Chihuahuas 11, Oklahoma City Comets 5
Key Statistics: LF Mason McCoy 1-for-4, 2B, R, BB, 4 RBI; LF Miguel Andujar 1-for-5, 2 RBI; 2B Nick Solak 2-for-4, R; 3B Gage Workman 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI; RHP Ian Koenig (W, 3-0) 6 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 4 K; RHP Ty Adcock 2 IP, 3 K; RHP Alek Jacob IP, H, ER, K
Ian Koenig (Photo: Vashawn Newman)
Prospect Watch: El Paso scored four runs in the second inning and put the game away with five more in the sixth inning to cruise to a victory. … Rehabbing big leaguer Miguel Andujar had a single in five at-bats, driving in a pair of runs. The veteran utility slugger is hitting .269/.269/.423 during the six games he has played during his current rehab assignment. … Gage Workman had a pair of hits, including a double in the El Paso victory. The 26-year-old was acquired with Casey Mize in the deadline deal with Detroit that sent Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf to the Motor City. Workman was in the midst of a solid campaign with Triple-A Toledo, where he was hitting an excellent .305/.366/.502 with 11 homers in 82 games. After a brief stint with the big league club, Workman has struggled mightily, despite playing in the hitter-friendly PCL. In 28 games with El Paso, Workman is hitting .220/.269/.257 without a homer. He’s also punching out at a 30% clip. It will be interesting to see if the versatile Workman hangs on to a roster spot when the off-season begins. … Righty Ian Koenig turned in another gem, tossing six strong innings to earn the win. Koenig tossed six innings, allowing a run on three hits. He walked one and struck out four. The righty touched 95 mph with his sinker, sitting 92-94 most of the evening. He racked up nine whiffs with his five-pitch mix, throwing 56 of his 79 pitches for strikes. The 25-year-old, former undrafted free agent, put the finishing touches on an outstanding campaign. Between San Antonio and El Paso, Koenig tossed a career-high 143.1 innings. That includes an outstanding 2.45 ERA in four starts for El Paso down the stretch. The Santa Cruz native will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter. While he doesn’t possess big-time stuff, the Padres may need to think about adding him to the 40-man as a potential depth piece.
Roster Move: The Chihuahuas placed catcher Rodolfo Durán on the seven-day injured list, ending his season. Oswaldo Linares was transferred to San Antonio to take his place on the roster.
San Jose Giants 9, Storm 1 (Best of three series tied at one)
Key Statistics: CF Dawson Willis 0-for-2, R, BB, SB; RHP Jesus Castro (L, 1-1) 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K; LHP Rob Evans 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), BB, 2 K; RHP Rordy Mejia 1.1 IP, BB
Jesus Castro fills the strike zone. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Prospect Watch: On Sunday night, the Storm offense could not be stopped, and they cruised to a 12-1 win to put them on the verge of a championship. Tuesday, they were no-hit by the Giants, setting up a winner-take-all game three on Wednesday night in San Jose. … Despite being no-hit, the Storm actually led this game early. Dawson Willis drew a walk to start the third inning. He advanced to second on a balk, took third on a passed ball, and came around to score when he and Elliot Lascelles executed a double-steal. That was their only opportunity though, as the Storm had just three baserunners all night. … Despite the loss, Jesus Castro turned in a solid performance. He pitched into the fifth inning, allowing two runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out three before departing. Castro hit 100 innings this season, thanks to the 10.2 innings he tossed in a pair of playoff outings. The 19-year-old was the breakout star of the Storm rotation. He had a 4.18 ERA during the regular season in his first stateside campaign.
AFL Rosters revealed: Major League Baseball announced the rosters for the Arizona Fall League. Pitchers Winyer Chourio, Igor Gil, Kannon Kemp, Francis Peña, and Jordan Valenzuela, as well as catcher Ty Harvey, utilityman Justin DeCriscio, and outfielder Alex McCoy, will make up the Padres’ season-opening contingent. Games start on October 3.
