Padres Down on the Farm June 8 (Brooks’ power surge/Costello’s three-RBI Day)

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Padres minor league affiliates went 2-2 on Sunday.
Here is a recap of the games’ events.
El Paso Chihuahuas (Won 6-4 vs Albuquerque) (33-30 on the season)
Trenton Brooks – 3-for-4, Two Home Runs, Four RBI
Mason McCoy – 1-for-4, Double, Two Runs Scored
Wes Benjamin – 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 K (80 pitches – 55 strikes)
El Paso secured a series win over Albuquerque behind the bat of Trenton Brooks and a stellar outing from Wes Benjamin. Starting with Brooks, the left-handed hitting slugger seems to be hitting at ludicrous speed, launching two home runs in the ballgame (rather deja vu-ish). Brooks has posted a 135 wRC+ in his time with the Chihuahuas this season, so his offensive production is not particularly being carried by the PCL. Mason McCoy had a double and a walk in five plate appearances, and Rodolfo Duran hit two singles in four trips to the plate.
“You wanna know the forecast? I’ll give you the forecast. A 100 percent chance of thunder!” ⛈️@Padres outfielder Trenton Brooks — and his mustache — delivers back-to-back two-homer games for the @epchihuahuas. pic.twitter.com/lEjDleeQiw
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 9, 2025
Wes Benjamin, as mentioned before, had a simply stellar outing against the Isotopes. Benjamin struck out a season-high nine batters in six innings of work. The left-hander led with his cutter, and while he rarely tops out above 91 mph, Benjamin was able to sequence his stuff in a way that generated whiffs on 33.3% of total swings against. Bradgley Rodriguez recorded two outs in the game, with a bequeathed runner coming in to score against Harold Chirino, who allowed two runs of his own in 1.1 innings, closing out the win.
San Antonio Missions (Lost 3-0 vs Midland) (31-26 on the season)
Moises Gomez – 1-for-2, Double
Wyatt Hoffman – 2-for-2, Two Singles, Walk
Henry Baez – 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K (64 pitches – 40 strikes)
Henry Baez’s near-month-long scoreless inning streak came to an end in the first inning, as Midland scored three runs against the right-hander. A walk, hit batsman, and single gave Midland a 1-0 lead. A sacrifice fly and an RBI single scored two more runs. Despite the 26-pitch first, Baez was able to go five innings on 64 pitches, striking out two and walking two. Baez had a few more batted balls against go into the air than he normally gets, but he was still able to be effective. Sam Whiting tossed three scoreless innings in the game with three strikeouts, and Andrew Moore tossed a scoreless eighth with a strikeout.
At the plate, the Missions lineup was able to get baserunners, but were unable to cash them in. The team drew seven walks, with Kai Murphy and Brandon Valenzuela drawing two walks apiece. Moises Gomez had the team’s lone extra-base hit of the ballgame, with a double against Midland starter James Gonzalez. Wyatt Hoffman had two singles and a walk in the game, reaching base three times. Devin Ortiz and Romeo Sanabria each had singles, but the team went 1-for-8 in scoring position in the loss.
Wyatt Hoffman reached base all three times he came to the plate and recorded his second straight multi-hit game, so he is tonight’s @FrostBank Player of the Game! pic.twitter.com/oEXrxNNWbA
— San Antonio Missions Baseball (@missionsmilb) June 9, 2025
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Won 5-1 vs Beloit) (29-28 on the season)
Jack Costello – 2-for-3, Home Run, Three RBI
Kai Roberts – 2-for-3, RBI Single
Eric Yost – 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K (73 pitches – 48 strikes)
Jack Costello had a big day at the plate, driving in three of the TinCaps’ five runs. Costello drove in two runs on an RBI single in the second inning, driving in Kai Roberts and Rosman Verdugo. The TinCaps’ first baseman later launched a home run in the fourth inning, his fourth of the season. Kai Roberts had two hits, including an RBI single, and Brandon Butterworth doubled in a run as well. Leo De Vries scored a run in the game, finishing 1-for-4.
Eric Yost continues to be Mr. Reliable for the TinCaps’ pitching staff. Yost fired off five innings of one-run baseball, striking out five batters and walking just one. The right-hander may not have the most blistering velocity (sitting 90-93 with his fastball), but his sweeper and its 20 inches of gloveside break pair well with his fastball, and the pitches tunnel incredibly effectively. Sean Barnett made his second outing on the mound, walking two but recording his first strikeout on the bump. Barnett also touched 96 mph on his fastball and showed off an impressive breaking ball. Fernando Sanchez, Garrett Hawkins, and Tyson Neighbors handled the final 3.1 innings of the game with ease, wrapping up a series win.
Lake Elsinore Storm (Lost 6-5 vs Modesto) (27-30 on the season)
Ryan Jackson – 2-for-4, Double, Three RBI
Chase Valentine – 2-for-3, Two Singles, RBI Walk
Luis Gutierrez – 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K (78 pitches – 55 strikes)
Lake Elsinore took a 5-0 lead after four innings, but the team’s pitching staff allowed six unanswered runs in what became a 6-5 loss in Modesto. Ryan Jackson was the star of the show for the Storm’s lineup, as he had two hits, including a bases-clearing double in the fourth inning. Jackson, the former USC Trojan, has hit .321 this month, driving in seven runs and posting a .406 OBP. Zach Evans had one single in four at-bats, extending his on-base streak to six of seven games this month so far. Chase Valentine had two singles out of the nine-hole, driving in a run on a bases-loaded walk. Kavares Tears did not have a base hit in the game, but grounded into a double play that scored a run. Valentine and Jackson accounted for the team’s three stolen bases, with Valentine stealing two.
Luis Gutierrez has set some lofty standards for himself after a month-plus of dominance. The Storm’s Sunday starter tossed five innings against the defending California League champions, allowing two runs on four hits. It was very similar to his Game 2 outing in the Cali League Finals, where he tossed five innings of one-run baseball. Bernard Jose allowed the tying runs to score in 1.2 innings of work, with Felnin Celestin (SEA’s No. 4 prospect) singling in the tying run against him. Ruben Salinas pitched 1.1 innings in relief, but the go-ahead run came in to score on an RBI single off the left-hander.
ACL Padres – Off Day
DSL Padres – Both Teams on Off Day
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.