Padres affiliates went 2-3 on Thursday.

Here is our daily recap of games played. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 12-7 vs Albuquerque) (24-30 on the season)

Jase Bowen – 3-for-5, Triple, Double, RBI

Clay Dungan – 1-for-3, Two-Run Home Run

Evan Fitterer – 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R (4 ER), 4 BB, 2 K (74 pitches – 42 strikes)

El Paso’s offense blasted a pair of home runs on the road, but it was not enough to overcome an early onslaught by the hosting Isotopes. Albuquerque got RBI doubles by Nic Kent in the first and second innings against Evan Fitterer to take a 2-0 lead. Fitterer had an outing unlike any of his this season, as he lasted all of three innings, giving up five runs (four earned). While he touched 96.2 mph multiple times on his four-seamer, he also allowed barrels on four of 13 batted ball events. The right-hander got six outs on the ground, but departed trailing 5-2. Miguel Cienfuegos did not fare any better, as he was knocked around for five runs in one inning. Both Cienfuegos and Misael Tamarez struggled, as Tamarez labored through a 38-pitch inning. Tamarez walked three batters, and his high-90’s fastball struggled to get past 96 mph. The former Astros farmhand now has an 18.62 ERA in his last seven outings, issuing 16 walks in 9.2 innings. Justin Yeager fired two scoreless innings, and Alek Jacob threw a scoreless eighth with a strikeout. 

Jase Bowen continued to mash, as the Chihuahuas’ designated hitter finished with both a triple and a double. Bowen also drove in one run, his team-leading 35th RBI of the season. Bowen has shown no signs of slowing down after a torrid April, hitting .321 with a 1.035 OPS in May. Carlos D. Rodriguez hit three singles, driving in a run. While Rodriguez’s power upside from his prospect days has certainly come down to Earth, he has been a scrappy hitter getting on base any way he can. Marcos Castanon reached base twice, scoring each time. Victor Duarte launched a home run in the fifth inning, a 104 mph blast off the bat. Clay Dungan blasted an absolute moonshot of his own, a 458-foot home run to the right field bleachers. Dungan’s blast (while definitely getting a boost from the altitude) came off the bat at 104.6 mph, one of his best marks this season. 

San Antonio Missions (Lost 8-5 vs Corpus Christi) (18-30 on the season)

Ethan Salas – 3-for-4, Double, Sac Fly, Two RBI

Francisco Acuna – 1-for-4, Two-Run Home Run

Victor Lizarraga – 3.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R (4 ER), 4 BB, 5 K (89 pitches – 48 strikes)

San Antonio’s offense had much more success than in their Wednesday night affair, scoring five runs against the Hooks’ pitching staff. Ethan Salas was back atop the lineup, and his presence aided in the scoring department. Salas drove in a run on an RBI double and hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. Salas reached base three times and stole his 10th base of the season. Defensively, Salas’ blocking continues to be a work in progress, as he allowed his sixth passed ball of the season in 41 games. Francisco Acuna hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning, just his third of the season. Seven of Acuna’s 12 hits this month have gone for extra bases, with three home runs and four doubles. Tirso Ornelas hit an RBI single, also drawing a walk in the game. Ryan Jackson went 1-for-3 with a single and a run scored; the 224-year-oldfrom Walnut Creek is hitting .274 with a .391 on-base percentage in May, raising his season average to .259. 

Salas doubles to centerfield to allow Murphy to put us on the board! ?‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/Ya6KlKGVHu

— San Antonio Missions Baseball (@missionsmilb) May 29, 2026

FRANCISCO ACUÑA! ?

Acuña hits a 2-run homer at the bottom of the 7th! pic.twitter.com/XeC7UqYhQe

— San Antonio Missions Baseball (@missionsmilb) May 29, 2026

Victor Lizarraga’s recent run of dominance did not extend into this start, as the Hooks made the right-hander work hard through 3.2 innings. Lizarraga walked four batters in this start, matching his total from the past four starts. Though the San Diego native struck out five batters, he also allowed five hits. Three of those went for extra bases, with a two-run home run by Jason Schiovane opening the scoring. Lizarraga then allowed five consecutive baserunners to reach in the fourth on an error, a hit by pitch, two singles, and a walk. A double-play scored the sixth run against the right-hander, but he saw the next two batters reach, leading to the end of his start. Omar Cruz pitched two scoreless innings, striking out two of seven batters faced. Johan Moreno picked up the final out of the sixth inning, and Francis Pena threw two innings. Pena’s two innings saw him allow two runs in the seventh, but nothing in the eighth. Andrew Moore threw a scoreless ninth, striking out two. 

A round-tripper for Jason Schiavone! Hooks are first on the board! pic.twitter.com/NGuAnHsGme

— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) May 29, 2026

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Lost 6-3 vs South Bend) (22-26 on the season)

Jake Cunningham – 1-for-4, Home Run

Carlos E. Rodriguez – 1-for-4, Home Run

Carson Montgomery – 4.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 4 K (82 pitches – 47 strikes)

Carson Montgomery had himself a gutsy start against the South Bend Cubs, as he worked into the fifth inning despite allowing five free passes. Montgomery threw 47 of 82 pitches for strikes and allowed just two hits. Montgomery’s six baserunners allowed without the luxury of a hit were the main source of the runs, as the Cubs loaded the bases against him in the fifth. With the bases loaded and the TinCaps leading 2-0, Kleiber Olmedo was called upon to get out of the inning. Olmedo, who had previously allowed six of eight inherited runners to score this season, saw his struggles in this department continue. Olmedo issued a bases-loaded walk to Josiah Hartstone. On a 1-1 pitch, Olmedo threw a down-and-in 98 mph fastball that was sent to left field by Matt Holbach, clearing the bases and giving South Bend a 4-2 lead. Javier Chacon threw two innings of one-run baseball, striking out four batters. Since joining the TinCaps, Chacon has struck out 15 of 41 batters faced (36.6%) while walking just four (9.75%). Tucker Musgrove allowed a solo home run in the eighth inning, but managed to strike out three in the frame. 

