Padres affiliates had a basketful of games on Easter Sunday, playing five total regular-season games. 

Here is a recap of the day’s events. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (1-1 in 7-inning Doubleheader)

Game 1 – Lost 4-3 in 8 innings

Nate Mondou – 3-for-4, Two Doubles, RBI

Yonathan Perlaza – 2-for-4, Double, RBI

Austin Krob – 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 6 K (87 pitches – 47 strikes)

In the first of a seven-inning doubleheader, El Paso got a strong start from left-hander Austin Krob. The former TCU starter lasted 4.2 innings in his start, allowing two runs on three hits. While Krob didn’t allow many runs or hits, he allowed five walks in the game and struck out six batters; something of an “effectively wild” outing. The five walks allowed were a career-high for Krob, and while the left-hander has seen an uptick in walks at Triple-A, he could still be a valuable back-end starter or bulk reliever should he make it to the majors this season. 

Nate Mondou had his best performance of the season at the dish, slugging two doubles and driving in a run on an RBI single. Yonathan Perlaza had two hits, including a 103.7 mph RBI double on a heater from Isotopes starter Bradley Blalock. Mike Brosseau had an RBI sacrifice fly in the third inning, his sixth RBI of the season. All members of the starting lineup for El Paso recorded a base hit, but the team finished a woeful 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. 

Left-hander Omar Cruz tossed two innings of one-run baseball in relief, allowing an RBI single off the bat of Trevor Boone to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth. Cruz, who has already seen Major League time with the Padres this season, could be in line for more should the team need a left-handed arm when facing lefty-heavy lineups. Jason Blanchard was saddled with the loss, allowing a walk-off sacrifice fly to Trevor Boone in the bottom of the eighth inning. 

Game 2 – Won 6-5 in 7 Innings

Trenton Brooks – 3-for-3, Two Doubles, Two RBI

Bryce Johnson – 2-for-4, Go-Ahead Two-Run Double

Ryan Bergert – 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K (87 pitches – 51 strikes)

Game two of the doubleheader saw Ryan Bergert strike out four batters in 4.1 innings of work. The right-hander allowed four runs on seven hits, throwing a season-high 87 pitches in the outing. Bergert got 13 whiffs on 41 swings for a 31.7% whiff rate against. While Bergert’s results weren’t the most encouraging on paper, the right-hander showed impressive stuff at high altitude. 

The team’s offense did their work in the seven innings, with Trenton Brooks going 3-for-3 in the ballgame with two doubles. Brooks’ first double came in the first inning, giving El Paso an early 1-0 lead. Luis Campusano later tied the ballgame at two with a fifth-inning sacrifice fly. While Campusano has posted one of the best barrel rates in Triple-A, his quality of contact has been mixed, with hard-hit barrels countered with soft fly balls. After Albuquerque took a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning, the Chihuahuas’ offense turned the tables in the top of the sixth inning. Tim Locastro and Mason McCoy reached base, and Clay Dungan drove in Locastro on an RBI single. Bryce Johnson gave El Paso the lead with a ground ball double, and Trenton Brooks’ second double of the game extended the lead to 6-4.

Bryce Johnson in 2025 without the Chihuahuas: 2 hits
Bryce Johnson in 3 games with the Chihuahuas: 5 hits pic.twitter.com/GcUYZeb7op

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) April 20, 2025

Ron Marinaccio earned the win for El Paso, tossing 1.1 innings of one-run baseball, and Reiss Knehr earned his second save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. 

Call us the Easter Bunny the way we hopped on that Dub ? pic.twitter.com/gVjQ6DdCZi

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) April 20, 2025

 

San Antonio Missions (Lost 12-7 vs Northwest Arkansas) (9-6 on the season)

Francisco Acuna – 3-for-5, Two-Run Home Run

Romeo Sanabria – 2-for-5, Bases-Clearing Double

Victor Lizarraga – 3.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 3 K (74 pitches – 45 strikes)

San Antonio’s pitching staff was hit hard in the series-closing game against the Naturals, allowing 12 runs on 14 hits. Starter Victor Lizarraga did not make it out of the fourth inning, allowing six runs on eight hits. The right-hander struck out only three batters while walking two. His pinpoint command was not as sharp compared to his 2024 campaign, and left-handed batters had six of the eight hits against him; only Jordan Groshans was a right-handed batter to have a hit off Lizarraga. Carter Loewen allowed three runs in 1.1 innings, and Ryah Och threw a season-high 2.1 innings, allowing three runs of his own. 

