Reno Aces 6, Chihuahuas 3
Will Wagner put together a three-hit game a year after joining the Padres organization. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Key Statistics: 2B Will Wagner 3-for-4, R; 3B Marcos Castañon 2-for-4, RBI; RF Bryce Johnson 2-for-4, R, 2B; RHP Jhony Brito 2 IP, 3 H, K; LHP Miguel Cienfuegos (L, 2-5) 2 IP, 3 H, 5 R (4 ER), BB, K; RHP Hans Crouse, IP, K
Prospect Watch: The Aces scored four times in the third inning and cruised to a victory in Reno. El Paso has now dropped seven in a row. … Second baseman Will Wagner had a productive night at the plate, tallying three singles in the loss. The 28-year-old struggled in July, hitting just .188/.316/.328 after being optioned back to Triple-A by the Padres at the end of June. On a positive note, Wagner has hit safely in seven of his last eight games. … Bryce Johnson doubled for the Chihuahuas’ only extra-base hit as part of a multi-hit night. Johnson has posted solid results after struggling badly after the Padres outrighted him from the big league roster. Johnson’s lack of power will always suppress his OPS in the hitter-friendly PCL, but he stole six bases and had a .377 on-base percentage in July. … Jhony Brito pitched two scoreless innings, allowing three hits. He struck out one without issuing a walk. The right-hander threw 30 pitches, 22 for strikes. Brito threw four innings last time out, and his pitch count was low, so perhaps the short outing was a rest of sorts. The 28-year-old has a 1.95 ERA in seven starts for El Paso. … 27-year-old Hans Crouse made his organizational debut for the Chihuahuas, pitching a scoreless inning in the loss. A second-round pick by Texas way back in 2017, the Dana Point native has 27 games of big-league experience. Crouse pitched in the Baltimore organization this season, where he had a 4.45 ERA in 31 games. He topped out at 95 mph with his sinker Tuesday night.
Roster Move: Crouse isn’t the only new signee in El Paso. The Padres officially signed right-handed reliever J.P. France to a contract and assigned him to the Chihuahuas. The 32-year-old has pitched in the big leagues for the Astros in each of the last four years. He got hit hard out of Houston’s bullpen this year, but had a solid 3.72 for their PCL affiliate.
Springfield Cardinals 5, Missions 2
Braedon Karpathios will look to finish strong. (Photo: San Antonio Missions)
Key Statistics: RF Braedon Karpathios 1-for-3, BB, RBI, 2B; C Brendan Durfee 1-for-3, R; DH Tirso Ornelas 1-for-3, R, BB; RHP Matthew Watson (L, 0-2) 3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; RHP Tucker Musgrove IP, K; RHP José Leclerc 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 K
Prospect Watch: The Missions offense had just one extra-base hit Tuesday, losing at home to Springfield. … Braedon Karpathios reached base twice with a double and a walk. He also drove in a run. The left-handed hitting outfielder scuffled through a brutal July, posting a paltry .262 on-base percentage while striking out 26 times in 84 plate appearances. He’s opened August with a 7-for-14 start. The 23-year-old has been very streaky this year, with his overall offensive production being just below the league average. Karpathios has a 30% K-rate, which is concerning, especially for a player who doesn’t have a ton of raw power. He will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter, but needs to increase improve his results to draw consideration for the 40-player roster. … Righty Matthew Watson took the loss, completing three innings before departing. He allowed three runs on seven hits, walking three, and striking out a pair. The 24-year-old began his season with the TinCaps before moving up to San Antonio. In three starts, Texas League hitters are batting .420 against him, leading to an 8.71 ERA. … Tucker Musgrove tossed a perfect inning, striking out one in the process. The 24-year-old has flashed incredible stuff this season, with the command leaving a bit to be desired. Including Tuesday’s outing, the former University of Mobile has struck out a staggering 63 batters in just 31 innings between Fort Wayne and San Antonio. He’s also walked 23 batters this season, a mark he will need to improve upon. However, his arsenal, including an upper-90s fastball, would play at the back of any bullpen. Overall, Musgrove has a 3.48 ERA in 30 appearances. … José Leclerc came back on two days’ rest to throw his second straight multi-inning appearance. The former big league closer, who had shoulder surgery a year ago Thursday, struck out four over two frames, but also gave up a pair of runs on four hits. He logged 23 strikes on 29 pitches.
