The San Diego Padres may have had an off day, but the team’s minor league affiliates continued their regular seasons.

Padres’ affiliates went 0-1 on Thursday night.

Here is a recap of the night’s events.

El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 5-4 vs Oklahoma City in 11 innings) (2-4 on the season)
Oscar Gonzalez – 2-for-5, Double, RBI
Yonathan Perlaza – 2-for-4, Double, Walk, RBI
Ryan Bergert – 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 11 K (78 pitches, 52 strikes)

An early season instant classic took place down at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, as the Chihuahuas and Comets faced off. Ryan Bergert took the mound for El Paso, matched up against rehabbing right-hander Tony Gonsolin. If Chihuahuas Opening Day wasn’t enough of a welcome for Ryan Bergert, he certainly left his mark today. Bergert tossed five innings of one-run baseball, walking zero batters while punching out 11, setting a career-high in the process. The right-hander was certainly locked in, as he recorded whiffs on 36% of swings against him; nine of his eleven strikeouts came swinging, including the final three batters he faced. With this level of tenacity so early on in El Paso. Bergert’s stock is certainly on the rise and could potentially give him a fast track to the Major Leagues if his swing-and-miss stuff continues to play in the high-altitude environment of the PCL.

Ryan Bergert is for real!

The #Padres right-hander struck out 11 in five innings for @epchihuahuas tonight! pic.twitter.com/ptn5rsa5tc

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) April 4, 2025

Offensively, the Chihuahuas received contributions up and down the lineup. Yonathan Perlaza and Oscar Gonzalez (fresh off his addition to the Padres’ 40-man roster) each recorded a multi-hit game. Tirso Ornelas, playing center field with Perlaza in the lineup, reached base twice and stole two bases. Trenton Brooks continued to rake for the Chihuahuas, reaching base twice and driving in another run on a sacrifice fly.

After Bergert departed the game, the atmosphere became tense. El Paso was up 3-1 after five and a half innings when right-hander Ron Marinaccio entered the game. Marinaccio struck out the first two batters he faced, but James Outman hit a double to put a runner on second with two outs. A wild pitch from Marinaccio put Outman on third before Michael Chavis walked. Chavis stole second, and a bad throw from catcher Luis Campusano scored Outman from third. Designated hitter Ryan Ward singled to score Chavis and tie the game at three runs apiece. Campusano atoned for his throwing error in the top of the seventh, doubling to score Trenton Brooks and give El Paso a 4-3 lead. Campusano has hit the ball hard with El Paso, but until he can show improvements in his defense and an ability to consistently hit line drives, it appears he may not have a clear path back to the Majors.

Tom Cosgrove fired a scoreless seventh, and Chihuahuas manager Pete Zamora handed the ball to sinkerballer Ethan Routzahn for the eighth. Michael Chavis doubled off Routzahn, and a passed ball from Campusano put Chavis on third with no outs. Ryan Ward again punished the El Paso pitching staff, lifting a sacrifice fly to tie the game at four, but Routzahn would not allow another run.

Meanwhile, the El Paso offense had a chance to bring in the go-ahead run in the ninth, but OKC right-handers Landon Knack and Jack Little did not allow the go-ahead run to score. Chihuahuas closer Harold Chirino did the same, holding the home team scoreless in the bottom of the ninth. To lead off the tenth, with Clay Dungan pinch-running at second base, Oscar Gonzalez chased a slider below the zone but put the ball in play, lining a single up the middle to score Dungan and give El Paso a 5-4 lead. Gonzalez was thrown out stealing second base to end the inning, also ending the Chihuahuas’ perfect 8-for-8 mark in stolen bases in the series.

Free baseball RBI for Oscar Gonzalez.

Puts the ?s up 1 in the top of the 10th pic.twitter.com/VrzTIN3fFx

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) April 4, 2025

Chirino returned to the mound in the bottom of the tenth, but was in for a rude greeting, as Ryan Ward recorded yet another hit, singling up the middle to tie the game at 5. Chirino did not allow the winning run to score, as he struck out Austin Gauthier and recorded two outs on balls in play, with Tirso Ornelas making a sliding grab in center field to keep the game tied.

TIRSO ORNELAS: Game saving diving catch as your El Paso Chihuahuas CENTER FIELDER pic.twitter.com/QVO0hz6g18

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) April 4, 2025

The Chihuahuas went scoreless in the eleventh inning against southpaw Joe Jacques, and with the game tied, the newest member of the El Paso bullpen was called upon for his first professional game since June 27, 2023. That’s right: Reiss Knehr took the mound for his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Knehr struck out top Dodger prospect Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland, and El Paso opted to intentionally walk Eddie Rosario to set up the force out. It would not be on this night, as James Outman grounded a single to right field, forcing a play at the plate with Hyeseong Kim running from second to home. Oscar Gonzalez uncorked a strong throw, but it came a second too late, as Kim scored to seal the win for the Comets.

James Outman says good night!

First walk-off win of the season, as the Comets beat El Paso, 6-5, in 11 innings! pic.twitter.com/QkwfBqe5xt

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) April 4, 2025

Notable Events
– The Chihuahuas’ pitching staff struck out 21 batters on the night, a franchise single-game record.
– Tyler Wade made his Chihuahuas debut, posting three singles. Wade, whom recently cleared waivers, is likely to see playing time all around the diamond.
– Fellow infielder Eguy Rosario cleared waivers and is set to report to Triple-A El Paso. Mike Brosseau was placed in the development list to free up a roster spot.
– Right-hander J.B. Wendelken was placed on the 7-Day Injured List before Thursday’s game. Wendelken suffered a lower-body injury in his appearance on Wednesday, and no timetable is set for his return. Wendelken’s IL placement opened a roster spot for the team to activate fellow right-hander Reiss Knehr.

El Paso returns to play on Friday night at 5:05 pm Pacific, with Jared Kollar taking the mound. Double-A San Antonio opens up their season against Amarillo; Jagger Haynes gets the Opening Day nod. High-A Fort Wayne hosts Lansing to open up their campaign, with Enmanuel Pinales receiving the Opening Day start. Single-A Lake Elsinore starts the season on the road in Rancho Cucamonga, with their starting pitcher to be announced.

The minor league season is about to be full steam ahead, and we will cover every team’s results here daily!

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.