Padres Down on the Farm: July 24 (Weathers has solid outing in FW/Campusano and Abrams homer)

Each minor league affiliate for the San Diego Padres was in action on Wednesday night. Ryan Weathers toed the rubber for the TinCaps with Jose Castillo starting a rehab assignment in the Arizona Rookie League.

The Padres’ affiliates went 4-4 on Wednesday. Here is a recap of the day’s actions.

El Paso Chihuahuas defeat Las Vegas Aviators 5-3 (62-41 on the season) 

The El Paso Chihuahuas entered play today with the second-best record in the Pacific Coast League, and a two-game lead in the division against their opponents, the Las Vegas Aviators.

Things did not start well for the Chihuahuas, as Sheldon Neuse led the game off with his 19th home run of the season to give the Aviators a one-run lead. El Paso responded well, however, scoring four runs of their own in the third inning on home runs by Esteban Quiroz and Ty France.

Las Vegas came right back and scored two runs in the bottom half of the third to make it a 4-3 game. Michael Gettys, the Chihuahuas team leader in home runs, launched his 25th long ball of the season in the top of the fifth inning to give El Paso a 5-3 lead. Trey Wingenter shut the door on Las Vegas in the ninth inning, earning the save and sealing a Chihuahuas victory.

Key Performances:

Travis Jankowski: 2-for-5, 2B, RS, 2 K

Dylan Overton: 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 K

Trey Wingenter: 1 1/3 IP, 3 K

Ty France: 2-for-3, 3 RBI, HR, RS

Michael Gettys: 1-for-5, RBI, HR, RS, 2 K

Amarillo Sod Poodles lose 12-1 to Springfield Cardinals (51-49 on the season)

Things did not go well for the Sod Poodles in Springfield on Wednesday, getting run out of the gym by the home-town Cardinals.

Each team scored early on, with Brian O’Keefe driving one in for Springfield and Brad Zunica crushing a home run for Amarillo. Springfield rattled off eleven runs between the fourth and eighth innings, while the Sod Poodles did not manage to score another run for the entire game.

One player that deserves to be highlighted for the Sod Poodles is a switch-hitting second baseman, Ivan Castillo. The 24-year-old native of the Dominican Republic entered play today with a 19-game hitting streak and is slashing .339/.366/.520 on the year while quietly being one of the best overall offensive performers in the Texas League.

Texas League leader in average, Ivan Castillo’s last five games:

.486 (10/24)
9 RBI
7 R
2 HR

He has 18% of his RBI this season in five games@EVT_News @Evan_Abramson #SodPoodles pic.twitter.com/ZeayWzy7tZ

— Austin Hartsfield (@HartsfieldMLB) July 24, 2019

Key Performances: 

Edward Olivares: 2-for-4, 2B, K

Brad Zunica: 1-for-3, HR, RBI

Buddy Reed: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 K

Lake Elsinore Storm fall to Lancaster Jethawks 4-3 (52-50 on the season) 

Aaron Leasher got the nod for the Lake Elsinore Storm in Lancaster on Wednesday night looking to continue his strong 2019 season. Leasher tossed five innings, allowing four runs and striking out seven. While it wasn’t a dominant outing by any means, Leasher’s strong 2019 campaign is going to start turning some heads within the organization.

Lancaster jumped on Leasher early on Sean Bouchard‘s two-run home run. The Storm managed to get one of those runs back on Oliver Basabe’s RBI double in the top of the second and scored again in the fifth when Luis Campusano singled in Xavier Edwards.

Taylor Snyder tripled to right field in the bottom half of the fifth, scoring two and giving Lancaster the lead again. Luis Campusano, arguably the best hitting catcher in all of minor league baseball right now, homered in the top of the seventh inning to bring Lake Elsinore within one. Lancaster’s bullpen shut the door on Lake Elsinore for the remainder of the game, giving them a 4-3 victory over one of the California League’s best teams.

