Padres affiliates went 5-2 on Saturday.

Let’s jump right into the games’ events. 

El Paso Chihuahuas (Won 8-6 vs Sacramento) (39-47 on the season)

Luis Rengifo – 0-for-4, Two RBI, Two Runs Scored

Anthony Vilar – 0-for-1, Sac Fly, Run Scored

Eric Yost – 3.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 K (70 pitches – 40 strikes)

Right-hander Eric Yost made his first career Triple-A start on Independence Day, pitching into the fourth inning. The right-hander cruised through three innings, picking up three strikeouts with his trademark curveball. Yost’s debut, which came on less than 24 hours’ notice, ended in the fourth inning, as the River Cats were able to take a 5-4 lead on five hits in the inning. Misael Tamarez came on in relief, stranding two inherited runners to end the fourth. Tamarez pitched scoreless baseball in the fifth and sixth innings as well, with three of his outs recorded coming in via the ground ball. Ty Adcock allowed a solo home run in the seventh inning, but that’d be the last runs allowed by the Chihuahuas’ staff. Michael Flynn pitched a scoreless eighth inning, striking out one batter. Justin Yeager picked up the save with a scoreless ninth inning. 

The Chihuahuas picked up just three base hits all game, but seven walks helped them push across eight runs. Carlos Rodriguez opened the scoring with a base hit to score Luis Rengifo. Nick Solak grounded into a run-scoring double play to extend the lead. Both Rengifo and Anthony Vilar hit into run-scoring outs in the third to make it a 4-0 game. After the team fell behind in the fourth, El Paso responded with three of their own. Luis Rengifo reached base on a fielding error, scoring Nate Mondou, and a pair of throwing errors later, the Chihuahuas led 8-5. 

San Antonio Missions (Won 8-1 vs Amarillo) (37-43 on the season)

Braedon Karpathios – 2-for-4, Home Run, Two Runs Scored

Kai Roberts – 1-for-5, Three-Run Home Run

Francis Pena – 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (30 pitches – 24 strikes)

San Antonio used a team effort to defeat Amarillo by an 8-1 final score. Albert Fabian opened the scoring with a two-run triple, his first of the season, against Amarillo starter Daniel Eagen. Ethan Salas then followed up with a sacrifice fly to score Fabian. Salas had one hit in the game, back atop the lineup. Kai Roberts then lined a deep drive to the left-field corner, clanking one off the foul pole for a three-run home run. It was Roberts’ second of the season, and gave the Missions a 6-0 lead. Braedon Karpathios launched his seventh home run in the third inning, and Wyatt Hoffman singled in the Missions’ eighth and final run. 

Francis Pena stepped into the rotation for his first career start, pitching three scoreless innings on 30 pitches. Pena stepped up with Eric Yost getting the call-up to Triple-A. If Pena can be this efficient with his pitches in relief, he can rediscover the dominance that made him a top prospect a few seasons ago. Landry Jurecka made his Double-A debut in relief, pitching three innings of one-run baseball. Jurecka struck out three batters in his debut, walking just one. If his strong command from his recent ACL stint carries over to the Texas League, he will have the opportunity to step into the rotation. Tucker Musgrove allowed three baserunners but struck out two batters in a scoreless seventh. Clay Edmondson pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Garrett Hawkins closed out the win with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning. For now, it appears, the Missions’ reinforced bullpen is working to keep them ahead in games. 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 13-12 in 14 innings vs Great Lakes) (34-46 on the season)

Kavares Tears – 2-for-5, Home Run, Four RBI

Luke Cantwell – 2-for-5, Home Run, Three RBI

Bryan Balzer – 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 (1 ER), 1 BB, 6 K (81 pitches – 46 strikes)

The Game of the Year! Kasen Wells’ 14th-inning RBI single earned the TinCaps a victory on Independence Day. The TinCaps won 13-12 in 14 innings over the Great Lakes Loons on Saturday in a valiant game. Bryan Balzer started for the TinCaps, striking out six in 3.2 innings. The right-hander picked up 14 swings and misses, and his splitter was much more effective than in his first start as a ‘Cap. Javier Chacon threw two scoreless innings, striking out two. Ryan Och shouldered 2.1 innings in relief, allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Notably, Maikel Miralles, who was scheduled to pitch in long relief, did not appear in the game. Igor Gil struck out five batters in two innings of scoreless relief, allowing one run. Nick Falter pitched three innings for the TinCaps in extra innings, allowing five runs (three ghost runners). Though Falter struck out just one, the right-hander did not allow more than two runs in any of his innings, keeping the game within grasp. CJ Widger pitched the 14th, allowing a ghost runner to score but nothing more, aided in the field by stellar plays from the Torero connection of Justin DeCriscio and Jack Costello. 

