Padres’ minor league affiliates resumed their regular seasons on Tuesday, going 0-4 in regular season games. 

Here is a recap of the day’s action. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 7-2 vs Albuquerque) (6-10 on the season)

Brett Sullivan – 1-for-4, RBI Single

Mike Brosseau – 1-for-4, RBI Single

Ryan Bergert – 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 1 K (78 pitches – 47 strikes)

The dense Albuquerque air provided a challenging environment for Chihuahuas’ pitching, as the team’s pitching staff combined for ten walks in eight innings. The defense did not fare better either, committing four errors, which led to five unearned runs allowed. Ryan Bergert made his fourth Chihuahuas start, tossing four innings on 78 pitches. The right-hander walked four while striking out just one, getting nine whiffs on 38 swings (24%). His slider was once again in peak form, leading to six outs recorded on the ground. It was not his best outing of the season, but it was a serviceable one nonetheless. Left-hander Omar Cruz was dealt the loss, allowing four unearned runs in 1.2 innings of work. Four walks did not help the left-hander’s case, and neither did a throwing error on a missed catch ball four. 

The El Paso offense was sluggish at best, putting up two runs on four hits. Mike Brosseau and Brett Sullivan drove in the only runs for the Chihuahuas, with each hitting an RBI single. Luis Campusano drew two walks in the ballgame, and Nate Mondou tripled, coming around to score a run. Clay Dungan drew a walk and scored a run out of the leadoff spot, and the team finished 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding six base runners. 

El Paso returns to play Wednesday in Albuquerque, with right-hander Jared Kollar set to start. 

San Antonio Missions (Lost 3-0 vs Northwest Arkansas) (6-4 on the season)

Ethan Salas – 0-for-1, Walk

Brandon Valenzuela – 0-for-3, Walk

Victor Lizarraga – 3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K (66 pitches – 37 strikes)

San Antonio tossed a no-hitter last season, but on Tuesday night, the team was on the receiving end on such a feat. Four Northwest Arkansas pitchers combined to hold the Missions’ offense to two walks and no runs, as well as no hits. Ethan Salas and Brandon Valenzuela were the lone players to draw a walk, with Salas, Marcos Castanon, and Francisco Acuna reaching base on hit-by-pitches. Despite the team accumulating five baserunners, they finished 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. 

HISTORY IN SAN ANTONIO!

Ryan Ramsey, Chazz Martinez, Ryan Brady, and Brandon Johnson combine to throw the fourth no-hitter in franchise history! pic.twitter.com/ujbiv0svcb

— Northwest Arkansas Naturals (@nwanaturals) April 16, 2025

Missions starter Victor Lizarraga allowed three runs in three innings of work, striking out three. The right-hander allowed six hits in his outing, with two going for extra bases. The right-hander did not have his best command, throwing 56% of his pitches for strikes. Relievers Jake Higginbotham, Spencer Jones, and Jose Geraldo each tossed two scoreless innings, with Jones striking out three batters faced. The hard-throwing Jones was signed during spring training and has shown improvements in his command this season so far, albeit in a short sample. 

San Antonio returns to play Wednesday from home, with Jagger Haynes set to make his third start of the season. 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Lost 9-1 vs Lake County) (5-5 on the season)

Leo De Vries – 1-for-1, Triple

Nerwilian Cedeno – 2-for-3, Run Scored

Ian Koenig – 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K (67 pitches – 35 strikes)

Fort Wayne’s series opening loss was overshadowed by the early departure of top prospect Leo De Vries, who was pinch-hit for in the second inning. De Vries tripled to open the game, and his removal from the game early on spurred questions. However, according to TinCaps manager Lukas Ray, De Vries was healthy and is expected to be in the lineup on Wednesday. It is possible this was a load management situation for the ‘Caps and De Vries, as he has not yet started more than two games in a row this season. 

No details from Lukas Ray on why De Vries exited the game, but he says the No. 1 Padres prospect is “fully healthy” and “completely fine.” Expects him to be back in the lineup tomorrow. https://t.co/fUG3BvOG82

— Dylan Sinn (@DylanSinn) April 16, 2025

Right-hander Ian Koenig is making a strong case for a closer look, given his early season performance thus far. In his second start of the season, Koenig struck out three in four innings of one-run baseball. The former Cabrillo Junior College hurler has tossed eight innings of one-run baseball this season and could be an arm to watch at the High-A level this season if his performance keeps up. Sonora native Fernando Sanchez took the loss for Fort Wayne, allowing two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings of long relief, and right-hander Elker Huizi allowed his first run of the season in the seventh inning. 

Nerwilian Cedeno and Jose Sanabria recorded the team’s three lone singles of the game, with De Vries’ triple being the lone extra base hit of the game. Cedeno scored Fort Wayne’s lone run on a second inning double steal, with Jose Sanabria forcing a throwing error. The TinCaps, who have had a very up-and-down offense this season, continued to struggle at the plate, striking out a combined ten times in the loss. 

The TinCaps return to play on Wednesday, with Clark Candiotti set to make his second pro start. 

Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 4-3 vs Fresno) (2-8 on the season)

Kavares Tears – 2-for-4, Home Run, Two RBI

Alex McCoy – 1-for-3, Double, Walk

Kash Mayfield – 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K (70 pitches – 43 strikes)

Lake Elsinore’s new faces made quite the statement in a one-run loss on Tuesday. Kash Mayfied made his second start and performed admirably. The left-hander tossed four innings of two-run baseball, striking out five batters. Mayfield did not get many whiffs early on, but proper sequencing of his arsenal allowed him to rack up the strikeouts as his outing went on. Not much data is available from his outing with regards to velocity, but his mechanics looked free and easy compared to his first start, and for his first road outing, in the words of comedian Martin Short, pretty, pretty, pretty good. 

Kavares Tears and Alex McCoy made their pro debuts in the ballgame, and each had an impact at the plate. Tears, the former Tenessee Volunteer, was tearing through opposing pitches, singling in his first at-bat and later launching a game-tying two-run home run. Tears was applauded for his swing and plate approach, as prospect evaluators have noted his swing is optimal for producing high exit velocities. To quote EVT’s Top 30 Padres Prospects regarding Tears, “His swing is relatively flat as opposed to the now-conventional uppercut-esque swing, and this allows him to generate line drives consistently.” Alex McCoy, an undrafted free agent out of Hofstra, also debuted, doubling and scoring a run. McCoy is a true specimen, at 6-foot-6, and could be one of several players to watch as the Storm’s everyday lineup is solidified in the coming weeks. 

Kavares Tears didn’t hold back against this baseball!

The @Padres 2024 Draft pick made his pro debut for @Storm_Baseball — and promptly slugged his first homer! pic.twitter.com/jd0Q7wxDNE

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 16, 2025

Johan Moreno took the loss for Lake Elsinore, allowing two runs (one earned) in 2.1 innings. Right-hander Vicarte Domingo struck out two batters in 0.2 innings of work in relief. Also notably, right-hander Maikel Miralles, whom started for Lake Elsinore on Friday, threw an inning of relief on Tuesday night. How this will affect the team’s rotation plans going forward is unknown. 

Lake Elsinore returns to action Wednesday, with starters to be announced.

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.