San Diego Padres minor league affiliates returned to play on Thursday, with four regular-season games.

Padres affiliate clubs went 3-1 in games played. 

Here is a recap of the day’s action.

El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 11-8 vs Albuquerque) (7-11 on the season)

Tirso Ornelas – 4-for-5, Double, Two Runs

Luis Campusano – 3-for-4, Two Home Runs

Stephen Kolek – 5 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 3 K (81 pitches – 53 strikes)

The high altitude of the Albuquerque day did not do favors for right-hander Stephen Kolek, who made his fourth start of the season. Kolek, a heavy ground ball pitcher, saw eight outs recorded on the ground, but allowed three home runs. Each of the three homers allowed came off high sliders in the zone, which was a main cause for Kolek’s struggles at the MLB level last season. Kolek has pitched in nightmare, awkward situations before, but none quite like Albuquerque. While these numbers are not the most optimistic, he has pitched better than the surface numbers suggest. Reliever Raul Brito took the loss for El Paso, allowing one run in two innings pitched. Brito struck out three in his time on the mound. Ethan Routzahn and Austin Davis combined to allow three runs in one inning. 

Luis Campusano led the Chihuahuas’ offense throughout the ballgame. The Augusta, GA native drilled two home runs of his own in the game, driving in two runs. Campusano has been a player with consistent performance at Triple-A and inconsistent performance at the MLB level, but his 1.304 OPS could start to get hard to ignore, especially since he strikes out less than the MLB average and walks more than the average MLB batter. Tirso Ornelas had his best performance of the season, reaching base four times on three singles and a double. Ornelas has yet to find his solid power stroke after a strong spring, but his ability to hit for average and reach base could be one that gets him over the hump and to the Majors, especially with the attrition the Padres have faced early on. Mason McCoy continues to rake, reaching base thrice and driving in three runs on a homer and a double. McCoy has slugged his way to a .951 OPS and could definitely see himself on the MLB squad should the Padres’ infield depth be tested any further. Yonathan Perlaza drove in his 17th run of the season, and Nate Mondou doubled and scored a run. 

Campy adds another with his 4th HR of the season, this time to straight away center pic.twitter.com/lQMDw6KvWB

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) April 17, 2025

Mason McMoonshot sends that one to ORBIT.

McCoy’s now 3-3 with 3 RBIs pic.twitter.com/4z5cxvW1c3

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) April 17, 2025

El Paso returns to play on Friday, with southpaw Wes Benjamin looking for a bounce-back start. 

San Antonio Missions (Won 7-4 vs Northwest Arkansas) (8-4 on the season)

Romeo Sanabria – 1-for-4, Two-Run Home Run

Kai Murphy – 1-for-4, Go-Ahead Two-Run Double

Henry Baez – 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 3 K (66 pitches – 42 strikes)

Missions right-hander Henry Baez was dialed in against a potent Northwest Arkansas offense on Thursday, going five innings and allowing two earned runs. Baez was efficient in his start, averaging 13.2 pitches per inning, scattering three hits and an error. Most notably for the right-hander, he did not allow a base on balls in the game. Walks were an issue for Baez on the initial transition from High-A to Double-A. While Baez may have some games with three or four walks, outings like Thursday not only help the right-hander make strides as a starter, but also make a case to him and the organization about the tangibility of his being a starter in the long term. 

The Missions’ offense certainly clicked on all cylinders as well, taking a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning and retaking said lead to claw out the win. Power allowed the Missions to take their initial 4-3 lead, as Romeo Sanabria slugged a two-run home run to cut the deficit to one. Sanabria’s power stroke has been a welcome development this season so far, and if it can pair well with his penchant for contact and a low strikeout rate, he might just take his game to the next level. Anthony Vilar gave San Antonio the 4-3 lead on a two-run home run of his own, chasing Naturals starter Ethan Bosacker.

San Diego Padres prospect Romeo Sanabria hit his third home run of the season tonight. Continuing his hot run to start the season at Double-A pic.twitter.com/QhwaYn4vE4

— Daniel Labude (@OrcaBaseball) April 18, 2025

Left-hander Miguel Cienfuegos tossed three innings of one-run baseball in relief of Henry Baez, allowing the tying run to score in the eighth. The Missions, however, soon loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth, and Kai Murphy put a charge into one, lining a double to left field and putting the Missions up 6-4. Joshua Mears cashed in another run on an RBI single, and the score would ultimately remain 7-4, as Eduarniel Nunez came on for the ninth and struck out two of three batters faced to end the game. 

San Antonio returns to play Friday, with right-hander Braden Nett scheduled to take the mound. 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 9-1 vs Lake County) (7-5 on the season)

Leo De Vries – 1-for-4, Two-Run Home Run

Rosman Verdugo – 2-for-4, Two Home Runs, Four RBI

Jose Luis Reyes – 4 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K (67 pitches – 38 strikes)

Fort Wayne, we are cleared for liftoff! The TinCaps lineup blasted four home runs en route to a victory against the Lake County Captains. The game was ultimately more tense than the final score read, as both teams exchanged verbal pleasantries throughout the game. 