Key Performances:

Luis Campusano: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B, HR, RS

Jack Suwinksi: 2-for-4, 2 1B

Oliver Basabe: 1-for-4, RBI, 2B, 2 K

Aaron Leasher: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 7 K

Fort Wayne TinCaps lose 6-5 to Bowling Green Hot Rods (44-55 on the season)

The top two left-handed pitchers selected in the 2018 MLB draft squared off in Bowling Green on Wednesday night, with Ryan Weathers getting the nod for the TinCaps and Matthew Liberatore opposing him for the Hot Rods.

Bowling Green drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning when Chris Betts singled in Ford Proctor. Fort Wayne answered with three runs of their own in the third inning. Tucupita Marcano stole home on a perfectly executed double-steal, while back-to-back singles by Agustin Ruiz and Justin Lopez made it a 3-1 game.

Fort Wayne scored another run off Liberatore in the fifth inning on a Dwanya Williams-Sutton single to left field. That would be all for the Rays big left-hander, who allowed eight hits and three earned runs over a five-inning span. Weathers exited the game after five innings as well, allowing only three hits and one run against a solid Bowling Green lineup.

[wpedon id=”49075″ align=”right”]

Bowling Green took advantage of Weathers’ absence, scoring two runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning. They tacked on two more runs in the seventh inning on a throwing error by Marcano, making it a 5-4 game entering the top of the eighth. The TinCaps wasted no time, tying the game up at five apiece when Justin Lopez grounded into a double play.

The tie would not last very long, as Osmy Gregorio singled in Grant Witherspoon to give Bowling Green a one-run lead entering the ninth inning. Fort Wayne did not manage to score in the top of the ninth, giving Bowling Green a 6-5 victory over the TinCaps.

Key Performances:

Tucupita Marcano: 2-for-5, 2 1B, RS, SB

Dwanya Williams-Sutton: 3-for-4, RBI, 3 1B, RS

Ryan Weathers: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 5 K

Agustin Ruiz: 1-for-4, RBI, RS

Tri-City Dust Devils defeat Spokane Indians 6-1 (16-23 on the season) 

The short-season Tri-City Dust Devils hosted the Spokane Indians on Wednesday night. Jason Blanchard started for Tri-City, and Leury Tejada took the mound for Spokane.

Tri-City jumped on the Indians early, scoring four runs in the first three innings. Jason Pineda doubled in Sean Guilbe in the second inning to put the Dust Devils on the board. In the bottom of the third, Kelvin Alarcon scored on a Kelvin Melean sacrifice fly, and Logan Driscoll doubled in two, giving Tri-City a 4-0 lead.

The Dust Devils would plate two in the eighth after a throwing error by Spokane reliever Joe Corbett, giving Tri-City a six-run lead. Kenen Irizarry drove in a run for Spokane off Dan Dallas in the ninth, but Tri-City would hold on to win the game and improve to 16-23 on the season.

Key Performances: 

Logan Driscoll: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Jason Blanchard: 3 IP, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Wen-Hua Sung: 2 IP, BB, 4 K

Dan Dallas: 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K

AZL Padres 1 defeat AZL Indians Red 9-7 (18-11 on the season) 

Jose Castillo, one of the more coveted relievers in the Padres’ organization, started his second rehab assignment of the season with the AZL Padres 1 team on Wednesday morning. The big left-hander tossed only one inning, allowing one run and striking out three. Mason Thompson, a top 30 prospect in the team’s farm system, is also rehabbing in the AZL and tossed one scoreless frame in the second inning.

Both team’s scored in the first inning, with San Diego’s team scoring on Joshua Mears‘ fourth home run of the season. The AZL Indians Red team exploded for six runs between two innings shortly after the rehabbing Padres’ pitchers exited the game. Yordys Valdes hit a three-run bomb, and Andrew Velazquez doubled, putting the game seemingly out of reach for the AZL Padres.

Tyler Malone‘s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth put the Padres’ team on the board as they began their quest to chip away at a six-run deficit. C.J. Abrams led the fifth inning off with a triple and would come across to score on a Joshua Mears sacrifice fly. Abrams struck again in the bottom of the sixth, cranking a three-run home run over the left-field fence to make it a one-run game.

