Padres minor league affiliates had themselves a 2-2 day on Saturday. 

Here is our daily recap of games played, but first, the day’s roster roundup. 

Roster Roundup

Padres affiliates made the following moves on Saturday. 

• Infielder Sung-Mun Song was recalled by San Diego (MLB). Song will serve as the 27th man for the Mexico City Series, and will be making his MLB debut if and when he appears in a game. 
• Left-hander Marco Gonzales was activated from the 7-day injured list by El Paso (Triple-A). Left-hander Omar Cruz was reassigned to Double-A San Antonio in a corresponding move. 
• San Antonio (Double-A) placed right-handers Miguel Mendez and Manuel Castro on the 7-day IL, retroactive to April 24.

Now, onto the day’s action. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 8-2 vs Reno) (11-15 on the season)

Jase Bowen – 1-for-4, Home Run

NIck Solak – 2-for-4, Two Singles, RBI

Marco Gonzales – 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (27 pitches – 16 strikes)

El Paso’s lineup went quiet against Mitch Bratt, who held the team to one run in 4.1 innings. The Chihuahuas were able to lead in the first on an RBI single by Nick Solak. Solak now has 12 RBI on the season, tied for fifth on the team. Jase Bowen tacked on the team’s second run in the eighth inning with his seventh home run of the season. Bowen is fourth on the team in RBI after the home run, and now leads the team in home runs. Jose Miranda and Mason McCoy each had a single in the loss, as did Pablo Reyes. 

Jase Bowen’s day for the @epchihuahuas:

✔️ Rock incredible Backyard Baseball-themed uni
✔️ Join @Padres‘ Top 30 Prospects list (@MLBPipeline)
✔️ Crush 105.8 mph, 403-foot roundtripper! pic.twitter.com/xx1fI84naP

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 26, 2026

Marco Gonzales came off the injured list for his fourth start of the season, and the Colorado native shook off the rust in style. Gonzales pitched two scoreless innings, averaging a season-high 91.1 mph on the fastball. Sean Boyle pitched three innings in long relief, but his relief outing was not as sharp as his last outing (five shutout innings). Boyle was knocked around for five runs on three hits and three walks in three innings. The crafty right-hander struck out four batters, generating 10 whiffs for a 38% whiff rate. Logan Gillaspie allowed three runs, two of which were earned, over two innings of relief, fanning two. Misael Tamarez pitched two scoreless innings, striking out two. Tamarez averaged 98.9 mph on his fastball, peaking at 100.4 mph. 

San Antonio Missions (Lost 5-4 in 10 innings vs Amarillo) (5-15 on the season)

Ethan Salas – 2-for-3, Two-Run Home Run, Game-Tying RBI Double

Albert Fabian – 1-for-4,. Home Run

Jagger Haynes – 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K (83 pitches – 45 strikes)

So it’s safe to say that Ethan Salas is fully back, isn’t it. The Padres’ No. 1 prospect put on quite the show down in San Antonio, as he got every big hit a player possibly could in one game. Salas’ move to the leadoff spot seems to have re-energized the 19-year old catcher, as he hit an 110 mph game-tying two-run home run in the fourth inning against southpaw Avery Short. He was not the only Missions player to go deep, as Albert Fabian launched a home run of his own in the seventh inning. Tirso Ornelas went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk in the game, and Leandro Cedeno had a single in five at-bats. Cedeno has played in nine games with San Antonio, and is currently on a nine-game on-base streak. Ryan Jackson reached base with a walk in the ninth inning, and Kai Murphy’s third single of the game set him up to come all the way around from first to score on Salas’ game-tying double. 

Ethan Salas swats a 110 mph no-doubter for Double-A @missionsmilb ?

The @Padres‘ No. 2 prospect has an 1.038 OPS over his past 10 games. pic.twitter.com/Ufe0yqxeR3

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 26, 2026

Ethan with the clutch double to tie it up! ? pic.twitter.com/9JGngwavHi

— San Antonio Missions Baseball (@missionsmilb) April 26, 2026

Left-hander Jagger Haynes showed some moxie in his start against Amarillo. The Sod Poodles gave Haynes trouble in 2025 (4 GS, 18.1 IP, 5.40 ERA, 5.92 FIP, 13:10 K:BB), but he stood his ground after a long first inning. Ben McLaughlin’s two-run double opened the scoring in the first, but Haynes did not allow a run the rest of his outing. The left-hander picked up six strikeouts in his start, and his temperament did not show until his final pitch. Haynes had two runners on with two outs in the fifth with McLaughlin coming up again. He fell behind 3-0 on fastballs in the 92-93 mph range before a called strike and foul ball. After five straight heaters, Haynes turned to his slider at 83 mph for strike three, letting the emotions fly after recording the punchout. 

