Padres Down on the Farm: August 21 (Agustin Ruiz homers for SA/Wood & Merrill 2 hits each in ACL/DSL scores 15 runs)
Credit: Fastball Photo
San Diego Padres affiliates went 3-3 on Saturday.
Here is a recap of the day’s events.
El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost 4-0 to Round Rock) (38-53 on the season)
Brett Kennedy: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 6 K (97 pitches, 58 strikes)
José Azocar: (1-for-4), SB, K
Brian O’Grady: (1-for-4), 2 K
Daniel Camarena: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (23 pitches, 18 strikes)
The Chihuahuas offense picked up just three hits, all of them singles, which wasn’t enough to score a single run. There were still opportunities for El Paso to scrape runs across, as they went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Matt Batten and Pedro Florimon each walked twice, making them the only Chihuahuas to reach base multiple times. Brett Kennedy allowed just two hits in his first five innings of work, but a poor sixth inning spoiled his outing. Kennedy allowed a single before a high fastball was sent over the center-field wall, extending Round Rock’s lead to three. Another run was charged to Kennedy after he left the game, as Daniel Camarena allowed a two-out triple, which scored Charles LeBlanc, who singled off Kennedy. The best offensive chance for El Paso came in the same sixth inning, as two of the three Chihuahua hits came in the frame. José Azocar’s fly out was not deep enough to score Brian O’Grady from third, and Gosuke Katoh struck out to end the threat. The two teams combined for just two base runners across the end of the game, as El Paso never really threatened to get on the board.
San Antonio Missions (Lost 6-5 to Corpus Christi) (44-50 on the season)
Osvaldo Hernandez: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 5 K (90 pitches, 53 strikes)
Agustin Ruiz: (1-for-4), HR, 3 RBI, R, 2 K
Eguy Rosario: (2-for-3), R, BB, 3 SB
Jorge Oña: (1-for-4), 2B, RBI, R, 2 K
The Missions allowed six runs between the third and sixth innings and were unable to create enough opportunities, having just eight at-bats with runners in scoring position. Agustin Ruiz hit his third home run of the season in a three-run fifth inning, taking a 5-2 lead in the process, but struggles from Osvaldo Hernandez and Sam McWilliams gave Corpus Christi a lead they did not relinquish. The Missions scored a pair in the first inning, with all three hits coming with two outs, but the Missions had just two hits in the innings they didn’t score in. They took advantage of their opportunities fairly well, but they didn’t create enough of them.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 2-1 vs. West Michigan) (45-50 on the season)
Gabe Morales: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K (70 pitches, 41 strikes)
Ethan Skender: (1-for-3), 2B, RBI, R, BB
Grant Little: (1-for-3), BB, 2 SB
Ripken Reyes: (1-for-3), RBI, SB
The bottom of the TinCaps order scrapped for two runs in the fifth inning, and thanks to an excellent pitching performance, that was all Fort Wayne needed. The only run came off a fourth-inning double, but it didn’t stop Gabe Morales from picking up the win for four solid innings of relief. West Michigan didn’t pick up a hit in the final 3.1 innings, as Fort Wayne protected the lead. Tyler Malone and Ethan Skender hit back-to-back doubles in the fifth before Ripken Reyes singled home Skender, giving Fort Wayne the lead. The four hits that West Michigan picked up were by just two players, both of whom singled and doubled but were unable to produce more than the one run. The TinCaps pitchers faced just three batters with runners in scoring position, really limiting the number of opportunities for West Michigan to score.
Lake Elsinore Storm (Won 3-0 vs. Inland Empire) (41-53 on the season)
Levi Thomas: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K (66 pitches, 44 strikes)
Euribiel Angeles: (2-for-4), SB
Lucas Dunn: (1-for-4), RBI, SB, CS, 2 K
Jarryd Dale: (1-for-4), 2B, R, K
The Storm managed to win against Inland Empire, shutting out the 66ers and putting up three runs despite going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The Storm took advantage of a first-inning error to jump into the lead in the first inning. Levi Thomas worked his way around a triple in the first inning, on his way to four scoreless frames. They added a pair of runs in the fourth thanks to a walk, a ground-rule double, a wild pitch, and a single. There wasn’t much else the Storm added offensively, but it was enough to pick up the win.
DSL Padres (Won 15-7 vs. DSL White Sox) (20-7 on the season)
Jose Cordero: (3-for-4), HR, 4 RBI, R, BB
Daniel Montesino: (2-for-5), 3B, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, K
Jake Perez: (2-for-4), 2 RBI, 3 R, BB, K
Victor Acosta: (2-for-3), 2 R, BB
The Padres offense exploded, with 15 runs scored on 15 hits, eight of which came in just thirteen at-bats with runners in scoring position. All nine players who made the starting lineup picked up hits, and the Padres reached base nine more times thanks to walks. The Padres scored 11 runs between the second and fourth innings, which gave the Padres a commanding lead. Jose Cordero homered in the fifth, while Daniel Montesino picked up a pair of extra-base hits. The White Sox actually had more at-bats with runners in scoring position but failed to take advantage of their 16 opportunities.
ACL Padres (Lost 5-4 to ACL Mariners) (16-21 on the season)
Wilton Castillo: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Jackson Merrill: (2-for-4), 2B, R, K
James Wood: (2-for-4), 2B, RBI, R, K
Jared Alvarez-Lopez: (2-for-4), RBI, 2 K
Reiner Parra gave up four runs in the sixth inning, which is the penultimate inning of ACL games, blowing open a tied game. The Padres struck back for three runs in the seventh, but they left the tying run on second base. Jared Alvarez-Lopez drove in Max Ferguson in the first for an early lead, but the Mariners instantly struck back with a run in the bottom of the inning. The game stayed scoreless for the next four and a half innings before the offensive explosion late. First-round pick Jackson Merrill doubled and scored in the seventh, as the Padres vainly attempted to rally.
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Sunday’s Probables:
El Paso: TBD
San Antonio: Tyler Viza (AA Debut)
Fort Wayne: Noel Vela (0-2, 4.00 ERA)
Lake Elsinore: TBD
DSL Padres: Off Day
ACL Padres: Off Day
Sam is a Senior in High School. He has been writing for three years, and started at EVT in June of 2021. He’s headed to Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Communications in the fall of 2023.