The seventh inning was not kind for the Indians team, as a passed ball scored Yordi Francisco to even the game up. Two more runs crossed home on a throwing error by Indians’ shortstop Yordys Valdes and another passed ball by catcher Roger Marmol. That three-run seventh would be enough to propel the AZL Padres 1 team to a comeback victory over the Indians Red team.

Key Performances:

C.J. Abrams: 2-for-5, 3 RBI, 3B, HR, 2 RS

Joshua Mears: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, HR, SAC, RS

Yordi Francisco: 3-for-5, 3B, RS, K

Jose Castillo: IP, 2 H, ER, 3 K

AZL Padres 2 defeat AZL Reds 15-1 (19-10 on the season)

Meanwhile, on the other side of the AZL complex, the Padres’ second team woke their bats up early and often against the AZL Reds. San Diego’s second team exploded for 11 runs in the first four innings, and 15 overall to absolutely pummel the Reds’ pitching staff.

Junior Perez ignited the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning. Luis Almanzar‘s single to center field scored another in the second, while Ripken Reyes worked a bases-loaded, no-out walk to bring in another run. Angel Solarte cleared the bases with a double to deep center-field and would later score on a passed ball. Yeison Santana‘s double and Christian Heredia’s single each plated one, making it a 9-0 game after just two innings of play.

The scoring didn’t stop there for San Diego’s team. Recently drafted shortstop Anthony Nuñez, who is seeing some time at first base, doubled in a run. Two groundouts, two passed balls, and Yeison Santana’s single made it a 15-run game after eight innings. The Reds team would end up scoring a run, but San Diego’s squad ran away with this one.

Key Performances:

Ripken Reyes: 2-for-3, RBI, 3B, RS, BB, K

Yeison Santana: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 1B, 2 RS

Luis Almanzar: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 1B, 2 RS, 2 BB

Cristian Heredia: 3-for-6, RBI, RS

Carlos Guarate: 5 IP, 4 H, BB, K

DSL Padres lose 6-5 to DSL White Sox 

As the Dominican Summer League season continues, the DSL Padres took on the White Sox squad on Wednesday morning.

The White Sox team took an early lead in the ball-game, scoring three runs in the first three innings. Sox starter Oriel Castro held the Padres scoreless through the first four innings of his start and handed the ball over to Christopher Valdez entering the fifth. Valdez struggled, only recording one out and allowing three runs before being removed from his outing.

Charles Aquino worked a bases-loaded walk from Valdez to get the Padres on the board. Willmert Paula kicked off his strong day at the plate with an RBI single to left field, and it was Aquino who would score on a wild pitch to tie the game up at three.

San Diego’s team would score two more times on the day, both on solo home runs by Paula in the seventh and ninth inning. Paula’s performance would not be enough, however, as the White Sox scored one run in the eighth and two runs in the ninth to defeat the DSL Padres by a score of 6-5.

Key Performances:

Willmert Paula: 3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 HR, 2 RS, K

Albert Fabian: 1-for-1, 2B

Jonfy Diaz: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K

Thursday’s Probables

El Paso- Dietrich Enns (9-6 5.99 ERA) vs. TBD

Amarillo- Kyle Lloyd- (4-5 3.70 ERA) vs. Evan Kruczynski (2-5 6.23 ERA)

Lake Elsinore- Seth Blair (2-1 3.67 ERA) vs. Ryan Rolison (3-6 4.88 ERA)

Fort Wayne- Sam Keating (3-6 6.53 ERA) vs. TBD

Tri-City- Acevedo (1-2 5.14 ERA) vs. TBD

AZL Padres 1- TBD vs. AZL Athletics Gold

AZL Padres 2- TBD vs. AZL Athletics Green

DSL Padres- TBD vs. DSL White Sox

Diego Solares

Diego works at Prep Baseball Report as an Area Scout in Illinois and Missouri. He graduated this spring with a Bachelor Degree in Communications and played four years of college baseball, logging nearly 50 innings of work in a relief role. Diego hopes to work in an MLB front office one day and has been a Padres fan since he was six years old.