The San Diego Padres’ minor league affiliates returned to play on Wednesday night, going 3-1 in regular-season action. 

Here is a recap of the games’ events. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (Won 13-4 vs Oklahoma City) (13-15 on the season)

Mike Brosseau – 1-for-3, Two-Run Home Run, Three Runs Scored

Bryce Johnson – 3-for-5, Double, Two RBI

Wes Benjamin – 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K (87 pitches – 49 strikes)

El Paso opened a new road series facing a daunting adversary in the Comets’ starter and rehabbing Dodger legend Clayton Kershaw. On the mound for the Chihuahuas was 31-year-old Wes Benjamin, and he delivered 4.2 innings of four-run baseball, striking out four batters. Benjamin’s numbers are not looking great, with a 6.18 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and .279 batting average against, but he is providing length for a Chihuahuas team that needs it, as most top Padres pitching prospects are at least a few months away from reaching Triple-A. Sean Reynolds took a major step in his rehab, tossing 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball. The “up-and-down” test was passed, and now it remains to be seen when the fireballing Reynolds is used on back-to-back days, likely one of the last steps in his rehab. Reynolds’ pure stuff, while not yet at peak form, graded out well in both velocity and movement.

Luis Campusano continues to make a case for PCL Player of the Month with another home run, his sixth of the season. It marks Campusano’s second career home run off Clayton Kershaw, and he wasn’t the only Chihuahuas batter to take Kershaw deep. Mike Brosseau connected for a longball of his own, finishing the game having scored three runs. The team’s role players contributed heavily against Kershaw and the Comets’ bullpen. Bryce Johnson finished with three base hits and two RBI, slashing a double and two singles while scoring twice. Corner outfielders Tim Locastro and Yonathan Perlaza both finished with multi-hit games in the win, driving in multiple runs each. Nate Mondou reached base four times in the ballgame, posting a three-hit game while also scoring twice. 

Campy on KERSHAW Crime pic.twitter.com/P2xdv6I9BX

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) May 1, 2025

It’s not always about how you start…

?s put up 5 in the top of the 9th to extend the lead to 9 runs pic.twitter.com/GBpeSExFsP

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) May 1, 2025

El Paso plays a back-to-back doubleheader on Thursday, with Austin Krob scheduled to start game one of two. Kyle Hart would likely start game two after being scratched from Tuesday’s rainout. 

San Antonio Missions (Lost 8-2 vs Corpus Christi) (12-11 on the season)

Anthony Vilar – 2-for-4, RBI Single

Joshua Mears – 1-for-4, RBI Single

Braden Nett – 4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 5 K (84 pitches – 51 strikes)

The home confines of The Wolff were not the friendliest environment for Missions starter Braden Nett, who allowed five runs in 4.2 innings of work on Wednesday. Nett was in the strike zone on 61% of his offerings, but the Hooks’ lineup battled in their time at the plate. Nett allowed six hits and five earned runs, striking out five but walking four. Based on some of his pitch locations throughout the ballgame, Nett pitched better than the final line indicated, as he appeared to be squeezed in the zone multiple times. However, the stat line is the stat line, which puts Nett in line for the loss. He did strike out five, which was an uptick from his last start against Amarillo, so it could be a matter of time before the right-hander can get back on the right track. 

Sometimes, bloopers can be a good thing like this bloop sinlge by Luis Encarnacion to bring home another run. pic.twitter.com/HA5BSEj1eI

— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) May 1, 2025

The Missions’ offense was mostly cold throughout the game, tallying up a mere six hits and three walks. Hooks starter Trey Dombroski had the team’s number, posting a quality start. Joshua Mears and Anthony Vilar had the team’s two line RBi, with Vilar being the only member of the Missions’ lineup to have a multi-hit game. Moises Gomez reached base twice and scored a run, while the team finished 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Before the game, left-hander Fernando Sanchez and infielder Chase Valentine were assigned to Double-A San Antonio. Both players saw action in the game, as Valentine went hitless as the team’s designated hitter before being pinch-hit for in the ninth inning. Sanchez worked an inning of relief, allowing a run on a hit and a walk while striking out two batters. 

Rowdey rips.

