The Padres’ minor league affiliates continued their regular seasons on Wednesday, with several strong individual performances highlighting a 1-3 day. 

Here is a recap of the day’s events. 

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

Tirso Ornelas – 1-for-4, Two-Run Home Run

Connor Joe – 2-for-4, Two Runs Scored

Ryan Bergert – 5 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K (87 pitches – 57 strikes)

The Chihuahuas logged eight hits against Las Vegas pitchers, but only one of their hits went for extra bases as the team fell 6-4. Tirso Ornelas hit his first home run of the season, a towering drive to center field in the sixth inning. Seeing the left-handed hitting Ornelas elevate the baseball was a sight for sore eyes, as he has the power to be a consistent home run threat, but subpar launch angles throughout stretches of his career have brought this to question. Trenton Brooks had himself another RBI single, scoring Connor Joe in the sixth inning before the home run by Ornelas. The Alpine native continues to hit well with the Chihuahuas, raising his slash line to .385/.471/.718 for a 1.189 OPS in 10 games. 

First HR of 2025 for Tirso Ornelas pic.twitter.com/VvtJ7DKyRV

— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) April 9, 2025

Starter Ryan Bergert had his first tough outing in the PCL, as the right-hander was hit hard in five innings of work. Bergert allowed nine hits and six runs in his start, striking out four batters. The right-hander still got his fair share of swings and misses, as batters whiffed on 32.7% of swings against him, and he only allowed two hard-hit balls in play. However, Las Vegas was able to rally with grounders and line drives, sitting back and attacking Bergert’s fastball. In fact, 12 of 19 pitches that were put into play by Aviators batters were fastballs. After the fifth inning, El Paso’s bullpen held the Aviators to one hit and a walk through four innings. Jason Blanchard tossed two scoreless innings, and Francis Pena made his season debut looking in peak form, tossing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.

Francis Pena 2 Ks from today pic.twitter.com/W0S0u3rxlk

— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) April 9, 2025

El Paso returns to play Thursday against Las Vegas, with Jared Kollar scheduled to start for the Chihuahuas. 

San Antonio Missions (Won 8-4 vs Corpus Christi) (4-1 on the season)

Romeo Sanabria – 4-for-5, Home Run, Double, Three RBI

Ethan Salas – 3-for-5, Two RBI

Victor Lizarraga – 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K (49 pitches – 35 strikes)

Romeo Sanabria and Ethan Salas, take a bow! The pair of top Padres’ prospects were the catalysts for a Missions victory on Wednesday in Corpus Christi. Sanabria had his first four-hit game of the season, finishing a triple shy of the cycle and having driven in three runs; It was also Sanabria’s second game in a row with a home run. Seeing Sanabria’s power showcased provides the left-handed hitter with higher upside at the MLB level, and if he keeps barreling the baseball in such a way, his path to the big leagues could become clearer this season. Ethan Salas didn’t finish too far behind, as the Padres No. 2 prospect (per MLB Pipeline and EVT’s ranking) delivered three singles and drove in two runs in the process. Salas’s bat became a question mark after a difficult campaign at High-A, but the early results so far have certainly painted a much more optimistic picture. Moises Gomez finished the game 2-for-5 with a run scored, and Kai Murphy doubled as part of a two-hit game. 

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Back-to-back days with a homer for the @missionsmilb first baseman, Romeo Sanabria pic.twitter.com/dHf70qAHjg

— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) April 10, 2025

Ethan Salas, 18 years old and racking up three-hit games at Double-A

The @Padres‘ second-ranked prospect — the youngest player in the Texas League — plates a pair for @missionsmilb: pic.twitter.com/B1l4ZnbOGN

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 10, 2025

On the mound, Victor Lizarraga made his season debut, and while the right-hander is not sitting in the high-90s, he performed rather strongly. While he allowed three runs in the first inning (on a pair of home runs), Lizarraga would allow nothing more in the ensuing three innings. After an 18-pitch first inning, Lizarraga went on to throw three scoreless frames on 31 pitches. A 71.4% strike rate will certainly play, as the right-hander looks to make the jump to Triple-A after a strong season with the Missions last season. Eduarniel Nunez won for San Antonio, striking out three of six batters faced in two innings of work. Ryan Och delivered yet another scoreless inning, and David Morgan closed out the Missions’ win with a scoreless ninth inning, reaching 98 mph on his fastball and striking out two batters. 