Big hits from the boys!#SBCubs pic.twitter.com/6wTzyFnwLv

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) May 29, 2026

Miggy Mashing! ?

Miguel Useche blasts his first @hoosierlottery home run at Four Winds Field!#SBCubs pic.twitter.com/HlOLOxj0F1

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) May 29, 2026

The TinCaps’ offense was carried by the long ball. Jake Cunningham launched his 10th home run of the season, a solo blast to left field. In nine games against South Bend in 2026, Cunningham is slashing .313/.425/.844 for a 1.269 OPS and .521 isolated power. Carlos E. Rodriguez got in on the home run party with his fourth of the season, and Rosman Verdugo hit his eighth of the season in the sixth. Justin DeCriscio went 1-for-3 with a double, and Zach Evans also doubled. Evans hit from the nine spot for the first time this season. Alex McCoy hit his team-leading 17th double of the season as well. Every hit the TinCaps recorded went for extra bases, but an 0-for-4 mark with runners in scoring position did not help the team’s cause. 

Jake Cunningham crushed his 10th home run of the season in Fort Wayne’s game against South Bend.

In nine games against South Bend in 2026, Cunningham is slashing .313/.425/.844 for a 1.269 OPS. pic.twitter.com/4XU7oOVz3G

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) May 29, 2026

Lake Elsinore Storm (Won 5-4 vs Inland Empire) (28-20 on the season)

Kerrington Cross – 2-for-5, Walk-off Home Run

Yoiber Ocopio – 2-for-3, Double, Sac Fly, RBI

Bryan Balzer – 6.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 6 K (87 pitches – 53 strikes)

Right-hander Bryan Balzer pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his career, and Kerrington Cross’s walk-off home run secured yet another home win for the Storm. 

Let’s begin with the pitching. Bryan Balzer’s emergence continued, as the right-hander pitched 6.1 innings of three-run baseball, striking out six. The right-hander allowed two home runs to Grant Jay, but otherwise used his sinker to pick up out after out. Balzer also induced two double plays from the 66ers lineup, both via the ground ball. The right-hander has now thrown quality starts in two of four games this month. Carson Swilling threw 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out three. Swilling has a 2.57 ERA and 3.00 FIP in 14 innings in May, despite 12 walks issued. Will Koger allowed one run in the ninth, as a ground ball single to left saw pinch-runner Estevan Moreno round third and head home. Conner Westenburg had a good chance to throw the runner out at the plate, but his throw was high and up the first base line, tying the game at four. Koger struck out the next batter he faced to end the inning. 

The Storm scored all their runs in the final three innings. Yoiber Ocopio went 2-for-3 with a double and a sacrifice fly. Ocopio scored the team’s first run on an RBI single from Dylan Grego. Kerrington Cross and Jose Verdugo reached base to open the eighth, both coming in to score. Truitt Madonna reached base on a walk and scored the go-ahead run on George Bilecki’s RBI single. Grego and Bilecki had the Storm’s two stolen bases of the game. Conner Westenburg and Ryan Wideman each had one base hit in the game, and while they were retired 1-2 to open the ninth, the third batter of the inning was Kerrington Cross. Cross turned on a chest-high 91 mph fastball from Aneury Lora and crushed it out to left field, beyond the scoreboard, to win the game for the Storm. It was Cross’s fifth home run of the season, and his first career walk-off hit. 

Kerrington Cross, you are a DAWG!

Cross crushes a walk-off home run to win the game for @Storm_Baseball!@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/WRtKQ8XJsR

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) May 29, 2026

ACL Padres (Won 5-0 vs ACL Mariners) (9-9 on the season)

Blake Hunt – 2-for-4, Home Run

Dawson Willis – 1-for-3, Home Run, Two RBI

Zack Qin – 3.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K 

Cameron Nohos – 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K  

ACL Vedder Cup action went the Padres’ way on Thursday, as the Padres saw four pitchers throw a shutout of the Mariners. Zack Qin led the way, as the Padres’ starter struck out eight in 3.2 innings. Qin scattered four hits and has a 1.54 ERA (and 0.35 FIP) in 11.2 innings on rehab assignment. Florangel Vasquez picked up the final out of the fourth. Ryan Och pitched a scoreless fifth inning, striking out two batters in the process. Och earned the win, and right-hander Cameron Nohos picked up a four-inning save. Nohos struck out a career-best nine batters and did not allow a hit to any of the 13 batters he faced. 

Blake Hunt hit his first home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning, opening the scoring. Hunt had a multi-hit game, one of two Padres to accomplish said feat. Moises Valdez hit two singles, and Cardell Thibodeaux went 1-for-3 with a double. Dawson Willis continued his hot hitting, as he launched a two-run home run to left field. Brendan Durfee went 1-for-3 with a single and a run scored. Jhoan De La Cruz’s struggles continued, as he finished 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the win.

Diego Garcia

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.