A new week, a new batch of series down on the farm, as Padres minor league affiliates went 2-2 in regular season action on Tuesday night. 

Here is a recap of the night’s events. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 11-7 vs Las Vegas) (4-6 on the season)

Tirso Ornelas – 1-for-4, Two-RBI Single

Brett Sullivan – 2-for-4, RBI Double

Austin Krob – 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 2 K (57 pitches – 29 strikes)

El Paso’s series opener against the visiting Las Vegas Aviators started promisingly, but a late-inning blown lead led to an 11-7 defeat. The Chihuahuas’ offense had themselves a feast to open the ballgame, as after falling behind 2-0, El Paso cranked out four hits, two walks, and a hit batter. The end result of this combination? Five runs scored. Yonathan Perlaza hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to put El Paso on the board, and Tirso Ornelas put the team ahead on a sharp groundball single up the middle at 108.2 mph. Luis Campusano and Brett Sullivan each recorded an RBI base hit, extending the lead to 4-2, and Clay Dungan capped off the scoring with an RBI single, giving El Paso a 5-2 lead. 

Starter Austin Krob delivered an abbreviated outing, going two innings and allowing two runs (one earned). Krob’s groundball-heavy arsenal led to half his outs recorded coming via the ground ball. While he labored through his outing (30 pitches in the first inning, 27 in the second), Krob was able to prevent innings from snowballing into crooked numbers. Over two starts and 4.2 innings at the Triple-A level, it appears that the former TCU southpaw is still being stretched out as a starter, and this development could aid the Padres down the road. 

Right-hander Kevin Kopps ate up three innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits while striking out three. Kopps was able to hold batters at bay with an array of offspeed pitches, with no offering going faster than 90 mph (topping out at 89.8 mph). The Chihuahuas bullpen had four innings left to throw, but reliever Ron Marinaccio faltered in the sixth inning. Marinaccio retired the final three batters on two punchouts and a groundout, but the first three batters to face the former Yankee reached base on a fielding error, walk, and three-run home run. The Chihuahuas’ lead shrank to a 7-6 lead, and closer Harold Chirino was called on for the seventh inning to stymie the opposition’s momentum. Chirino got through the seventh unscathed, but the eighth inning saw the game turned on its head as Aviators first baseman Nick Kurtz turned on a belt-high Chirino fastball and launched a go-ahead three-run home run into the right field seats. With the score at 10-7 Aviators, Ethan Routzahn pitched the ninth inning but allowed a home run of his own, extending the Las Vegas lead to 11-7. El Paso went down quietly in the ninth, with the final three batters set down in order, as the Chihuahuas lost a classic PCL barn-burner. 

The Chihuahuas return to play Wednesday night, with Ryan Bergert making the start for El Paso, while right-hander J.T. Ginn toes the slab for Las Vegas. 

San Antonio Missions (Won 4-3 vs Corpus Christi) (3-1 on the season)

Romeo Sanabria – 3-for-4, Game-Winning Home Run

Devin Ortiz – 2-for-4, RBI Single

Jackson Wolf – 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K (50 pitches – 33 strikes)

In a game that always remained close, Romeo Sanabria’s eighth inning go-ahead home run led to the Missions’ win in their series opener. Left-hander Jackson Wolf took the mound for San Antonio, and the lanky left-hander scattered two runs on four hits in three innings. Wolf was rather economical, tossing 50 pitches, and 33 of those for strikes, recording four strikeouts along the way. While Wolf’s prospect allure has seemingly faded away after his MLB debut and subsequent struggles, he remains a depth arm that merits consideration within the Padres organization. 

Reigning player of the week Devin Ortiz got the scoring started for San Antonio, with a second inning RBI single trimming the deficit to 2-1. The fourth inning saw the Missions rally for the lead, as Ethan Salas hit an opposite-field sacrifice fly to score Sanabria, knotting up the game at two runs apiece. Joshua Mears drew a two-out walk and took off for second, getting himself into a rundown and allowing Moises Gomez to score from third base. While Mears would be tagged out, he did his part, allowing the go-ahead run to score. 