San Antonio returns to play on Thursday in Corpus Christi. Jagger Haynes takes the mound for his second start of the season at 4:35 pm Pacific. 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Lost 5-0 vs Dayton) (3-2 on the season)

Brendan Durfee – 1-for-4, Double

Ethan Long – 1-for-4, Single

Clark Candiotti – 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K (58 pitches – 33 strikes)

Another major debut in the books! In a game that was delayed by rain, right-hander and Padres 2024 4th round pick Clark Candiotti made his pro debut on Wednesday. The former Arizona Wildcat pitched three innings on 58 pitches, striking out three batters. Candiotti had a bumpy first inning, allowing a walk and single to start the game. Ricardo Cabrera hit a one-out sacrifice fly to give Dayton a 1-0 lead, and former Padre prospect Victor Acosta hit an RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0. Acosta, formerly included in the 2022 Brandon Drury trade, attempted to reach third base on an infield single but was thrown out by Rosman Verdugo to Leo De Vries on a smart defensive play by the TinCaps infielders. Candiotti struck out the side in the second before a busy third inning. Leadoff man Yerlin Confidian hit a solo homer to extend the lead to 3-0 against Candiotti. With his debut now in the books, the second-generation right-hander looks to deliver strong results in his first pro season.

CONFIDAN CRUSH! ?? #feelthefire #dragons25 pic.twitter.com/dE6tQ8bNwM

— Dayton Dragons (@DragonsBaseball) April 10, 2025

VIDEO: @TinCaps righty Clark Candiotti strikes out the side in the second inning vs. Dayton in his 1st start of 2025.

Alas, the knuckler appears not to be hereditary.@madfriars @PadresProspects @EVT_News pic.twitter.com/JsACXJzuen

— Glenn Marini (@GlennMariniWANE) April 10, 2025

The TinCaps’ offense, in the words of the team’s social media account, “struggled to find the bats.” Brendan Durfee recorded the team’s lone extra-base hit in the first inning. Durfee has been on a tear to open the season, hitting .353 with an .882 OPS in a notoriously pitcher-friendly league. Ethan Long recorded the team’s only other base hit on a single. The TinCaps recorded only one base on balls all game, a walk to Braedon Karpathios in the second inning. Karpathios, while only hitting .231 so far this season, has reached base at a very strong .375 clip. Leo De Vries was hitless in the ballgame, and the team finished 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. 

The TinCaps look for a bounce-back Thursday in Dayton, with right-hander Enmanuel Pinales in line to start. The first pitch is at 4:05 pm Pacific. 

Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 9-5 vs Modesto) (0-5 on the season)

Lamar King Jr – 2-for-5, Two RBI, Double

Kasen Wells – 2-for-4, Two Doubles

Kleiber Olmedo – 3.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 7 K (66 pitches – 44 strikes)

Making just his fourth professional start, right-hander Kleiber Olmedo was hit hard by the visiting Modesto Nuts. The right-hander pitched into the fourth inning but allowed six runs on seven hits. Despite the fact that Olmedo was living predominantly in the strike zone, opposing batters took advantage of his pitch locations and tallied four extra-base hits against him. The Storm’s bullpen fared decently in long relief, as right-hander Carson Swilling tossed 2.1 innings of one-run baseball, striking out one batter faced. Vicarte Domingo allowed two runs in 1.1 innings of work, striking out two batters. The former 19th rounder looks to make a strong first impression in Lake Elsinore after his collegiate career at the University of British Columbia, and while he may not be as fast a riser as someone like a Tyson Neighbors, Domingo could be a sneaky breakout arm as the season goes on. 

At the plate, the Storm’s lineup registered ten hits, five of which went for two bases. Lamar King Jr continued his torrid pace at the plate with a late-inning two-RBI double for his seventh and eighth RBI of the season, the second most in the California League thus far. Kasen Wells hit two doubles from the leadoff spot, scoring twice in the game. Ryan Jackson walked four times in the game, and B.Y. Choi reached base three times against Nuts pitchers. Catcher Victor Duarte was 2-for-5 as well, singling and doubling in the ballgame. Despite the team having 18 opportunities with runners in scoring position, Lake Elsinore only capitalized on four of those as the team lost 9-5. 

Lamar King Jr. has the second most RBIs in the Cal League (8) through the first five games of the season.#EmbraceTheStorm?️ pic.twitter.com/9OzDCXjbr5

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) April 10, 2025

Left-hander Boston Bateman makes his much-anticipated debut tomorrow for the Storm as their starting pitcher. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm Pacific Time.

Boston Bateman will be The Man on the Mound for Blackout Thursday! Watch his professional debut and wear all black to The Diamond tomorrow!!#EmbraceTheStorm?️ pic.twitter.com/8DUvucwrlS

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) April 9, 2025

Thursday’s Projected Pitchers

El Paso – RHP Jared Kollar (0-2, 14.85 ERA)

San Antonio – LHP Jagger Haynes (0-0, 3.86 ERA)

Fort Wayne – RHP Enmanuel Pinales (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Lake Elsinore – LHP Boston Bateman (Professional Debut)

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.