Padres Down on the Farm: September 18 (Campusano homers in EP/Storm come up short in Championships)
MiLB
San Diego Padres affiliates went 1-1 on Wednesday.
Here is a recap of the night’s events.
El Paso Chihuahuas (Won 7-6 vs Las Vegas in 11 innings) (61-85 on the season)
Luis Campusano – 4-for-5, Home Run, Four RBI
Clay Dungan – 2-for-3, Double, RBI
Nabil Crismatt – 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K (89 pitches – 59 strikes)
For the second consecutive game, the Chihuahuas stole a win on the road against the Las Vegas Aviators. Nabil Crismatt started for the Chihuahuas in what is likely his final start of the season, tossing five innings and allowing two runs. Crismatt struck out four batters, keeping the ball in the ballpark through his start. Omar Cruz allowed three runs while recording one out, but the El Paso bullpen stepped up, as four pitchers did not allow an earned run.
Luis Campusano had his best outing since returning to El Paso, hitting a home run and driving in four runs. Clay Dungan also finished with a multi-hit effort, hitting his 24th double of the season and driving in a run of his own. El Paso’s offense drew eight walks as a team, and Tirso Ornelas scored a pair of runs while driving in the decisive run on an 11th-inning RBI single. Paul Fry pitched the bottom of the 11th, retiring Aviators slugger Tristan Gray on a flyout to end the game, sealing an extra-inning victory for the clawin’ Chihuahuas.
Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 2-1 vs Modesto) (Lost California League Championship Series 2-1)
Chase Valentine – 2-for-3, Two Singles
Braedon Karpathios – 1-for-4, Double
Miguel Mendez – 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 6 BB, 5 K (89 pitches – 47 strikes)
Lake Elsinore’s thrilling season came to an end on Wednesday night, as the Storm were stymied by Nuts pitching, losing the California League Championship game by a final of 2-1. Miguel Mendez toed the rubber for the Storm, tossing four shutout innings to open his outing. Lake Elsinore’s offense gave Mendez some run support in the top of the second inning, with Sean Barnett scoring Braedon Karpathios on a sacrifice fly. However, that would be all the scoring that would come from the Storm’s bats, as the team struck out thirteen times against Nuts pitching.
Mendez showed signs of fatigue in the fifth inning, loading the bases with one out with three consecutive walks before being relieved by Xavier Ruiz. Ruiz walked in the tying run in the very next at-bat, and after getting a pop-out for the second out, catcher Josh Caron grounded a sharply hit baseball to Brandon Butterworth, who threw home. One run had scored, but Butterworth’s throw was good to cut down Tai Peete at the plate, but Modesto had already taken a 2-1 lead when all was said and done.
Ruiz tossed scoreless sixth and seventh innings, and Tyson Neighbors delivered a scoreless eighth to send the game to the ninth still at 2-1. Unfortunately, Lake Elsinore was unable to make a dent against closer Hunter Cranton, with Braedon Karpathios striking out swinging on a high fastball to end the game and the Storm’s season.
Thursday’s Probable Pitchers:
El Paso – Gabe Mosser (7-7, 5.51 ERA)
A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.
A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.