Carter Jensen does the thing!@carterjensenn goes oppo ?, his first blast of the season, to make it a 6-0 game! pic.twitter.com/tTIAmOBuXi

— Northwest Arkansas Naturals (@nwanaturals) April 20, 2025

The Missions’ offense was cold for most of the game, not pushing runs across until the fifth inning. Francisco Acuna hit a no-doubt home run in the fifth inning, bringing the score at that point to 9-2. Devin Ortiz had three hits, including two doubles and an eighth-inning RBI single. The ninth inning saw San Antonio score four runs, with Acuna driving in his third run of the night Romeo Sanabria doubled with the bases loaded to score three runs, bringing the Missions to within five, but the early deficit was far too substantial to overcome, as Devin Ortiz grounded out to end the game. 

Francisco Acuña gets the Missions on the board with a no-doubt, two-run blast pic.twitter.com/KTe5x4krSx

— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) April 20, 2025

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Lost 4-1 vs Lake County) (8-7 on the season)

Leo De Vries – 2-for-3, Double

Brendan Durfee – 1-for-4, Run Scored

Eric Yost – 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K (85 pitches – 53 strikes)

TinCaps starter Eric Yost performed admirably in his start, striking out four batters in five innings of work. Yost allowed a run in the first inning when a misplay on a grounder to second base produced a run for Lake County, although it went down as an RBI single. Jose Devers turned on a Yost sweeper deep to left field, giving the Captains a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. 

JOSE DEVERS STANDS ALONE! ?

He is now the sole Midwest League home run leader with his 5th homer of the season! ? pic.twitter.com/hHDgNdtx2V

— Lake County Captains (@LCCaptains) April 20, 2025

Leo De Vries accounted for 33% of the TinCaps’ baserunners in the game, reaching base on a walk and two hits, including a double. De Vries has seen more time out of the two-spot in the lineup, and could be as good a run producer as he is a leadoff batter. Brendan Durfee, batting out of the leadoff spot, reached base on a single in the fifth inning, coming around to score on a wild pitch. The rest of the offense did not get much going, with the rest of the lineup going 2-for-24 with three walks. The team as a whole didn’t do much with runners in scoring position either, stranding seven runners and going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the loss. 

Normal Leo De Vries PA. On base for the third time today. pic.twitter.com/jYUrR5YHdF

— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) April 20, 2025

Reliever Garrett Hawkins struck out two in two scoreless innings of work, stranding two baserunners. Hawkins, making his return from Tommy John surgery, has had some up-and-down outings in his first few games back, but if he continues to rack up the strikeouts and limit hard contact, could find himself at Double-A by the second half of the season. The same applies to right-hander Tyson Neighbors, who tossed two innings, allowing one run and striking out four, 

Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 8-6 vs Fresno) (5-10 on the season)

Zach Evans – 1-for-4, Double, Two RBI

Ryan Wilson – 1-for-3, Game-Tying Two-Run Single

Will Varmette – 2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 4 K (58 pitches – 38 strikes)

Starter Will Varmette, making his first appearance of 2025, allowed five runs in 2.1 innings of work, with all five runs coming in the third inning of his outing. Varmette retired the first six batters he faced, but could not escape the third inning unscathed. After loading the bases with one out, Kelvin Hidalgo cleared the bases with a sharp double to center field, giving Fresno a 3-0 lead. A walk to Roynier Hernandez spelled the end of the outing for Varmette, and regularly scheduled starter Luis Gutierrez entered the game out of the bullpen. Gutierrez allowed a sacrifice bunt and a double that scored both inherited runners, charging the runs to Varmette. Gutierrez actually pitched the remainder of the game, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing three runs (two earned). Unfortunately, two of those runs came in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Fresno an 8-6 lead. 

Offensively, the Storm had plenty of baserunners, with seven walks and five hits leading to six runs scored. Ryan Jackson scored two of those runs, as the shortstop tripled and walked twice, driving in a run. Zach Evans continues to be a rock for the Storm’s offense, doubling and driving in two runs in the game. Lamar King Jr singled and came around to score on a wild pitch, and B.Y. Choi had a double in two plate appearances. Ryan Wison had one hit in three plate appearances, but made it count, with a two-run single that tied the game. 

Despite the late tie, Fresno took an 8-6 lead on a two-run homer by Tommy Hopfe in the bottom of the eighth, Lake Elsinore was unable to make a comeback, as while Ryan Jackson reached base to open the inning, the next three batters are were retired, with Zach Evans grounding out to end the game.

For the 2nd time this season, @FresnoStateBSB alum Tommy Hopfe has hit a HR. This one to give the Grizzlies an 8-6 lead in the bottom of the 8th. pic.twitter.com/q0QzOyX8p7

— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) April 20, 2025

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.