Padres No. 20 prospect Jagger Haynes gets out of a major jam, working his way back from 3-0 to strike out Ben McLaughlin.

Love the emotion from the kid!

Missions & Sod Poodles tied at two. @EVT_News pic.twitter.com/yNZS7OXmwv

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) April 26, 2026

The Missions bullpen saw Andrew Dalquist enter first, and he threw up a zero in the sixth inning. The former White Sox third-rounder returned for the seventh, but gave up a two-out RBI double to hot-hitting Manuel Pena. After issuing a walk, Dalquist was relieved by Johan Moreno, who was greeted with a single by Jansel Luis to score a run. Moreno fanned Gavin Conticello to end the inning, kicking off a stretch of four consecutive punchouts for the Coro, Venezuela native. 

Manny Pena gives us the lead in the 7th! Soddies lead! #EmbraceTheAnimal pic.twitter.com/uue5Putahq

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) April 26, 2026

Andrew Moore fired a scoreless ninth, punctuated by a double play, to keep San Antonio’s hopes alive. With the game tied, Moore returned to the hill in the tenth. The former Reds prospect had allowed one hit in his first five innings this season, but Jansel Luis made it two with a one-out double to score the ghost runner, giving Amarillo the lead. Moore did not let the frame snowball, using his mid-80s slider and 98-99 mph fastball to strike out Gavin Conticello and Danny Serretti. Despite an intentional walk to Tirso Ornelas putting two on with two outs, the Missions failed to bring in the automatic runner, and a tense affair went in the Sod Poodles’ favor. 

The hit that gave us the lead in the 10th! Jansel Luis in the clutch! #EmbraceTheAnimal pic.twitter.com/SSpM4sExev

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) April 26, 2026

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 2-1 vs Wisconsin) (7-13 on the season)

Kasen Wells – 2-for-4, Two Singles, RBI

Jake Cunningham – 1-for-4, Single, Run Scored

Jamie Hitt – 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K (67 pitches – 45 strikes)

Fort Wayne rode a career day for left-hander Jamie Hitt en route to a Saturday win. The Padres’ 8th-round pick in 2025, Hitt made his third career start and pitched like a bonafide ace. HItt struck out eight batters in five scoreless innings of work, picking up whiffs on 34.5% of swings. Hitt’s slider was responsible for seven of the eight strikeouts, and for more numbers, the left-hander struck out half the batters he faced. Wisconsin’s lineup ranked first in OPS, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and was second in batting average entering the game, so for Hitt to be as dominant against an early-season powerhouse most definitely opened some eyes and turned some heads. 

Padres 2025 8th-round pick Jamie Hitt (@JamesHittTX) with a dominant outing against the 1st place Wisconsin Timber Rattlers:

5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K
34.5% whiff rate on 29 swings

What an outing, that slider is devastating! @EVT_News https://t.co/T1TOZg1P6E

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) April 26, 2026

The TinCaps bullpen bounced back from a rough stretch over the first four games of the series. After posting an 8.82 ERA over the first four games of the series, the TinCaps bullpen found form, thanks in large part to right-hander Clark Candiotti. The second-generation pitcher threw two scoreless innings, striking out one batter. Candiotti racked up the groundouts, as all five outs in play came via the ground ball. The former Arizona Wildcat lowered his ERA to 5.91, but his 2.43 FIP indicates he has pitched much better than the surface results. 

Tied at zero going into the eighth inning, the TinCaps lineup finally rallied. Oswaldo Linares, starting for a third consecutive game, walked with one out, and a single by Jake Cunningham moved him to third. The fleet-footed Kasen Wells stepped up to the plate, and hit a perfectly placed bunt between the mound and the third base line. Pitcher Yorman Galindez went for the bare-handed flip, but missed the ball entirely, allowing Linares to score the first run of the game. Lamar King Jr was plunked to load the bases, and one out later, Rosman Verdugo drew a four-pitch walk to score an insurance run. 