At the dish, Kavares Tears kept mashing, as the TinCaps’ right fielder was responsible for one of four home runs by Fort Wayne. Jack Costello opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning, and Luke Cantwell blasted his second with the ‘Caps in the second inning. Tears launched the team’s third home run in the eighth inning, as with the TinCaps down by two, Tears hit an opposite-field two-run home run to tie the game at five. Costello hit into a bases-loaded double play in the tenth to score Ryan Wideman and tie the game at six. Luke Cantwell’s second base hit of the game brought the TinCaps within one in the eleventh, and pinch-runner Kasen Wells came in to score on a base hit from Rosman Verdugo. Both teams traded bases-loaded walks in the 12th, and the TinCaps fell behind 11-9 on a two-run home run. With Zach Evans due up, bench coach Luis Mendez decided to pinch-hit with Kerrington Cross. Mendez was managing as Jonathan Matthews had been ejected from the game in the 10th for arguing a close non-strike call that led to a base hit. Mendez’s decision paid off, as Cross tattooed a breaking ball to left field, tying the game at 11. Kavares Tears then re-tied the game in the 14th with a line-drive single, and after Lamar King Jr was plunked, the bases were loaded for Kasen Wells. Wells had a chance to be the hero in the 12th but struck out swinging with the bases loaded. This time, Wells didn’t miss, as he lined an RBI single to right field to win the game for the TinCaps. The four-hour, 48-minute game was the longest for the TinCaps this season, and Wells’ walk-off was the first on the 4th of July for the TinCaps since Nerwilian Cedeno had one back in 2023. 

Lake Elsinore Storm (Won 11-1 vs Stockton) (43-37 on the season)

Conner Westenburg – 2-for-5, Two Doubles, Five RBI

George Bilecki – 2-for-3, Two Doubles, RBI, Two Runs Scored

Tyler Schmitt – 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K (91 pitches – 53 strikes)

A double-case of Storming helped Lake Elsinore score 11 unanswered runs en route to an 11-1 win at home. Conner Westenburg drove in five runs in the game, doubling twice. Westenburg also added a sacrifice fly, and both of his doubles came with runners in scoring position. The Storm’s center fielder also stole his 33rd base of the season. George Bilecki hit two doubles as well, driving in one run and scoring two. Dawson Willis had two hits, stealing two bases as well. Yoiber Ocopio had two hits, also drawing a walk. Jose Verdugo stole home in the game, scoring three of the 11 runs. A 6-for-13 mark with runners in scoring position was a core part of the win. 

Tyler Schmitt pitched five innings of two-hit baseball against the Ports, striking out six batters. Schmitt’s sweeper and fastball paired together effectively, allowing the right-hander to generate 15 swings and misses. Schmitt’s 15 whiffs were more than the Ports’ entire staff generated in the game (14). Jeferson Villabona fired three innings of scoreless, hitless baseball while striking out three batters. Brandon Langley struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth to seal the win. 

ACL Padres (Won 5-4 vs ACL Dodgers) (26-20 on the season)

Jhojan Downer – 2-for-3, Two Singles, Two RBI

Colton Vincent – 2-for-3, Double, Two RBI

Ryan Reed – 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Cameron Nohos – 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K

A late three-run rally drove the ACL Padres to a comeback win over the ACL Dodgers. Jhojan Downer’s two-run single tied the game at four runs apiece in the sixth inning. Eduarlin Tejeda drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single to score Downer. Colton Vincent had two hits, driving in the Padres’ first two runs of the game. Eddson Martinez hit a triple as part of a two-hit game, and Santiago Contreras also tripled in the win. 

Ryan Reed pitched a scoreless first inning as the opener, picking up three outs on ground balls. Cameron Nohos pitched four innings in relief, striking out four batters. Nohos allowed a run on four hits, but his command was more in line with his early dominance this season based on the limited data coming from the ACL. Florangel Vasquez allowed three runs (two earned) while not retiring a batter, and Dariel Polanco kept two inherited runners on base in a scoreless inning. Luis German struck out the side to end the game, earning the save. 

DSL Padres Gold (Lost 4-3 in 5 innings vs DSL Red Sox Red) (20-5 on the season)

Cristian Benavides – 2-for-3, Three-Run Home Run

Eliander Primera – 1-for-1, Single, Walk

Guillermo Romero – 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 3 K

The Padres Gold lost in a lightning-shortened game by a 4-3 final. Cristian Benavides hit a three-run home run in the third inning, giving the team a short-lived 3-2 lead. Eliander Primera drew one of five Padres Gold walks, and both Yorvin Morla and Darian Castillo scored runs on the home run. Guillermo Romero threw two innings of three-run baseball, with two of the three runs allowed being unearned. Romero walked two, striking out three batters. Albert Perez took the loss, allowing one unearned run on one hit in three innings. 

DSL Padres Brown (Lost 2-1 vs DSL Royals Ventura) (5-19 on the season)

Sebastian Nadales – 1-for-3, Home Run

Sebastian Maldonado – 2-for-3, Two Singles

Rickelby Ramos – 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Rickelby Ramos threw four shutout innings, striking out just one. The left-hander picked up five outs via the ground ball, scattering four baserunners. Angel Gamarra struck out one batter in one scoreless inning of relief. Ariel Dilone allowed two runs in the seventh inning, taking the loss. Kelvin Marte pitched the final two-thirds of an inning, allowing no further scoring. Sebastian Nadales hit a home run in the fourth inning, scoring the Padres Brown’s only run of the game. Sebastian Maldonado hit two singles in the loss, while Yonnaiker Hernandez hit a single in the game as well. Jeanfranco Fernandez and Rafael Moran each had a single in the game, and the Padres Brown stranded four baserunners.

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.