Jose Espada tossed two innings of relief, with the home team hitting back-to-back doubles to tie the game in the fifth. Espada struck out three batters in his frames of relief, but the strikeouts did not end there. Left-hander Jake Higginbotham (whom was just assigned to San Antonio), punched out five of six batters faced, dominating after posting a ghastly 30.86 ERA in three Triple-A outings. With the game knotted at three runs apiece, Romeo Sanabria stepped up to the plate and turned on a fastball to right field, lining a go-ahead home run. Sanabria’s three-hit day was an encouraging sign for the former 18th rounder, as his bat will be his calling card to the Majors. 

Right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez tossed the final two innings of the ballgame in an efficient and succinct manner, striking out three of seven batters faced for a two-inning save and the Missions’ third win of the season. 

San Antonio returns to action Wednesday, with right-hander Victor Lizarraga making his season debut. 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 8-4 vs Dayton) (3-1 on the season)

Braedon Karpathios – 2-for-4, Double, Triple, RBI

Brendan Durfee – 2-for-5, Two-RBI Double

Ian Koenig – 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 4 BB, 2 K (72 pitches, 39 strikes)

A six-run rally in the eighth inning allowed the TinCaps to secure a comeback win over the Dayton Dragons on their home turf. The offense for the ‘Caps was one of the stars of the game, as the team logged eight hits and six walks en route to eight runs scored. Braedon Karpathios logged a double and triple in four at-bats, finishing halfway to a cycle. The 1-2 combo of Leo De Vries and Jack Costello each finished with a base hit and RBI on the night, and catcher Brendan Durfee continued his ascent with yet another multi-hit game, finishing the night 2-for-5 with a two-RBI double. Second baseman Brandon Butterworth finished the game 0-for-2 but continued to be an on-base machine, reaching twice via the base by balls. 

Right-hander Ian Koenig, making his High-A debut, had a wild but solid day at the office. The right-hander tossed four innings of one-run baseball (unearned) on two hits while walking four against two strikeouts. Koenig, a former UDFA signing out of Cabrillo Junior College, showed some flashes of what he can be on the mound, but he is still fairly raw in his development. Right-hander Garrett Hawkins allowed three runs in an inning of work, with the runs crossing the plate on a three-run home run by Ariel Almonte. Baseball is a humbling sport, as Hawkins punched out four in two innings just days ago. 

The six-run eighth inning rally saw Karpathios score Rosman Verdugo with an RBI triple, and Nerwilian Cedeno tied the game on a fly ball RBI double. One out later, with the bases loaded, Leo De Vries beat out an infield single to give Fort Wayne a 5-4 lead. A wild pitch moved the runners up, scoring another run, and Brendan Durfee put the exclamation point on the frame with a two-RBI double. Relievers Xavier Ruiz and Tyson Neighbors put the finishing touches on the win with two scoreless frames to seal the deal. 

Fort Wayne returns to play Wednesday in Dayton, with right-hander Clark Candiotti in line to make his professional debut. 

Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 8-4 vs Modesto) (0-4 on the season)

Sean Barnett – 2-for-4, Home Run

Lamar King Jr – 2-for-5, RBI Double

Kash Mayfield – 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K (45 pitches – 26 strikes)

Another successful professional debut in the books! Padres 2024 first-round pick Kash Mayfield received the nod for Lake Elsinore’s home opener, and the talented left-hander did not disappoint. Mayfield tossed three scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out six batters. Mayfield’s fastball clocked in at an average of 89 mph, with a very impressive 18 inches of induced vertical break to boot. The left-hander’s performance was certainly worth the price of admission, as they say. 

The Storm’s offense was led on the day by designated hitter Sean Barnett and catcher Lamar King Jr. King finished the day 2-for-5, with a towering RBI double driving in his team-leading sixth RBI of the young season. Barnett hit the second home run of his professional career, and his first this season in the ballgame, a sharp drive to left field. The two finished a combined 4-for-9, while the rest of the lineup finished an anemic 2-for-25 in the game. 

Lake Elsinore’s relief corps did not fare well, as reliever Johan Moreno surrendered five runs in two innings of work. Yovannki Pascual allowed two runs of his own (both unearned) in two innings of work, and Bernard Jose finished the day with one run surrendered in two innings pitched. 

Lake Elsinore returns to The Diamond on Wednesday, with Boston Bateman 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.