The San Diego Padres’ minor league affiliates continued their regular seasons on Thursday, going 1-3 in regular season action. 

Here is a recap of the day’s action. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 7-4 vs Sacramento) (11-13 on the season)

Yonathan Perlaza – 1-for-4, Home Run, Two RBI

Nate Mondou – 1-for-3, RBI Single

Wes Benjamin – 5.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 4 K (87 pitches – 50 strikes)

El Paso’s offense was held at bay by Sacramento starter Kyle Harrison, as the team scored two runs over the first eight innings of the ballgame. Hits were not abundant for the Chihuahuas, as the team only notched five in the ballgame. Mike Brosseau drove in a run on a ground ball double play, and Nate Mondou drove in El Paso’s second run on an RBI single. It would be the only scoring the Chihuahuas would do against Harrison, who went six innings and struck out eight. Yonathan Perlaza drove in two runs in the ninth, hitting a two-run home run to bring the game to 7-4. 

On the mound, Wes Benjamin had one of his better starts of the season, allowing only three hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Unfortunately, his defense was not as strong as it had been in past games, as Eguy Rosario committed two errors at shortstop, while Nate Mondou committed a throwing error that directly contributed to a run scoring. Benjamin allowed four runs (two earned) in 5.1 innings of work, getting whiffs on 35% of swings against him, a season high. Benjamin doesn’t have the most electric arsenal, but he was able to sequence well enough to keep opposing batters on their toes.

Reliever Austin Davis allowed three runs while recording one out, raising his season ERA to 12.91. On the other end of the spectrum, right-handers Kevin Kopps and Andrew Bellati had scoreless outings in relief, with Kopps tossing 1.2 innings of relief with one punchout. Bellati, in his second appearance with El Paso, struck out two in a clean inning of relief. 

El Paso returns to play on Friday, with left-hander Austin Krob set to start. 

San Antonio Missions (Won 13-11 vs Amarillo) (10-8 on the season)

Francisco Acuna – 3-for-5, Go-Ahead Home Run

Marcos Castanon – 3-for-4, Four RBI

Braden Nett – 4 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 3 K (80 pitches – 53 strikes)

In a game that was hyped for the pitching matchup, the offenses combined for 24 runs and 31 hits because, well, that’s baseball. 

Braden Nett started for San Antonio and had his first rough start of the season, tossing four innings and allowing six runs. Nett did not get his usual bevy of strikeouts, only punching out three batters. His stat line was somewhat deceiving, as several hits allowed by the right-hander were bleeders to the outfield or grounders to the left side that got just under the third baseman’s glove. Nett was still able to go four innings while being relatively efficient in his pitch count, as no inning really came apart. 

Nett K’s Roberts
K #3

3-3
B3 @EVT_News @StatNerd_Base
*Camera went on the fritz* https://t.co/LStCbB1mSG pic.twitter.com/DEL1wEU5n3

— Austin Hartsfield (@HartsfieldPC) April 25, 2025

The offense was led by a trio of strong contributors who have stepped up in the absence of Ethan Salas. Joshua Mears had his first multi-home run game of the season, homering off starter Spencer Guesting and reliever Royce Clayton; it didn’t matter the handedness, as Mears mashed his first two home runs of the season. Marcos Castanon found his stroke again, as he had an RBI single, a sacrifice fly, and a go-ahead double all in the same game. While Castanon has yet to fully find his slug this season, his .303 batting average and .344 on-base percentage are strong marks for the San Bernardino native. Francisco Acuna continues to make a name for himself here in the Padres organization, as the shortstop slugged a go-ahead three-run home run in the tenth inning to give the Missions a 12-9 lead. 

Fransisco Acuna puts the Missions in front with a 3-Run shot on a 1-2 count with 1-Out.

12-9 AMA
T 10@EVT_News @StatNerd_Base pic.twitter.com/wkLBfTEuy2

— Austin Hartsfield (@HartsfieldPC) April 25, 2025

Miguel Cienfuegos tossed three innings of one-run baseball in relief, continuing his strong performances out of the bullpen. Reliever Eduarniel Nunez struggled in the eighth inning, allowing the game-tying runs to score on a game-tying home run by Kristian Robinson. Manuel Castro allowed one earned run (two runs including the ghost runner) in two innings of relief, pitching through the ninth and getting the first two outs of the tenth inning. With the tying run coming to the plate in Gavin Conticello, the Missions summoned Ryan Och with two outs in the tenth, and Och did was he was tasked to do, retiring Conticello on a lineout to center field to end the game. 

