Padres Down on the Farm: June 29 (EP wins defensive game/FW walks it off/LE blows lead)
Credit: El Paso Chihuahuas
San Diego Padres affiliates were 2-1 on Tuesday as the San Antonio Missions game was postponed due to weather.
Here is a recap of the day’s events.
El Paso Chihuahuas (Won 2-1 vs. Round Rock) (22-25 on the season)
Evan Miller: 3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K (49 pitches, 36 strikes)
Tucupita Marcano: (1-for-3), 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Pedro Florimon: (1-for-2), 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Ivan Castillo: (2-for-3)
The Chihuahuas managed to win a pitching duel against Round Rock, despite the fact that they were unable to produce a single RBI. The Chihuahuas were gifted a run in the fourth inning when Round Rock’s pitcher, Sal Mendez, dropped a pop-up, and Pedro Florimon came around to score. With the game knotted at one, the Chihuahuas offense briefly came to life in the bottom of the eighth. Tucupita Marciano led off the inning with a five-pitch walk before advancing to third on Matt Batten’s single. Bryan O’Grady came to the dish with an opportunity to blow the game open, and he did manage to give El Paso the lead and eventually the victory. Unfortunately for O’Grady, a ground ball double play meant that both he and Batten were retired while Marciano came in through the back door.
The classic 9-3 double play courtesy of Ben Ruta!@benJAMINruta pic.twitter.com/FPZgPzGdwl
— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) June 30, 2021
The Chihuahuas put six different pitchers on the mound, and five of them managed to put up scoreless outings. Starting pitcher Chase Johnson was the only pitcher to give up a run. After a leadoff single to Delino DeShields, he advanced to second on an errant pickoff attempt by Johnson before moving over to third on a flyout. A wild pitch allowed DeShields to score the game’s first and Round Rock’s only run. A double to the next batter meant that the run was charged to Johnson. El Paso pitchers allowed just four hits over the next seven innings of work, which kept their offense in the game. Both teams struggled in clutch situations, going a combined 0-15 with runners in scoring position.
San Antonio Missions (PPD-RAIN)
The weather didn’t cooperate, and the game was canceled. The Missions will play two seven-inning games on Thursday with Corpus Christi to make up the game.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 6-5 vs. Great Lakes) (23-25 on the season)
Gabe Mosser: 6 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K (86 pitches, 54 strikes)
Agustin Ruiz: (2-for-4), 2 R, 1 RBI, 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
Tirso Ornelas: (2-for-4), 3 RBI, 2B, 1 BB
Kelvin Melean: (0-for-4), 3 R, 2 SB, 1 HBP
The TinCaps won an 11 inning thriller, with Seamus Curran literally walking off the game after taking ball four below the zone, with Agustin Ruiz scoring the game-winning run. The TinCaps weren’t exactly amazing offensively, picking up just seven hits in 11 innings, but five of them came with running in scoring position, propelling them to the victory. The middle of the order found a way to create runs, with Kelvin Melean, Tirso Ornelas, and Ruiz going a combined 4 for 12, scoring five of the TinCaps’ runs, and driving in four of them. The TinCaps trailed Great Lakes by two runs headed into the bottom of the eighth, but Ruiz doubled home Melean before Ornelas singled home Ruiz to tie the game at four. Fort Wayne was unable to end the game in the ninth or tenth innings, but they scraped runs across when it counted in the eleventh.
Fort Wayne’s pitching staff also found ways to make big pitches when they needed it most. Starter Gabe Mosser went six strong innings, and he didn’t allow a run in any of his first three innings of work, but the Great Lakes hitters capitalized on two mistakes. Ryan Ward and Deacon Liput went deep to left-center field in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, the second of which tied the game at two. The only TinCaps pitcher who struggled was Felix Minjarez, who allowed four hits and two runs in the seventh. Carter Loewen put together two clutch innings, not allowing a single hit and striking out three in the ninth and tenth. The clutch performances from both the pitchers and the hitters led to Fort Wayne’s win.
Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 5-4 to Inland Empire) (23-25 on the season)
Noel Vela: 5 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 BB, 8 K (84 pitches, 56 strikes)
Euribiel Angeles: (2-for-3), 1 R, 1 BB
Brandon Valenzuela: (2-for-4), 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 K
Angel Solarte: (1-for-4), HR, 2 RBI, 1 R
Lake Elsinore played a sloppy game, committing four errors, and they blew a 4-0 lead that they had built up going into the fifth. Angel Solarte got the scoring going with a two-run blast in the second inning before the Storm produced some two-out thunder in the third. After the first two batters were retired, the next four batters all reached base, with Brandon Valenzuela and Matthew Acosta driving in the runs. Unfortunately for Lake Elsinore, they produced just two more hits in the next six innings.
Angel Solarte gets us started in the 2nd with a 2-run home run!
Good Guys: 2
66ers: 0 pic.twitter.com/TJYfZQMJks— Lake Elsinore Storm Baseball (@Storm_Baseball) June 30, 2021
Noel Vela pitched a beauty, allowing just one unearned run in five innings of work, and he absolutely carved up the Inland Empire lineup, striking out eight. His good work was undone by Connor Lehmann, who allowed three runs to score in the seventh inning, which tied the game at four apiece. Lehmann had pitched a scoreless sixth, but he allowed three hits, including a triple in the seventh. With the game tied into the ninth, Michell Milano came into the game for the Storm, and he was wild. While Milano didn’t allow a hit, he walked three batters. A fielder’s choice and a throwing error were enough to lose the lead.
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Wednesday’s Probables:
El Paso: TBA
San Antonio: Jordan Humphreys (0-0) (16.20 ERA)
Fort Wayne: Moises Lugo (0-1) (2.79 ERA)
Lake Elsinore: TBA
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.