We add on to our lead in the seventh. pic.twitter.com/81ZZtu0v7m

— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) May 1, 2025

San Antonio returns to play on Thursday at The Wolff, with (fittingly) Jackson Wolf taking the mound. 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 8-3 vs Dayton) (12-11 on the season)

Leo De Vries – 2-for-3, Double, Three RBI

Rosman Verdugo – 1-for-3, Home Run

Clark Candiotti – 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 3 K (59 pitches – 31 strikes)

After falling behind 3-1 in the third inning, the TinCaps scored seven unanswered runs to turn the deficit into an 8-3 win. Clark Candiotti took the mound and flashed an intriguing arsenal. Candiotti’s splitter has the makings of a plus pitch, with ~1500 RPMs while sitting in the high-80s. His slider has also shown promise, sitting in the mid-80s with raw but strong horizontal break. While the right-hander’s command is still a work in progress, his pitches’ movement profile and depth at this stage of his career could give the right-hander the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter while having the ability to be a strong middle reliever. Josh Mallitz’s performance is also worth noting, as the right-hander tossed 3.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. It was the kind of outing Mallitz needed to overcome his last outing (7 ER in 1.1 innings), and could bode well for the former Mississippi hurler. Nick Wissman tossed two scoreless innings, and Tyson Neighbors threw a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts.

Leo De Vries continues to be one of the hottest hitters in the entire Midwest League, as after a 2-for-3 day, he now leads the Midwest League in slugging, OPS, and isolated power, all while being at least three years younger than the average High-A player. De Vries continues to surge as the calendar turns and the temperatures in Fort Wayne rise, and there is a chance that he does not remain in Fort Wayne for the duration of the campaign. Rosman Verdugo hit his fifth home run of the season, a solo home run in the second inning. While Verdugo has struggled with hitting for batting average so far this season, he has slugged at an impressive rate, slugging .626 in 76 at-bats. Braedon Karpathios reached base twice in the game, and Jack Costello reached base three times on two hit-by-pitches and a double. The TinCaps’ offense is heating up at the right time, and this lineup’s depth looks to be proving their mettle. 

Leo De Vries (at age 18) leads the Midwest League in:

– SLG (.625)
– OPS (1.003)
– ISO (.319)@Padres | @TinCaps pic.twitter.com/hd3GSMH7h2

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 1, 2025

Rosman Verdugo ? pic.twitter.com/zjtPVEKqOW

— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) April 30, 2025

Jose Luis Reyes takes the mound for Fort Wayne on Thursday. 

Lake Elsinore Storm (Won 8-0 vs Inland Empire) (8-15 on the season)

Kasen Wells – 3-for-4, Triple, Three RBI

Zach Evans – 2-for-4, RBI

Sam Whiting – 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (49 pitches – 38 strikes)

Maikel Miralles – 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K (67 pitches – 43 strikes)

Lake Elsinore thundered to a win over the visiting 66ers, riding a six-run sixth inning to victory. The win doesn’t happen without the pitching, as rehabbing right-hander Sam Whiting took the mound and delivered four dominant innings. Whiting struck out two but held the opposition to one hit and no walks, collecting seven ground ball outs. It is not yet known how long Whiting will be with Lake Elsinore, as he finished the 2024 season at Double-A San Antonio. 

The Maikel Miralles bounceback continued on Wednesday. Miralles seems to be getting over the hump of his early season struggles, as his five shutout innings earned him the victory, lowering his season ERA to 6.11. Miralles is one of the higher-upside arms down with the Storm, and while his command is still somewhat raw, he could be an arm who sees High-A later this season. 

Kasen Wells is making a case for best leadoff man in the California League, as the Storm center fielder had another three-hit game while stealing two bases. The Padres’ 2024 16th-round pick has made waves early on in his pro career and could be a glove-first player with the potential to remain in center field. Zach Evans had yet another multi-hit effort and has been a model of consistency so far for a Storm offense that has been hot or cold to open the season. Emil Turbi had a two-RBI single in the sixth inning; the hit gave the 20-year-old infielder his first Single-A hit and RBI. Ryan Jackson had another extra-base hit, raising his season OPS to .967 in 23 games. 

Have yourself an inning, Zach Evans! A great play at third in the top of the inning to get an out, and then an RBI single to score the game’s first run!#EmbraceTheStorm?️ pic.twitter.com/qRJKRqdfOB

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) May 1, 2025

Kasen WHEELS his way to third base for a two RBI triple.

We’re up 8-0 through six innings! pic.twitter.com/hMXSAnEAby

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) May 1, 2025

The Storm return to action on Thursday, with a starter to be announced.

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.