joined them from the desert. The righty opened the year with a disastrous stint in the Fort Wayne bullpen, but spent the last month rebuilding things in the desert. The 23-year-old dialed in his command, striking out 27 and walking just two in 16 innings against ACL hitters.
South Bend Cubs 4, TinCaps 3
Key Statistics: CF Jake Cunningham, 1-for-3, R, BB, 2B; LF Alex McCoy, 1-for-4, HR (11), RBI; 1B Jack Costello, 1-for-2, 2 RBI; RHP Matthew Watson, 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 4 K; LHP Braian Salazar (L, 3-3) IP, 2 H, ER, K; RHP Clay Edmondson, IP, BB, 3 K
Alex McCoy squares up another one for the TinCaps to open 2026. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps scored three in the second inning but couldn’t hold on as the Cubs earned the comeback victory. The TinCaps are in the midst of a brutal stretch. They have lost 16 of their last 19 games, allowing double-digit runs in seven of those losses. … Alex McCoy connected on his 11th homer of the season and first in over two weeks. The 24-year-old got off to a hot start in April, but he’s cooled off considerably since. Since May 1, McCoy has been just below a league-average bat with a solid 12% walk-rate and six homers as his chase rate has caught up with him. McCoy has been one of the club’s best amateur scouting discoveries of the last few years, but he will need to pick up the production as the season enters the second half. … Matt Watson bounced back from a nightmarish outing last time out, allowing three runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings before departing. The 24-year-old allowed four homers in his previous start but was one out away from his first career quality start Tuesday. The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi product has walked just two batters in 13.2 innings this month. Overall, he’s pitched to a 6.16 ERA with Fort Wayne in his first extended work since Tommy John surgery during his draft summer in 2024. … Clay Edmondson tossed a scoreless inning, striking out three of the four batters he faced. He issued one walk and kept the TinCaps within striking distance. After tossing 11.1 scoreless innings in May, the 22-year-old was hit hard in each of his last two outings. The former UNC Asheville has been extremely dependable this season. He has 10 saves and a 1.80 ERA while functioning as the TinCaps closer.
Transactions: Light-hitting utility man Wyatt Hoffman had his rehab assignment transferred to Fort Wayne from the desert. The 27-year-old, who had a back injury put him on the shelf in spring training, had three singles and six strikeouts in 14 at-bats in the desert.
Storm 2, San Jose Giants 1
Key Statistics: 3B Kerrington Cross, 2-for-3, R, HR (10), RBI, 2 SB (15, 16); 2B Jose Verdugo, 2-for-5, R, 2B, SB (17); SS Jorge Quintana, 1-for-3, BB; RHP Winyer Chourio (W, 2-1) 6 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K; RHP Daison Acosta, IP, 2 K; RHP Brandon Langley (S, 2) 2 IP, BB
Kerrington Cross has been a force in the middle of the Storm lineup. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Prospect Watch: The Storm bested the Giants in the series opener in San Jose. More importantly, the victory gave Lake Elsinore the Cal League South first-half title, guaranteeing them a spot in the playoffs in September. … Kerrington Cross continued to dominate Cal League pitching, further cementing the inevitability of a promotion now that a playoff spot is secured. Cross crushed his 10th homer in the first inning of the victory, then added on with a single and two walks. The 24-year-old also added a pair of stolen bases, giving him 16 this season. Cross leads the league with a 1.064 OPS, and his 10 homers rank fourth. … Jose Verdugo had a slow week last week against Ontario to end his 16-game hitting streak, but he bounced back with a pair of hits, including a double. Despite a lack of over-the-fence power for the 18-year-old, Verdugo has been a steady offensive presence. He is hitting .271/.339/.379 in his first taste of full-season ball. … Winyer Chourio earned his second win of the season by firing six innings for the second consecutive outing. The righty allowed a run on four hits, walking two and striking out four. He was efficient, needing just 84 pitches to complete his six innings of work. The 22-year-old has seemingly taken another step forward as he continues a breakout campaign. After producing a walk rate north of 10% in his first ten outings, he’s issued just three free passes in his last 12 innings. Chourio lowered his ERA to 3.31. … Righty Daison Acosta tossed a scoreless inning, striking out a pair of batters after his rehab assignment was transferred earlier in the day. The righty has struck out seven over four innings since since getting going. He will likely get another appearance or two this week and should ultimately end up in El Paso.
ACL Padres 13, ACL Dodgers 3 (7 innings)
Key Statistics: CF Moises Valdez, 2-for-4, 4 R, BB, 2B; DH Santiago Vargas, 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, 2 RBI, SB (3); 3B Luis De Leon, 1-for-4, BB, 2 RBI; RHP Luis Maracara, 3 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 K; RHP Cameron Nohos (W, 2-3) 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, BB, 4 K; RHP Jordan Valenzuela, IP, BB, 3 K
Prospect Watch: The ACL Padres scored seven runs in the first inning to blow out their Dodgers counterparts at Camelback Ranch. Padres hitters walked 12 times, with eight different batters drawing at least one free pass. … Moises Valdez continued his excellent season Tuesday, as he reached base four times and scored four runs while sliding out of the leadoff spot to hit third for the first time this year. The 20-year-old outfielder spent three years in the DSL before making his stateside debut this summer. In 18 games, Valdez is hitting .338/.413/.446 with seven doubles and seven stolen bases. … Righty Luis Maracara started and tossed three strong innings. The 18-year-old allowed a run on two hits, striking out three. Maracara has started six games for the ACL Padres but has yet to throw more than three innings in any start. In 13.2 innings, he’s walked just three batters while notching 21 strikeouts. … Cameron Nohos took over for Maracara and earned the win. Nohos allowed a pair of unearned runs to score in his three innings of work. He walked one and struck out four. The former undrafted free agent out of Illinois-Chicago made his pro debut late last season with the Storm, but he’s pitched exclusively in the desert in 2026. The 6-foot-8 righty has struck out 40 batters in just 24.1 innings, but also walked 13.