Padres affiliates went 2-2 with a suspended game on Sunday.

Let’s jump right into the games played. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 10-5 vs Albuquerque) (44-63 on the season)

Blake Hunt – 3-for-4, Home Run, RBI

Marcos Castanon – 2-for-4, Double, RBI
Jackson Wolf – 4 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 1 BB, 4 K (85 pitches – 58 strikes)

El Paso fell behind early and was unable to climb out of an 8-2 deficit, dropping the series finale against Albuquerque. Starting pitcher Jackson Wolf threw four innings, allowing a season-high eight runs. The Isotopes launched three home runs off the Chihuahuas’ starting pitcher, as well as three doubles. David Morgan made his first rehab appearance with the Chihuahuas since being assigned to Triple-A and pitched a scoreless fifth inning. Morgan touched 98 mph on the fastball, and his delivery looked as smooth as it did pre-injury. The right-hander has a chance to return to the Padres’ major league bullpen post-deadline, as his 30-day rehab window concludes on August 15. Andrew Moore struck out three batters in two innings of relief, allowing a solo home run to Zac Veen. Moore did not issue a walk, which was a positive sign. Daison Acosta threw a scoreless eighth inning, and Ethan Routzahn allowed one run in the ninth inning. 

El Paso’s offense was led by Blake Hunt and Marcos Castanon. Hunt launched a solo home run in the fourth inning off Albuquerque starter Valente Bellozo. El Paso’s catcher had three hits in the contest. Marcos Castanon had two hits, and his first-inning double put the Chihuahuas on the board. Romeo Sanabria was held toan 0-for-5 mark but picked up an RBI when he reached on a fielding error in the eighth inning. Clay Dungan hit an RBI double in the eighth against Isotopes reliever Patrick Weigel, scoring El Paso’s fifth and final run. Dustin Harris hit a double in the ninth inning as part of a multi-hit game. 

San Antonio Mission (Lost 7-6 in 10 innings vs Amarillo) (45-57 on the season)

Braedon Karpathios – 3-for-5, Home Run, RBI

Tirso Ornelas – 2-for-5, Two Singles, Two RBI

Jamie Hitt – 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K (79 pitches – 50 strikes)

San Antonio played extra innings for the second straight game, this time falling 7-6 in 10 innings. The Missions scored first with home runs from Jake Cunningham and Braedon Karpathios. Cunningham’s home run was an absolute moonshot, by both metrics (111 mph EV, 440 feet) and the eye test. Karpathios went back-to-back with Cunningham in the first, launching his 11th home run of the season to the opposite field. Luis Verdugo drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, going 1-for-3 in the game. Albert Fabian went 2-for-5 with a double, and Tirso Ornelas went 2-for-5 with two separate RBI singles. 

Jamie Hitt lasted four innings, allowing three runs on six hits. The left-hander fanned three batters while walking just two. Hitt threw 50 of 79 pitches for strikes, picking up four groundouts. Harry Gustin allowed three runs (one earned) in the fifth inning, striking out two batters. Right-hander Clay Edmondson pitched two scoreless innings in relief, striking out one batter. Edmondson faced one over the minimum in his two innings, as a ground ball double play helped him through the outing. Igor Gil threw two scoreless innings and has yet to allow a run since joining the Missions. Tucker Musgrove was charged with the loss, as he allowed a one-out single to center field in the tenth inning. Carson Tucker had a chance at a throw home, but misplayed the transfer upon fielding the ball, which resulted in the Sod Poodles walking off the game. 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 12-5 vs Great Lakes) (45-55 on the season)

Alex McCoy – 2-for-5, Two Home Runs, Three RBI

Zach Evans – 2-for-4, Two Doubles, Two RBI

Bryan Balzer – 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (16 pitches – 10 strikes)
Abraham Parra – 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 5 K (92 pitches – 52 strikes)

In a game that spanned two different days, Alex McCoy blasted two home runs for the TinCaps in the contest, driving in three runs. Zach Evans hit a two-run double in the first inning. The TinCaps were all over the Loons’ pitching in the game. Justin DeCriscio had three hits, driving in two runs on a double. Jack Costello went back-to-back with Alex McCoy in the second inning and went on to finish the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Ryan Wideman went 1-for-6 with a single, and Lamar King Jr went 1-for-5 with an RBI single and a stolen base. 

Bryan Balzer threw a scoreless first inning on 16 pitches, generating a ground ball double play and a strikeout in the inning. Abraham Parra took over when the game was resumed, pitching 5.1 innings of four-run baseball. Despite nine baserunners, Parra struck out five batters and recorded a 5/4 split between groundouts and flyouts. The right-hander earned his fifth win of the season with this performance. Will Koger did not allow any runs in 1.2 innings of relief, and the former Arizona State reliever now has a 2.57 ERA in his first 14 innings at the High-A level. Will Varmette pitched for the second time in three days, allowing one run in the ninth but picking up a strikeout in the win. 

TinCaps led Game 2 6-2 in the 5th inning, and the game was suspended due to rain. 

Fort Wayne led the second game of the doubleheader by a 6-2 score before inclement weather forced a postponement. Miguel Mendez threw one inning in the contest, allowing one run. Mendez allowed three hits and struck out one. Carlos Medina threw two innings in relief, striking out one. Javier Chacon threw one inning, allowing a run before the game was called. Jack Costello picked up where he left off in Game One by hitting a go-ahead two-run double. Oswaldo Linares had an RBI single, as did Luke Cantwell. The game will be resumed at a later date, but at Parkview Field. 

Lake Elsinore Storm (Won 5-3 vs Stockton) (54-48 on the season)

Conner Westenburg – 2-for-4, Double, Two Stolen Bases, Two Runs Scored

Jorge Quintana – 2-for-4, Single, RBI, Stolen Base

Luis Maracara – 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K (66 pitches – 37 strikes)

Lake Elsinore needed just eight hits to win over Stockton in the series finale. Jorge Quintana put the team on the board with an RBI groundout in the first inning, scoring Conner Westenburg. Westenburg went 2-for-4 with a double, two stolen bases, and a run scored. The McNeese State product has 44 stolen bases on the season now, placing him second in the California League. Ty Harvey hit into a run-scoring out in the third inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bradley Frye. Truitt Madonna’s two-out RBI single scored Jorge Quintana, but Madonna was thrown out going for second base on the hit. George Bilecki singled in the fourth, reached third on a stolen base and an error, scoring on a single by Dylan Grego. 

Luis Maracara pitched into the fourth inning, allowing three runs. The right-hander struck out two and walked two, with a 3-4 groundout to flyout ratio. All three runs allowed by the right-hander came in the fourth inning, as a bases-loaded sac fly and one-out RBI single chased the Storm starter from the game. Cal Riehl allowed one of two inherited runners to score, but otherwise kept the Ports off the board in the fifth. Jordan Valenzuela struck out five batters in three innings, scattering three baserunners. Isaiah Lowe pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his first career save. 

ACL Padres – No Game

DSL Padres – Both Teams on Off Day

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.