Braedon Karpathios opened the scoring for the TinCaps with an RBI double in the first inning, scoring Jack Costello. Karpathios came around to score one pitch later, as Rosman Verdugo launched a towering two-run home run to left field to extend the lead to 3-0. The fourth inning was deja vu all over again for Captains right-hander Dylan DeLucia, as Verdugo hit yet another two-run home run, this time a shot to left center field to score Karpathios again. Karpathios finished the game 3-for-4 with an RBI double and continues to reach base at a consistent clip. The two remaining home runs for Fort Wayne were firsts for the men who hit them. Leo De Vries launched a line-drive two-run home run down the left field line, extending the lead to 7-0 and giving De Vries his first TinCaps home run. Jack Costello launched the team’s fourth home run of the game in the eighth inning, his first as a TinCap as well. 

Rosman Verdugo gets a homer nights in a row! ? pic.twitter.com/gPdc7hK2Ox

— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) April 17, 2025

Rosman Verdugo = ??? pic.twitter.com/nnHl68khcI

— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) April 18, 2025

Leo De Vries gets in on this home run derby action ? pic.twitter.com/TO34m0xezy

— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) April 18, 2025

WHAT IS HAPPENING pic.twitter.com/JLiMlUER1B

— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) April 18, 2025

Right-hander Jose Luis Reyes continued to perform admirably in Fort Wayne, tossing four scoreless innings on 67 pitches. The Mexican-born right-hander has shown serviceable command and an ability to make timely pitches in his time in Indiana, and the same applied to this start, where he worked around seven baserunners to keep the Captains off the board. Reyes is another one of the unheralded arms in the Padres system who could draw attention to himself with a strong first half. Garrett Hawkins earned the win, his second of the season, with two scoreless innings (and a side of three strikeouts for good measure). Harry Gustin tossed the final three innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out two, earning the “save”. 

The TinCaps’ pitching staff seems to be finding a groove in recent days, and this trend will be put to the test when right-hander Enmanuel Pinales takes the mound Friday against Lake County.

Lake Elsinore Storm (Won 9-4 vs Fresno) (3-9 on the season)

Ryan Jackson – 3-for-5, Three RBI

Ryan Wilson – 2-for-4, Three-Run Home Run

Boston Bateman – 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K (70 pitches – 44 strikes)

First professional win in the books? If your name is Boston Bateman, you accomplished that feat on Thursday in Fresno. Bateman was electric on the road, striking out seven and allowing two paltry baserunners on a single and a walk. Bateman’s fastball was impressive and explosive, sitting in the low-to-mid-90s and topping out at 97-98 mph, and he was able to complement his secondary offerings to create a rather uncomfortable experience for opposing batters. After a rough pro debut, Bateman provided a glimpse into what he can be at his peak. 

Boston Bateman

5.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 Ks, 1 BB, 1 H, 70 pitches

Looked great, fastball had some juice to it tonight touched 98 mph pic.twitter.com/zznasH2rJE

— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) April 18, 2025

The Storm’s offense was coming up Ryan’s, as Ryan Jackson and Ryan Wilson were both involved heavily in the scoring. Jackson secured three hits out of the leadoff spot, driving in a combined three runs on three hits. Ryan Wilson, on the other hand, finished with two hits, but one of his was a deep three-run home run that extended Lake Elsinore’s lead to 5-0 in the top of the second inning. Lamar King Jr belted a solo home run to put the Storm on the board in the first inning, and B.Y. Choi used his speed to reach on a fielder’s choice to allow a run to score. Zach Evans did plenty to set up scoring opportunities, as he had two singles and came around to score twice. Victor Duarte, starting behind the plate, had a double and a single while scoring two runs of his own. Despite finishing 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position, Lake Elsinore made their three hits count. 

Lake Elsinore jumps out to a 1-0 lead on a solo HR from @King_lamar04 pic.twitter.com/NnTgpc73Aq

— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) April 18, 2025

Ryan Wilson with a three-run tank that nearly leaves the stadium, @Storm_Baseball leads 5-0 now pic.twitter.com/9M5cmwBOD1

— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) April 18, 2025

Reliever Carson Swilling tossed two innings of one-earned run baseball, striking out three batters. Left-hander Yovannki Pascual, who entered in the eighth inning, did not escape the frame unscathed, as Fresno shortstop Kelvin Hidalgo lifted a two-run home run against the Storm southpaw. Pascual loaded the bases on a walk and two singles, prompting the Storm to turn to Alejandro Lugo. Lugo struck out Clayton Gray to end the eighth, and came back out for a 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out Hidalgo to win the game for the Storm and pick up his first save of the year. 

Lake Elsinore returns to play Friday in Fresno. A starter has not yet been announced, especially with scheduled starter Maikel Miralles having thrown an inning of relief already this series.

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.