Western Michigan Whitecaps 12, TinCaps 5
Key Statistics: 1B Jack Costello 1-for-4, R, HR (13), 2 RBI; C Carlos Rodriguez 4-for-4, 2 R, HR (6), 2 RBI; LF Kasen Wells 2-for-4, RBI; LHP Luis Gutierrez (L, 0-1) 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), BB, 6 K; RHP Kannon Kemp 3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R (5 ER), BB, 3 K
Carlos Rodríguez had a career night at the plate. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)
Prospect Watch: The TinCaps made three errors and were blown out at Parkview Field. They are a game over .500 and two behind the division leaders in the second half despite a -36 run differential that is the second-worst in the league. … Carlos Rodriguez had his best game of the season, delivering four hits, including his sixth homer of the year. He also swatted two doubles, coming up only one base short of a cycle. It was the first four-hit game of Rodriguez’s professional career. The 23-year-old has struggled this season after breaking out offensively for the Storm last year. After hitting under .210 in each of the first three months of the season, Rodriguez hit .277/.333/.340 in July. … Jack Costello had only one hit, but it left the yard. It was Costello’s 13th homer of the year, as he extended his new career-high total. The former USD infielder has enjoyed hitting at Parkview Field this season. Eight of his 13 homers have come there, and he’s delivered a .797 OPS at home, versus .749 on the road. … Luis Gutierrez continued his rehab stint, stretching out to three innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits before departing. He walked one and struck out six. The lefty has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury. Gutierrez is a key prospect with the stuff to develop into a big-league starter if everything clicks. With Kash Mayfield and Miguel Mendez now in other organizations, he will be an important development story for the organization over the rest of the year. Gutierrez will probably get one more start before heading to San Antonio for the final stretch of the season.
Ontario Tower Buzzers 9, Storm 6 (10 innings)
Joe Musgrove returned to action in Lake Elsinore. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Key Statistics: CF Conner Westenburg 2-for-5, R, SB (45); 3B Yimy Tovar 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2B, 2 RBI; LF Qrey Lott 2-for-4, 2 RBI; RHP Joe Musgrove 2.2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K; RHP Nick Pivetta 0.2 IP, H; RHP Jesus Castro 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 7 K; RHP Daichi Moriki (L, 0-2) IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 ER), K
Prospect Watch: The Storm had the Padres media universe circling The Diamond Tuesday in one of the most interesting Single-A games in recent memory. The Padres featured a pair of rehabbing big leaguers opposite former All-Star Tyler Glasnow, also working back from injury. In the end, the Buzzers beat the Storm in a rare 11:05 am start time. … The game featured Joe Musgrove getting the start for Lake Elsinore, his first official action since leaving a playoff start in 2024. The former Grossmont High star looked rusty and struggled to locate his slider and fastball at times. He lasted 2.2 innings and appeared pain-free, which is a step in the right direction as he continues his long rehab journey after Tommy John surgery in October of 2024. … On the other end of the spectrum, Nick Pivetta’s afternoon was ominous at best. The Padres right-hander took the ball in the fourth inning and recorded a pair of outs before delivering a pitch that probably should have been an inning-ending strikeout. Instead, a visibly frustrated Pivetta walked off the mound abruptly without the manager or trainer coming out. In real time, it appeared that Pivetta may have aggravated his elbow injury, but as Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune reported, he proceeded to throw a 20-30 pitch bullpen in Lake Elsinore’s indoor batting cage. The team will reevaluate him Wednesday. … At the plate, Conner Westenburg had a nice day at the plate, with a pair of singles. He also added his 45th stolen base this season. The 23-year-old doesn’t possess much power, but he’s been an absolute menace on the basepaths. He’s been caught stealing just five times, and he has 20 doubles. In 94 games for the Storm, the former McNeese State outfielder has a .710 OPS. … After dominating last week in Stockton, Yimy Tovar reached base three more times with a single and two walks.. He slid over to third base defensively, where he made a couple of errors. Over his last nine games, Tovar has increased his batting average from .190 to .224.