Some small ball from Kasen Wells breaks the scoreless tie! pic.twitter.com/3xpYRpVx6A

— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) April 25, 2026

The insurance run was critical, as Braian Salazar returned to the mound after a scoreless eighth. Brewers No. 13 prospect Braylon Paine hit an 81 mph lefty-lefty slider out to right field for his fifth home run of the season. Salazar retired two of the next three batters to seal the win, striking out Josiah Ragsdale for the final out. 

Lake Elsinore Storm (Won 6-5 vs Visalia) (11-9 on the season)

George Bilecki – 1-for-2, Three-Run Go-Ahead Double

Justin DeCriscio – 1-for-4, Two-Run Single

Lucas Giolito – 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K (63 pitches – 40 strikes)

The newest member of the Padres made his organizational debut on Saturday. That’s right; right-hander Lucas Giolito made his first rehab/tune-up start for the Storm, pitching 2.2 innings of two-run baseball. The right-hander’s arsenal flashed life throughout his outing, as his changeup continued to show armside run consistent with his time in Boston last season. Giolito struck out four while walking three. He departed from the game after a 103 mph comebacker hit off his right hand, but he ultimately reported he was feeling fine after the incident (when asked by Friar Territory). While he has been preparing with simulated games before signing, the sim game and The Game are very different beasts, as he no doubt saw on that play.

Lucas Giolito struck out the side in the second inning ? pic.twitter.com/p6RZsPNdjr

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) April 26, 2026

Padres RHP Lucas Giolito departed his rehab start after this comebacker.

As you can see on the video, it appears that the ball hit off his pitching hand.

His final line – 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K (63 pitches – 40 strikes)@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/WOCN0ubW15

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) April 26, 2026

The Storm’s pitching staff pieced it together from there. Rordy Mejia, coming off a four-run blowup on Wednesday, pitched 1.1 innings of relief with two strikeouts. Mejia bounced back to not allow a run, throwing 13 of 15 pitches for strikes. Scheduled starter Tyler Schmitt took over in the fifth inning, and the right-hander had an eventful outing, to say the least. Schmitt worked around command inconsistency to throw three innings of three-run baseball, striking out two. His fastball, changeup, and breaking ball all showed impressive movement profiles and tunneled well off one another. His 9.75 ERA is somewhat bloated, as he has a 6.80 FIP on the season, and continues to make adjustments to the professional game. Safe to say, he’s got potential. 

One thing that impressed me in @Storm_Baseball‘s win over Visalia was the sequencing and arsenal of right-hander Tyler Schmitt.

Changeup at 89, then the fastball with armside tail, and a big 12-6 to close out the sequence.

Definitely an arm to keep an eye on? pic.twitter.com/o9p4t8GX4n

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) April 26, 2026

If asked what’s something the Storm’s offense does very well, the term “five-run innings” would be on anyone’s mind. Well, they did it again, as the Storm broke through for six runs in the sixth inning. Facing Augie Mojica for the second time this season, Ryan Wideman and Jose Verdugo each drew a walk. Truitt Madonna then wore a 94 mph fastball off the brim of his batting helmet, reaching base. Madonna passed the in-game concussion check, so it does not appear that he is at risk of missing any time. The bases were juiced for Justin DeCriscio, who dropped a shallow fly ball in left field to score two runs. Luke Cantwell walked, and after Jorge Quintana struck out, Yoiber Ocopio stepped up. With Ocopio batting, the Rawhide’s right-hander was called for a balk, scoring the tying run. Ocopio then walked to re-load the bases, before Visalia skipper Dee Garner relieved Mojica, bringing in Jairon Digon. Digon faced George Bilecki, who entered the game 0-for-the-series. Bilecki lined a 2-2 out to right field, clearing the bases and giving the Storm a 6-3 lead. 

Bottom 6: OUT, BB, BB, HBP, 1B RBI, BB, SO, BB RBI, AND THEN THIS!!!!#EmbraceTheStorm?️ pic.twitter.com/RnW7xhlIHk

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) April 26, 2026

Nick Falter was called on by Lake Elsinore with runners on the corners and no outs in the eighth. Up 6-4 at the time, Falter induced a run-scoring forceout for out number one. He got two more outs in the air to end the eighth. With Ethan Long presumably unavailable, Falter got the ninth inning, and induced three straight groundouts to end the game and earn his first career save. 

With the win, the Storm have now won five in a row, and now lead the California League South. 

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.