San Diego Padres affiliates went 1-3 on Thursday.

Here is a recap of the day’s events.

Lake Elsinore Storm (Loss 7-4 to Rancho Cucamonga Quakes) (9-10, 3rd in Cal South)

*Dillon Head: 1 for 5, Triple & Run Scored

* Rosman Verdugo: 2 for 5 w/ a Two Run Homer 

*Javier Chacon: 3 IP, 1 ER, 4 Ks

The Storm lost their series to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes by the final of 7-4.

Padres No.6 Prospect Dillon Head would continue to see the ball well in the month of April, going 1-for-5 with a triple and a run scored. In his last 66 plate appearances, Head has posted a: wRC+> 130 .443 Slug% and .406 wOBA. 

It’s a small sample size, but Head is hitting for more power in 2024 as he has raised his Slug% .57% from last season to this season. And he is doing so while maintaining quality plate discipline numbers, as he holds a 9.2% BB% this season. That’s a two-percent increase from 2023. 

Rosman Verdugo would have the biggest day at the dish for the Storm, going 2-for-5 with three RBIs, two of which came on a towering two-run homer in the top of the 4th. It’s been a slower start for Verdugo in 2024,  as he has battled strikeouts this season, posting a 42.9% K% this season. 

Hopefully, the 2-for-5 showing jump starts the 19-year-old as the team inches closer and closer 

On the pitching end, Javier Chacon would shine in relief for Lake Elsinore. The 21-year-old would go three innings, allowing three hits and one run. He struck out four. Chacon has flown a bit under the radar, but his 2024 numbers have been solid, as he owns K% > 31% and a 3.87 FIP. 

Walks remain an issue, as he’s posted a 16.7% BB%, but overall, he’s found a bit of early-season success for Lake Elsinore.

Fort Wayne TinCaps, (8-3 Loss to Great Lakes Loons) (8-12, 5th MID EAST)

*Homer Bush Jr.: 1 for 3, w/ a walk, run scored, and SB

* Nathan Ortiz, 2 for 5 w/ 2 RBIs

*Bradgley Rodriguez: 1 2/3 IPs, 3 ERs

Fort Wayne would again fall short on Sunday afternoon, as the Great Lakes Loons took them down 8-3.  

Home Bush Jr. would have one of his better games of 2024, going one for three with a single, walk, run scored, and a stolen base. 

Having another big day would be Nathan Ortiz, as the 25-year-old would go two for five with two RBIs coming courtesy of a ringing single off the right field wall in the bottom of the 5th inning. 

Ortiz now owns a .867 OPS, 147 wRC+, and a .413 wOBA. Along with his power, Ortiz also continues to have an excellent eye at the plate, as he boasts a 16.4% BB% to this point in the season for the TinCaps.

On the mound, recently promoted Bradgley Rodriguez would again struggle for Fort Wayne, allowing three runs on four hits while walking two and striking out one. Since joining the TinCaps, Rodriguez owns a 19.29 ERA, 4.29 WHIP, and 6.87 FIP, while opponents have an avg. of over 425 vs. the hard-throwing right-hander. 

Left Hander Ryan Och would also struggle in his inning of relief, going just one inning, allowing one run on one hit, two walks, and a hit by pitch. Even with today’s command issues, Och would manage to punch out two hitters while generating 8 Whiffs, good for a whopping 72% Wiff%.

All Padres Prospect Ryan Och does is get swings & misses.

In his Inning of relief today, he generated:

2 Ks & 8 Whiffs on 11 swings, good for a 72% Whiff%

He has a K%> 45% this season. pic.twitter.com/K8vgeODbza

— Clark Fahrenthold (@CFahrenthold11) April 28, 2024

San Antonio Missions (3-1 Win over Wichita) (11-10, 3rd in TEX  South)

*Victor Lizarraga: 4 IP, 1 H, 5 Ks

* Nathan Martorella: 2 for 4, Solo HR

Victor Lizarraga was disgusting for the San Antonio Missions in their victory over Wichita. The Padres No.15 Prospect went four innings, allowing zero runs on just one hit, while also punching out five Wichita hitters.

In 8 2 ⁄ 3 innings pitched Lizarraga has yet to allow a run this season, as he owns a 0.00 ERA and 3.38 FIP. The 20-year-old has also seen an uptick in his strikeout rate this season, as he is punching hitters out at a 22.4% Rate, a three percent increase from last year in his time with Lake Elsinore. 

At the dish, the Missions would get a big day from one of the Padres’ higher touted offensive prospects in Nathan Martorella. The powerful left-hander would go two for four, scoring twice and also launching a long solo shot in the bottom of the first. 

In 2024, Martorella has looked like a player who has adjusted to the higher level of pitching. Martorella struggled in Double-A late last season, posting a 85 wRC+ and .318 wOBA. Yet, so far in 2024, he has a 114 wRC+, 14.4% BB%, and .360 wOBA. 

Also providing a big day for the Missions offense would be Brandon Valenzuela, as the 23-year old catcher would go 2-for-4, which included a go-ahead two-RBI strike single in the bottom of the 6th that gave San Antonio a 2-1 lead.

EL Paso Chihuahuas (12-5 Loss v. Tacoma F/6 ) (11-16, 4th in PCL East ) 

*Clay Dungan: 1 for 1, 3B & 3 RBIs

*Ryan Carpenter: 3 IP, 7  Hits, 7 ERs, 2Ks

In the normally explosive PCL, the El Paso Chihuahuas bats would fail to make much noise as they mustered five runs on just three hits in today’s 12-5 loss to Tacoma. A game that ended after six innings due to rain.

The biggest hit of the day came from Clay Dungan, who went one for one with a bases-clearing triple that, at the time, gave El Paso a 4-1 lead. 

On the pitching end of things for El Paso, not much would go right either. Starter Ryan Carpenter would get roughed up over his three innings of work, giving up seven runs on seven hits while allowing two home runs and striking out just two. 

In relief, Bobby Milacki would also get tagged hard, allowing four runs on seven hits in two innings of work.

Clark E. Fahrenthold

Proud San Diego Native. Attended Sonoma State University, where I received my bachelor’s degree in communications; following my graduation, I returned home to San Diego, where I have worked in the local San Diego media sports scene since 2020.