Padres Down on the Farm: April 22 (Weathers four shutout innings for EP/Agustin Ruiz homers for SA/Merrill 2 hits for LE)

San Diego Padres affiliates went 2-1 on Friday (Fort Wayne rained out).

El Paso Chihuahuas vs. Las Vegas Aviators (Won 5-2) (8-8 on the season)

Solid pitching to start the game, the bullpen did enough to hold the lead.

Ryan Weathers– 4 IP, 0 ER, 3 K, 5 H, 2 BB (83 pitches, 47 strikes)

Grant Gavin– 2.2 IP, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 H, 1 BB, W

Trayce Thompson–  2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI

Nomar Mazara– 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B

C.J. Hinojosa– 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 2 2B

On Friday night, Ryan Weathers got the start and was solid but not economical with his pitches. He was able to work around seven baserunners in his four innings of work but did not let anyone cross the plate. Trayce Thompson continued his scorching start to the Triple-A season with his seventh home run of the season to give El Paso a 2-0 lead. Grant Gavin built on the solid start turned in by Weathers by going two and two-thirds of shutout baseball, earning his second win of the young season.

Trayce Thompson Tater Tracker: 7

435 Ft | 113.2 MPH Exit Velo aka HOT POTATER
| 28 degree Launch Angle#FearTheEars pic.twitter.com/n4uWN1sNrl

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) April 23, 2022

In the seventh, CJ Hinojosa would plate another Chiwawa runner with a sharply struck double to center. Matthew Batten brought home the fourth run of the game on an RBI fielder’s choice. El Paso would plate their final run of the evening on a Taylor Kohlwey single to bring the score to 5-0. Las Vegas would bring in its first run on a balk of all things, and they added on a solo home run in the ninth. They would ultimately fall 5-2.

San Antonio Missions vs. Amarillo Sod Poodles  (Lost 10-11) (2-11 on the season)

The Missions lose a wild one in extras as Amarillo walks it off with a walk.

Matt Waldron-5 IP, 3 K, 5 ER, 9 H, 1 BB

Kevin Kopps – 1 IP, 1 K, 2 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, BS

Ramon Perez– 1.2 IP, 3 K, 1 R, 4 BB, L

Yorman Rodriguez 2-for-6 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R

Agustin Ruiz 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB

Chandler Seagle 2-for-4 1 2B, 2 RBI 

The Missions got the scoring started early in this one. In the top of the first inning, after a leadoff walk by Esteury Ruiz, he swiped third base for his 10th steal of the season, and a fielding error allowed him to continue on home giving San Antonio the first run of the game. After a scoreless bottom of the first, The Missions were able to plate another two runs on an Agustin Ruiz triple and an RBI groundout by Chandler Seagle to increase their advantage to 3-0. In the bottom half of the second inning, Amarillo answered with two runs of their own on Juan Centeno’s third home run of the season. After a scoreless top of the third Amarillo took the lead in the bottom half. With a bit of station-to-station baseball and a sacrifice fly, the Sodpoodles brought home three to take a 5-3 advantage.

In the top of the fourth, Chandler Seagle picked up an RBI single to cut the lead in half at 5-4. In the top of the fifth, Yorman Rodriguez launched a fly ball into the jet stream for a two-run homerun regaining the lead 6-5. The Missions would add on three more runs in the sixth with a home run from Yorman Rodriguez and a two-RBI double from Brandon Dixon. In their half, the Sod Poodles clawed two runs back on a double from Jancarlos Cintron to cut the deficit to two at 9-7. Bases loaded walk in the top of the seventh would plate the 10th and final run of the evening for the Missions. Unfortunately, the pen could not hold on giving up one run in the eighth, two runs in the ninth, and finally surrendering a walk-off walk in the bottom of the eleventh.

Fort Wayne Tin Caps vs. Lansing Lugnuts (7-5 on the season)

Rained out, will make up with a doubleheader Saturday.

Lake Elsinore Storm vs. Fresno Grizzlies (Won 2-0) (7-5 on the season)

The Storm shutout Fresno and hit just enough to secure the win

Jackson Merrill– 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B

Matthew Acosta– 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B

Max Ferguson– 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB

Jairo Iriarte– 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 4 BB (70 pitches and 37 strikes)

Aaron Holiday– 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 K, 2 BB, W

Keegan Collet– 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, S

Iriarte was effectively wild in his shutout four innings in Friday night’s affair, only landing 53% of his pitches for strikes. He was able to work around four walks, mainly because Fresno could only muster one hit against him. It took until the eighth inning for the Storm to scratch across their first run as Jackson Merrill singled home Max Ferguson. 

Iriarte was backed by four relief pitchers all of whom turned in scoreless performances. Holiday went the longest of the four, going two innings, earning the win. The Storm would add on an insurance run in the ninth with the help of a throwing error by Grizzlies pitcher Joel Condreay which allowed Matthew Acosta to scamper home. Keegan Collet worked a mostly clean ninth, he allowed one walk, to earn his second save of the season. 

James Kenyon

San Diego born and raised. Padres and Everton supporter… yes I’m a masochist. I’m a sports junkie with a love of stories. Hopefully we can learn a few things together on this adventure.