Cienfuegos K’s Melendez for the first out in the 7th and a 4-6-3 DP the next batter gets them out of the frame @EVT_News @StatNerd_Base

8-7 SA
T8 pic.twitter.com/6JS6LmIC3h

— Austin Hartsfield (@HartsfieldPC) April 25, 2025

The Missions return to play Friday, with left-hander Jackson Wolf making his fourth start of the season. Amarillo counters with right-hander Roman Angelo. For more on the Sod Poodles starter, we turn the mic over to Austin Hartsfield of The Prospect Times:

Roman Angelo just missed the Missions in their first series, catching the Springfield Cardinals twice. Fly balls at Hodgetown don’t exactly mix, and his first two starts is perfect evidence of that. Angelo allowed 18 runs in his previous two starts against Springfield and gave up seven home runs in the process. Something was different about the Diamondbacks’ #26 prospect in his last start. He was deliberate to the plate and getting ahead early, landing his slider and the changeup was electric. The Sod Poodles right-hander tossed 6.1 innings, while allowing only one earned run, striking out 6 with 2 walks against a Roughrider offense that was coming in hot. Undrafted out of Fresno State Angelo brings an arsenal highlight by his fastball, that has gained over 3 MPH (93-94) since starting pro ball, a great changeup that had a 51% whiff rate in 2024, a sinker, cutter, curveball, and a slider that will usually be his third best weapon. He hasn’t thrown strikeouts at nearly the rate that he did a year ago. Angelo has 9 strikeouts in three starts, the least of any qualified starting pitcher in the Texas League and second in Double-A to only the Rockies’ Mason Albright. The difference between the two? 8.44 points in ERA.

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Lost 7-3 vs Lansing) (9-9 on the season)

Jack Costello – 2-for-4, RBI Single

Jose Sanabria – 2-for-4, RBI Single

Jose Luis Reyes – 3.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 3 K (79 pitches – 48 strikes)

The TinCaps’ offense continues to be hot or cold, and on Thursday night, it was a cold night for the ‘Caps in Lansing. Jack Costello and Jose Sanabria each recorded two singles in the ballgame, both driving in one run apiece. Nerwilian Cedeno and Leo De Vries each drew a walk and scored a run, but neither had a base hit. Cedeno and De Vries have been catalysts for the TinCaps’ offense this season, and having them only reach base once did not lead to much success offensively. Catcher Oswaldo Linares had his first base hit of the season, but allowed two stolen bases when behind the dish. 

Starter Jose Luis Reyes did not make it through the fourth inning, as Lansing was on him from the get-go. Reyes allowed two runs in the first inning, two in the second, one in the third, and one in the fourth inning, never having a 1-2-3 frame and constantly navigating base traffic. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and T.J. Schofield-Sam had his number, with each having two hits against the TinCaps’ right-hander. While Reyes’ ERA sits at 3.65 as a result of three unearned runs charged to him, the right-hander’s inability to find the third out in a frame looks to be an area of growth for the 22-year-old.

T.J. Schofield-Sam ?? https://t.co/SeTqKyFxOY pic.twitter.com/saMTL9RnZQ

— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) April 25, 2025

Left-hander Fernando Sanchez tossed 3.2 innings of long relief, allowing one unearned run to score and striking out two. The Sonora native has now struck out 12 in 11.2 innings in five appearances after seeing time at three levels of the minors in 2024. 

Fort Wayne looks to get back on track Friday in Lansing, with Opening Day starter Enmanuel Pinales taking the mound. 

Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 7-2 vs Visalia) (5-13 on the season)

Kasen Wells – 3-for-5, Run Scored

Ryan Jackson – 2-for-5, Double, Run Scored

Boston Bateman – 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K (75 pitches – 45 strikes)

Left-hander Boston Bateman struck out five over 4.1 innings of work against Visalia, his second-highest strikeout total of the season. Despite the strikeouts, it was not the cleanest game for the southpaw. Bateman allowed three walks and four runs, including a first-inning three-run home run. While Bateman’s slider continued to tunnel well off the fastball, further using his curveball to keep opposing hitters looking for more vertical break will allow his heater to play up even more than it already does from his height. 

Zach Evans and Lamar King Jr continued their impressive starts to the season, each driving in one run. Evans is now hitting .338 on the season in 68 at-bats, with a team-leading 18 RBI and an .885 OPS. Starting off hot in such a manner bodes well for the infielder, and his maturity at the plate is turning heads in Lake Elsinore. Ryan Jackson continues to hit near the top of the lineup, doubling and scoring a run in the ballgame. Kasen Wells is becoming a bona fide leadoff man for the Storm, reaching base three times in the game on three base hits. The team finished 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position, stranding nine runners in the loss.

The Rawhide struck first. Lamar King Jr. and Zach Evans struck back.

Rawhide: 3
Storm: 2 pic.twitter.com/uID42sAF77

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) April 25, 2025

Left-hander Javier Chacon and right-hander Jimmy Reyes made their season debuts in relief. Chacon allowed one earned run in 2.2 innings of work, striking out two. Reyes matched the left-hander in strikeout total, tossing two innings of his own. However, Reyes allowed two unearned runs in the game, as a fielding error and wild pitch led to two runs scoring on no hits. Reyes was activated before the ballgame, with right-hander Mario Zabala heading to the injured list. 

The Storm return to play Friday at The Diamond, with right-hander Kleiber Olmedo (who was activated from the Development List on April 24) likely to start.

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.